What Are VA Loan Limits?
The VA loan is one of my favorite benefits afforded to service members—especially when used to house hack—but there are still limitations to what it can purchase.
The Department of Veterans Affairs limits the amount you can borrow depending on what county you are purchasing a home in. The standard VA loan limit is $647,200 across most U.S. Counties in 2021—up from the $548,250 limit in 2021!
There are more expensive counties, which are allowed higher limits. At the high end, this limit is currently $970,800, which is a large increase from the limit of $822,375 in 2021.
It is important to note that these limits don’t cap the amount you can borrow, but rather the amount you can borrow with 0% down. Once you go above your remaining entitlement you will be required to pay 25% down for every dollar over that remaining eligibility.
Wait, I Thought The VA Loan No Longer Had Any Limits.
Yes and no.
As of January 1, 2020, there is no longer a limit on your first home purchase! You can literally borrow as much money—with 0% down—as your bank will loan you based on the debt-to-income ratio and your personal financial situation.
As of December 2021, the largest purchase I have seen a veteran make with 0% down was a $1,930,000 duplex on Venice Beach!
Once you have used the VA loan, these loan limits come into effect.
For more information on how your certificate of eligibility (COE) plays into this, check out this article.
Current VA Loan Limits
Here are the current VA Loan Limits by County for 2022. Scroll through to find the county/state that you’re buying that next home in, and use this as a guide to determine how much home you can buy, based on your remaining entitlement.
| State | Counties | VA Loan Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Alaska | Aleutians East | $970,800 |
| Aleutians West | $970,800 | |
| Anchorage | $970,800 | |
| Bethel | $970,800 | |
| Bristol Bay | $970,800 | |
| Denali | $970,800 | |
| Dillingham | $970,800 | |
| Fairbnaks North Star | $970,800 | |
| Haines | $970,800 | |
| Hoonah-angoon Census Area | $970,800 | |
| Juneau | $970,800 | |
| Kenai Peninsula | $970,800 | |
| Ketchikan Gateway | $970,800 | |
| Kodiak Island | $970,800 | |
| Kuslivak Census Area | $970,800 | |
| Lake And Peninsula | $970,800 | |
| Matanuska Sursitna | $970,800 | |
| Nome | $970,800 | |
| North Slope | $970,800 | |
| Northwest Arctic | $970,800 | |
| Prince of Wales-hyder Census Area | $970,800 | |
| Sitka | $970,800 | |
| Skagway | $970,800 | |
| Southeasy Fairbanks | $970,800 | |
| Valdez Cordova | $970,800 | |
| Wrangell | $970,800 | |
| Yakutat | $970,800 | |
| Yukon Koyukuk | $970,800 | |
| All Other Areas | $647,200 | |
| Arizona | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Arkansas | All Areas | $647,200 |
| California | Alameda | $970,800 |
| Contra Costa | $970,800 | |
| El Dorado | $675,050 | |
| Los Angeles | $970,800 | |
| Marin | $970,800 | |
| Monterey | $854,450 | |
| Napa | $897,000 | |
| Orange | $970,800 | |
| Placer | $675,050 | |
| Sacramento | $675,050 | |
| San Benito | $970,800 | |
| San Diego | $879,750 | |
| San Francisco | $970,800 | |
| San Luis Obispo | $805,000 | |
| San Mateo | $970,800 | |
| Santa Barbara | $783,150 | |
| Santa Clara | $970,800 | |
| Santa Cruz | $970,800 | |
| Sonoma | $764,750 | |
| Ventura | $851,000 | |
| Yolo | $675,050 | |
| All Other Areas | $647,200 | |
| Colorado | Adams | $684,250 |
| Arapahoe | $684,250 | |
| Boulder | $654,350 | |
| Broomfield | $684,250 | |
| Clear Creek | $684,250 | |
| Denver | $684,250 | |
| Douglas | $684,250 | |
| Eagle | $862,500 | |
| Elbert | $684,250 | |
| Garfield | $856,750 | |
| Gilpin | $684,250 | |
| Jefferson | $684,250 | |
| Lake | $684,250 | |
| Park | $684,250 | |
| Pitkin | $856,750 | |
| Routt | $678,500 | |
| San Miguel | $756,700 | |
| Summit | $822,375 | |
| All Other Areas | $647,200 | |
| Connecticut | Fairfield | $695,750 |
| All Other Areas | $647,200 | |
| Delaware | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Florida | Monroe | $710,700 |
| All Areas | $647,200 | |
| Georgia | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Hawaii | Hawaii | $970,800 |
| Honolulu | $970,800 | |
| Kalawao | $970,800 | |
| Kauai | $970,800 | |
| Maui | $970,800 | |
| Idaho | Blaine | $648,600 |
| Camas | $648,600 | |
| Teton | $970,800 | |
| All Other Areas | $647,200 | |
| Illinois | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Indiana | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Iowa | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Kansas | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Kentucky | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Louisiana | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Maine | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Maryland | Calvert | $970,800 |
| Charles | $970,800 | |
| Frederick | $970,800 | |
