FHA Loan Florida · Licensed FL Mortgage Broker · NMLS #1630225
FHA Loan Florida — Your County Sets the Limit
Fifty-one of Florida’s sixty-seven counties sit at the $541,287 floor, and sixteen do not. The gap between the top tier and the floor is nearly $450,000, so the county the property sits in decides what FHA will lend you.
Last updated August 2026 · reviewed by a licensed mortgage broker
3.5% Down Tier
Across Florida
At The Floor
Above It
Your Answer Right Here
FHA Loan Florida — The Short Answer
An FHA loan in Florida requires a minimum down payment of 3.5% if your credit score is 580 or higher. If your score falls between 500 and 579, you can still get approved, but the down payment requirement rises to 10%. The absolute minimum credit score for FHA financing in Florida is 500 — below that, FHA is not available under any circumstances. These rules come from HUD Handbook 4000.1 and apply the same way whether you are buying in Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, or Miami.
Florida FHA loan limits for 2026 are set at seven tiers. Monroe County, home to Key West and the rest of the Florida Keys, carries the state’s highest limit at $990,150 for a single-family home. Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties sit at a mid-tier limit of $667,000, reflecting South Florida’s higher home prices. Collier sits at $764,750; Martin, Okaloosa, St. Lucie and Walton at $603,750; Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns at $580,750; and Manatee and Sarasota at $547,400. Orange, Hillsborough, and the remaining 51 counties sit at the national floor of $541,287. Mortgage-World.com (NMLS #1630225) is a licensed Florida mortgage broker, and we can usually tell you within minutes whether your credit profile clears the 580 threshold or where you stand if it doesn’t. Call 888.958.5382 or start your application online with no hard credit pull.
At a Glance
FHA Loan Florida — 2026 Program Snapshot
Complete program parameters for an FHA loan in Florida as originated through Mortgage-World.com (NMLS #1630225).
| Parameter | FHA Loan — Florida 2026 |
|---|---|
| Minimum Down Payment (580+ FICO) | 3.5% of the lesser of purchase price or appraised value |
| Minimum Down Payment (500–579 FICO) | 10% of the lesser of purchase price or appraised value |
| Minimum Credit Score | 500 FICO — borrowers below 500 are not FHA-eligible under any circumstances |
| 2026 FHA Loan Limit — Monroe County | $990,150 (1-unit) — highest in Florida |
| 2026 FHA Loan Limit — Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach | $667,000 (1-unit) |
| 2026 FHA Loan Limit — Remaining FL Counties | $541,287 (1-unit) — Orange, Hillsborough, and the remaining 51 counties |
| Maximum DTI | 43% standard; up to 56.99% with AUS approval and compensating factors |
| Florida Down Payment Assistance | State and county programs can pair with an FHA first mortgage; income limits apply |
| Gift Funds | Entire 3.5% down payment can be a gift from a family member, employer, or approved organization |
| Upfront MIP | 1.75% of the loan amount; can be financed into the loan |
| Annual MIP | Approximately 0.50–0.55% depending on LTV, on 30-year loans |
| Eligible Properties | 1–4 unit owner-occupied; FHA-approved condos; PUDs; townhouses |
| Seller Concessions | Up to 6% of purchase price toward closing costs (not applicable to down payment) |
| States Licensed | Florida, New Jersey, Connecticut |
Why Florida Is Different
Why Florida FHA Loan Limits Vary by County
Florida is one of the more complicated states in the country for FHA loan limits, because unlike a state with one or two cost tiers, Florida has seven. Most of the state sits at the national floor, but South Florida and the Keys are priced differently than the rest of the state, and HUD adjusts the FHA limit county by county to reflect that. If you are comparing numbers from an older article, double check the year, because these figures are reset every January and 2026 brought a meaningful increase over 2025.
Monroe County Sits in a Class of Its Own
Monroe County, which covers Key West and the rest of the Florida Keys, carries a 2026 FHA limit of $990,150 for a single-family home — the highest in the state by a wide margin. That number reflects how limited the buildable land is throughout the Keys and how much demand there is for second homes and vacation properties that get converted into primary residences. If you are buying in Key Largo, Marathon, or Key West itself, FHA financing stretches considerably further than buyers elsewhere in Florida might expect.
South Florida’s Tri-County Area Sits in the Middle Tier
Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties all carry a 2026 FHA limit of $667,000 for a single-family home, up from roughly $654,000 in 2025. That is meaningfully above the statewide floor, which matters in cities like Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach where home prices have climbed steadily. Buyers in this tri-county corridor often need every bit of that higher limit, especially when shopping for a single-family home rather than a condo.
Twelve More Counties Sit Above the Floor
Between the tri-county band and the floor sit four more tiers: Collier at $764,750; Martin, Okaloosa, St. Lucie and Walton at $603,750; Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns at $580,750; and Manatee and Sarasota at $547,400. Orange County (Orlando), Hillsborough County (Tampa) and the remaining 51 counties sit at the 2026 national FHA floor of $541,287 for a single-family home. That figure still covers the typical purchase price across most of the state, which is why FHA remains the most commonly used loan program for first-time buyers in Florida outside the highest-priced coastal pockets. Mortgage-World.com (NMLS #1630225) originates FHA loans in every Florida county and can confirm the exact limit for your address before you make an offer.
