When you buy a Massachusetts home with an FHA loan, the county you choose can change your maximum loan amount by more than $700,000.
County-by-county 2026 FHA loan limits, maximum purchase prices with 3.5% down, and financing alternatives define your buying power.
Check Your Massachusetts FHA Loan Eligibility
Finding your county's cap lets you set a realistic FHA budget and decide what to do if your home requires a bigger loan.
2026 FHA Loan Limits by County
The 2026 Massachusetts FHA loan limits apply to FHA case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2026. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) updates these figures every year, so treat them as the current published limits and confirm the figure for your county with your lender.
Massachusetts spans the entire national range, from the $541,287 national floor in four Western Massachusetts counties to the $1,249,125 ceiling on Dukes and Nantucket, with $962,550 in the five Greater Boston counties.
| County | 1 unit | 2 units | 3 units | 4 units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable | $828,000 | $1,060,000 | $1,281,300 | $1,592,350 |
| Berkshire | $541,287 | $693,050 | $837,700 | $1,041,125 |
| Bristol | $787,750 | $1,008,450 | $1,219,000 | $1,514,950 |
| Dukes | $1,249,125 | $1,599,375 | $1,933,200 | $2,402,625 |
| Essex | $962,550 | $1,232,250 | $1,489,500 | $1,851,100 |
| Franklin | $541,287 | $693,050 | $837,700 | $1,041,125 |
| Hampden | $541,287 | $693,050 | $837,700 | $1,041,125 |
| Hampshire | $541,287 | $693,050 | $837,700 | $1,041,125 |
| Middlesex | $962,550 | $1,232,250 | $1,489,500 | $1,851,100 |
| Nantucket | $1,249,125 | $1,599,375 | $1,933,200 | $2,402,625 |
| Norfolk | $962,550 | $1,232,250 | $1,489,500 | $1,851,100 |
| Plymouth | $962,550 | $1,232,250 | $1,489,500 | $1,851,100 |
| Suffolk | $962,550 | $1,232,250 | $1,489,500 | $1,851,100 |
| Worcester | $545,100 | $697,800 | $843,500 | $1,048,300 |
Keep in mind that the limit caps your base loan amount, not the purchase price, so a bigger down payment lets you buy above it.
What Price Can You Buy at Your County's Limit?
With a 580 or higher credit score, you can borrow up to 96.5% of the purchase price (a 3.5% down payment) on FHA loans in Massachusetts, so the highest price your county limit supports with the minimum down payment is the limit divided by 0.965.
With a credit score between 500 and 579, the maximum loan-to-value (LTV) ratio is 90% (10% down). See our guide to FHA loan requirements in Massachusetts for full credit, income, and property rules.
| Counties | 1-unit limit | Highest price with 3.5% down (about) |
|---|---|---|
| Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire | $541,287 | $560,919 |
| Worcester | $545,100 | $564,870 |
| Bristol | $787,750 | $816,321 |
| Barnstable | $828,000 | $858,031 |
| Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk | $962,550 | $997,461 |
| Dukes, Nantucket | $1,249,125 | $1,294,430 |
For context, the statewide median single-family sale price was $715,000 in June 2026, so the one-unit limit sits above the statewide median in Greater Boston, Barnstable, Bristol, and the islands, while Worcester and Western Massachusetts limits sit at or near the floor because local sale prices are much lower.
Example: A Two-Family in Worcester County
The two-unit FHA limit in Worcester County is $697,800, which divided by 0.965 supports a purchase price of about $723,109 with 3.5% down — raising your FHA budget well above the one-unit cap.
If you look at a three- or four-unit home, the property must also pass FHA's self-sufficiency rental income test and you will need three months of principal, interest, taxes, and insurance (PITI) in reserves, which we cover in our guide to multifamily mortgages in Massachusetts.
If the Price Is Above That
If the home you want is priced above the figure in the table — such as a single-family house in Hampden County above $560,919 — you can still use an FHA loan by bringing a larger down payment to cover the gap between the purchase price and your county's base loan cap.
How FHA Mortgage Insurance Fits With the Limit
The Upfront Premium Sits on Top of the Limit
Every FHA purchase loan includes an Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium (UFMIP) equal to 1.75% of the base loan amount, which you can finance into the loan or pay in cash at closing (all one or the other).
The 1.75% upfront premium does not count toward your county loan limit or LTV limit, so you can borrow right up to the cap — such as $541,287 in Hampden County or $962,550 in Middlesex County — and still finance the 1.75% on top.
The $726,200 Annual MIP Step-Up
Your annual Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP), paid monthly, steps up when the base loan amount is above $726,200.
On a purchase loan over 15 years with less than 5% down (an LTV over 95%, such as a 30-year loan with 3.5% down), the annual MIP rate is 0.55% at or below $726,200 and 0.75% above $726,200.
