Colorado quietly became a "high-cost" lending state — at least along the Front Range. If you're buying in Denver, you now get a bigger conforming loan limit than most of the country. But drive an hour north to Greeley or south to Colorado Springs and the numbers change substantially, especially for FHA. Here's exactly where the 2026 limits landed in the markets we serve, and what they mean for how you structure a loan.
The 2026 baseline
For 2026, the national baseline conforming loan limit is $832,750 for a single-family home (up from $806,500 in 2025), with a high-cost ceiling of $1,249,125. The FHA floor is $541,287. Colorado's Front Range counties land all over that spectrum.
2026 conforming loan limits by Colorado county
| County (Metro) | 2026 Conforming Limit |
|---|---|
| Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Jefferson, Douglas, Broomfield (Metro Denver) | $862,500 |
| Boulder | $879,750 |
| Larimer (Fort Collins / Loveland) | $832,750 |
| Weld (Greeley) | $832,750 |
| El Paso (Colorado Springs) | $832,750 |
| Mesa (Grand Junction) | $832,750 |
2026 FHA loan limits by Colorado county
This is where the Front Range really diverges:
| County (Metro) | 2026 FHA Limit (1-unit) |
|---|---|
| Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Jefferson, Douglas, Broomfield | $862,500 |
| Boulder | $879,750 |
| Larimer (Fort Collins / Loveland) | $634,800 |
| Weld (Greeley) | $575,000 |
| El Paso (Colorado Springs) | $541,650 |
| Mesa (Grand Junction) | $541,287 |
What this means in Metro Denver
Denver's six core counties are above the national baseline at $862,500 — and unusually, the FHA limit matches the conforming limit dollar-for-dollar. That's rare: it means FHA's 3.5% down payment and flexible credit guidelines are available on loans up to $862,500 across the entire metro. For move-up buyers or anyone rebuilding credit after a rough patch, Denver is one of the friendliest big-city FHA markets in the country right now.
What this means in Northern Colorado
Here's a detail that catches Northern Colorado buyers off guard: Larimer and Weld counties have the same conforming limit ($832,750) but very different FHA limits — $634,800 in Larimer versus $575,000 in Weld. If you're shopping both Fort Collins and Greeley (a common NoCo search), your FHA budget changes by nearly $60,000 when you cross county lines. Conventional buyers are unaffected. This is exactly the kind of line-on-a-map detail a local loan officer plans around.
What this means in Colorado Springs and Grand Junction
El Paso County's FHA limit is $541,650 and Mesa County sits at the national floor of $541,287 — both plenty for most of those markets, where typical prices remain well below Front Range–Denver levels. Conforming buyers in both markets get the full $832,750 baseline. Military buyers in the Springs should also remember: VA loans have no loan limit for borrowers with full entitlement, and with five military installations in El Paso County, VA is often the strongest option on the table — frequently with nothing down.
Don't forget Colorado's down payment help
Loan limits set your ceiling; Colorado's state housing finance authority (CHFA) helps with the floor. CHFA currently offers either a down payment assistance grant of up to the lesser of $25,000 or 3% of your first mortgage (never repaid) or a second mortgage of up to the lesser of $25,000 or 4% (deferred — no payment until you sell, refinance, or pay off the loan). You choose one or the other, and both pair with FHA and conventional first mortgages through participating lenders. Income limits and homebuyer education apply.
Three things to remember
- County lines matter more than city limits. A Fort Collins address in Larimer and a Windsor address in Weld can carry different FHA ceilings.
- Limits are for the loan, not the price. A bigger down payment can keep a higher-priced purchase inside conforming or FHA territory.
- These reset every year. The figures above are current as of August 2026 for loans under the 2026 limits; FHFA and HUD publish new limits each November/December.
Sources
- FHFA: Conforming Loan Limit Values for 2026 (announced Nov 25, 2025)
- FHFA 2026 Full County Loan Limit List (county-level conforming values)
- HUD: FHA Announces 2026 Loan Limits and Mortgagee Letter 2025-23
- HUD CHUMS county limit data file, CY2026 (county-level FHA values)
- CHFA Colorado: Down Payment Assistance
- VA home loan limits (no limit with full entitlement)
Loan limits shown are for one-unit properties; two- to four-unit properties have higher limits. CHFA program terms are set by CHFA and subject to change. This is general information, not a loan offer or a commitment to lend — talk to a local Xpert loan officer for numbers specific to you.