| Montgomery | $970,800 | |
| Prince George's | $970,800 | |
| All Other Areas | $647,200 | |
| Massachusetts | Dukes | $970,800 |
| Essex | $770,500 | |
| Middlesex | $770,500 | |
| Nantucket | $970,800 | |
| Norfolk | $770,500 | |
| Plymouth | $770,500 | |
| Suffolk | $770,500 | |
| All Other Areas | $647,200 | |
| Michigan | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Minnesota | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Mississippi | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Missouri | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Montana | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Nebraska | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Nevada | All Areas | $647,200 |
| New Hampshire | Rockingham | $770,500 |
| Strafford | $770,500 | |
| All Other Areas | $647,200 | |
| New Jersey | Bergen | $970,800 |
| Essex | $970,800 | |
| Hudson | $970,800 | |
| Hunterdon | $970,800 | |
| Middlesex | $970,800 | |
| Monmout | $970,800 | |
| Morris | $970,800 | |
| Ocean | $970,800 | |
| Passaic | $970,800 | |
| Somerset | $970,800 | |
| Sussex | $970,800 | |
| Union | $970,800 | |
| All Other Areas | $647,200 | |
| New Mexico | All Areas | $647,200 |
| New York | Bronx | $970,800 |
| Dutchess | $726,525 | |
| Kings | $970,800 | |
| Nassau | $970,800 | |
| New York | $970,800 | |
| Orange | $726,525 | |
| Putnam | $970,800 | |
| Queens | $970,800 | |
| Richmond | $970,800 | |
| Rockland | $970,800 | |
| Suffolk | $970,800 | |
| Westchester | $970,800 | |
| All Other Areas | $647,200 | |
| North Carolina | All Other Areas | $647,200 |
| North Dakota | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Ohio | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Oklahoma | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Oregon | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Pennsylvania | Pike | $970,800 |
| All Other Areas | $647,200 | |
| Rhode Island | All Areas | $647,200 |
| South Carolina | All Areas | $647,200 |
| South Dakota | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Tennessee | Cannon | $694,600 |
| Cheatham | $694,600 | |
| Davidson | $694,600 | |
| Dickson | $694,600 | |
| Macon | $694,600 | |
| Maury | $694,600 | |
| Robertson | $694,600 | |
| Rutherford | $694,600 | |
| Smith | $694,600 | |
| Sumner | $694,600 | |
| Trousdale | $694,600 | |
| Williamson | $694,600 | |
| Wilson | $694,600 | |
| All Other Areas | $647,200 | |
| Texas | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Utah | Summit | $970,800 |
| Wasatch | $970,800 | |
| All Other Areas | $647,200 | |
| Vermont | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Virginia | Alexandria City | $970,800 |
| Arlington | $970,800 | |
| Clarke | $970,800 | |
| Culpeper | $970,800 | |
| Fairfax | $970,800 | |
| Fairfax City | $970,800 | |
| Falls Church City | $970,800 | |
| Fauquier | $970,800 | |
| Fredericksburg City | $970,800 | |
| Loudoun | $970,800 | |
| Madison | $970,800 | |
| Manassas Park City | $970,800 | |
| Prince William | $970,800 | |
| Rappahannock | $970,800 | |
| Stafford | $970,800 | |
| Warren | $970,800 | |
| All Other Areas | $647,200 | |
| Washington | King | $891,250 |
| Pierce | $776,250 | |
| Snohomish | $776,250 | |
| All Other Areas | $647,200 | |
| West Virginia | All Areas | $822,375 |
| Wisconsin | All Areas | $647,200 |
| Wyoming | Teton | $822,375 |
| All Other Areas | $647,200 | |
| District of Columbia | District of Columbia | $970,800 |
| Guam | Guam | $970,800 |
| Virgin Islands | St Croix Island | $970,800 |
| St John Island | $970,800 | |
| St Thomas Island | $970,800 |
Let us introduce you to one of our recommended real estate agents and/or VA lenders in your market!
VA Loan Limit Example
(I left the math in the below section in 2021 loan limits because I didn’t want to have to rework the equations every year the limits update)
Let’s say that your first VA home loan was $200k, which means you used $50k worth of your COE. If you’re looking to purchase your second home in San Diego county—where the 2021 VA loan limit was $753,250—you will have a remaining COE of $138,312.5 which would allow you a maximum purchase price of $553,250 before you would be required to put any money down.
Our Recommended VA loan and real estate professionals.
$753,250 / 4 = $188,312.5 COE – the $50k entitlement used on your first home = $138,312.5 COE (or $553,250 in purchasing power before you would be required to put 25% down for every additional dollar you borrow).
There are ways to recoup your eligibility, as our article on buying a second home with the VA loan mentions.
Please note that the VA Loan Limits have been increasing every year for a while now, but that doesn’t mean they can’t stay the same or even decrease depending on home prices in your area. This is a living breathing document, and every year I intend to update this document to the most current year.