One-unit limits in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, and Worcester counties cannot exceed $726,200, so single-family buyers there stay in the lower MIP bracket. In Barnstable, Bristol, Greater Boston, and the islands, a one-unit loan can cross $726,200, and three- and four-unit limits exceed $726,200 in every county.
If your base loan crosses that mark, run the payment numbers in the home affordability calculator and ask your loan officer to compare a conventional option.
Check Your Massachusetts FHA Loan Eligibility
FHA vs. Conforming Loan Limits
In the five Greater Boston counties and on Dukes and Nantucket, the 2026 one-unit FHA and conforming loan limits are identical. In the other seven Massachusetts counties, the one-unit conforming limit of $832,750 is higher than the FHA limit, with the widest gap in Worcester County and Western Massachusetts.
| Counties | FHA (1 unit) | Conforming (1 unit) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire | $541,287 | $832,750 | $291,463 |
| Worcester | $545,100 | $832,750 | $287,650 |
| Bristol | $787,750 | $832,750 | $45,000 |
| Barnstable | $828,000 | $832,750 | $4,750 |
| Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk | $962,550 | $962,550 | Same |
| Dukes, Nantucket | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 | Same |
You can see the conventional caps for two-, three-, and four-unit homes in our guide to conforming loan limits in Massachusetts.
If You Need a Bigger Loan Than FHA Allows
If the home you want requires a base loan above your county's 2026 FHA limit, you have three options:
- Put more money down: Bring a larger down payment to cover the difference between the purchase price and your county's FHA base loan cap.
- Switch to a conventional conforming loan: In Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Worcester, Bristol, and Barnstable counties, a conforming loan raises your 2026 one-unit borrowing cap to $832,750.
- Look at a jumbo loan: If you need to borrow more than the conforming limit — above $962,550 in Greater Boston, $1,249,125 on the islands, or $832,750 in the rest of the state — see our guide to jumbo loans in Massachusetts for down payment, credit, and reserve rules.
How HUD Sets FHA Limits
HUD updates FHA loan limits each year using county or Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) home sale prices, tied to the national conforming baseline set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which is $832,750 for a one-unit home in 2026.
| Rule | How it works | 2026 one-unit amount | Massachusetts counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floor | 65% of the $832,750 baseline | $541,287 | Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire |
| 115% of local median | 115% of the county or metro median sale price | $545,100 to $962,550 | Worcester, Bristol, Barnstable, and the five Greater Boston counties |
| Ceiling | 150% of the $832,750 baseline | $1,249,125 | Dukes, Nantucket |
Here is how that math works across Massachusetts for 2026:
- Greater Boston (Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk): $837,000 median sale price times 1.15 equals $962,550.
- Barnstable County: $720,000 median sale price times 1.15 equals $828,000.
- Bristol County: $685,000 median sale price times 1.15 equals $787,750.
- Worcester County: $474,000 median sale price times 1.15 equals $545,100.
- Western Massachusetts (Berkshire at $328,000, Franklin at $335,000, Hampden at $325,000, Hampshire at $418,000): even Hampshire's $418,000 median times 1.15 is below the floor, so the $541,287 floor applies to all four.
- Dukes ($1,520,000 median) and Nantucket ($2,375,000 median): 115% of each figure exceeds the ceiling, so the $1,249,125 ceiling applies to both.
Because HUD sets limits by metro area, all counties in the same metro area share the same limit.
How the 2026 Limits Changed From 2025
Every Massachusetts county's FHA limit rose from 2025 to 2026, as the national one-unit floor increased from $524,225 to $541,287 and the national ceiling rose from $1,209,750 to $1,249,125.
| Counties | 2025 (1 unit) | 2026 (1 unit) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire | $524,225 | $541,287 | +$17,062 |
| Worcester | $524,225 | $545,100 | +$20,875 |
| Bristol | $736,000 | $787,750 | +$51,750 |
| Barnstable | $799,250 | $828,000 | +$28,750 |
| Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk | $914,250 | $962,550 | +$48,300 |
| Dukes, Nantucket | $1,209,750 | $1,249,125 | +$39,375 |
Worcester County moved off the national floor for 2026 and now sits $3,813 above it.
Next Steps
Knowing your county's 2026 FHA limit lets you set a clear budget from day one. At Make Massachusetts Your Home, operated by Next Wave Mortgage, LLC, our team compares FHA, conventional, and jumbo loan options across multiple wholesale lenders so you can see how your down payment and monthly payment stack up side by side.
Starting an eligibility check takes no hard credit pull, pre-approval typically takes 1 to 3 business days once your documents are in, and you can schedule a free 15-minute call with a loan officer whenever you are ready.
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