Full Qualification Picture
FHA Loan Florida Requirements — 2026
Complete Checklist: Credit, Income, Down Payment, and Property
Everything you need to qualify for an FHA loan in Florida is covered below. These are the program rules as applied through Mortgage-World.com (NMLS #1630225) in 2026.
- 580+ FICO: 3.5% minimum down payment; automated or manual underwriting eligible
- 500–579 FICO: 10% minimum down payment; manually underwritten — HUD requires manual underwriting at or below 640
- Below 500 FICO: not eligible for FHA under any circumstances
- Qualifying score = lowest middle score across all borrowers on the loan
- Down payment is calculated on the lower of purchase price or appraised value
- Borrower’s personal savings (60-day account history required)
- Gift funds from a family member, employer, or approved organization (gift letter required)
- Florida state and county down payment assistance second mortgages
- Proceeds from the sale of a prior property
- Employer-paid relocation or assistance funds
- Standard back-end DTI: 43% without compensating factors
- With AUS approval and compensating factors: up to 56.99% DTI allowed
- W-2, self-employed, Social Security, part-time, and rental income all accepted
- Two-year employment history required; gaps must be documented and explained
- Down payment assistance monthly payment, if any, is included in your DTI calculation
- Owner-occupied 1–4 unit only; FHA-approved condos and townhouses eligible
- FHA appraisal required; property must meet HUD minimum property standards
- 2026 Monroe County FHA limit: $990,150 (1-unit)
- 2026 Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach FHA limit: $667,000 (1-unit)
- 2026 remaining FL counties FHA limit: $541,287 (1-unit)
Florida-Specific Assistance
Down Payment Assistance With an FHA Loan in Florida
How Florida Down Payment Assistance Works With FHA
A number of Florida state and county housing agencies offer down payment assistance programs that pair directly with an FHA first mortgage. These are typically structured as a low-interest or deferred second mortgage rather than a grant, so terms vary depending on the program and the county where you are buying. Income limits apply and vary by household size and location, so a household in Miami-Dade has a different cap than one in a smaller inland county. Mortgage-World.com (NMLS #1630225) checks your eligibility against current Florida down payment assistance program guidelines before you submit an offer, so there are no surprises during underwriting.
Gift Funds Remain the Simplest Option
For many Florida FHA borrowers, the most straightforward path to covering the 3.5% down payment is still a gift from a family member. FHA allows the entire down payment to come from a gift with no minimum contribution required from the borrower’s own funds, as long as the donor signs a letter confirming no repayment is expected. We see this often with younger buyers in Orlando and Tampa who have steady income and good credit but have not yet built up savings on top of rent that has climbed sharply in recent years. Combining a family gift with the lower 3.5% requirement is frequently the fastest way to close.
Three Key Facts
Three Things Every Florida FHA Buyer Should Know
A single point of FICO score can be the difference between a 3.5% down payment and a 10% requirement. On a $400,000 home in Orlando, that is $14,000 versus $40,000 out of pocket. If your score is close to 580, ask Mortgage-World.com to review your tri-merge report; sometimes a small balance pay-down moves you into the lower tier before you apply. See our FHA loan with low credit score Florida page for more on the 500–579 tier.
Buyers searching for FHA loan limits often pull up an outdated table. Only Monroe County carries the highest $990,150 figure, while Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach sit at $667,000. Four more tiers sit in between, covering Collier, Martin, Okaloosa, St. Lucie, Walton, Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, St. Johns, Manatee, and Sarasota. Orange, Hillsborough, and the remaining 51 counties sit at $541,287. Confirm your exact county before assuming any single number applies statewide.
FHA requires a 1.75% upfront mortgage insurance premium in addition to your down payment. It is a separate charge calculated on the loan amount, and most Florida buyers finance it directly into the loan rather than paying it at closing. The annual MIP, roughly 0.50–0.55%, is added to your monthly payment for most of the loan term.
Finding Your Number
Look Your County Up Before You Rule a Property Out
Florida is the state where a county lookup matters most, because the gap between the top tier and the floor is nearly $450,000. Getting it wrong in either direction changes what you think you can buy.
Most of the state really is at the floor
Fifty-one of Florida’s sixty-seven counties sit at $541,287. That is the honest headline, and for most buyers it is the number that applies. Orange, Hillsborough, Polk, Lee, Volusia, and the rest of the interior are all there.
Which is why Florida reads as a simple state until you are buying somewhere that is not.
Sixteen counties are not, and four of them surprise people
Monroe and the tri-county corridor are well known. The ones that catch buyers out are the middle tiers: Collier at $764,750, Martin, Okaloosa, St. Lucie and Walton at $603,750, Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns at $580,750, and Manatee and Sarasota at $547,400.
Naples, Jacksonville, Sarasota, Stuart, and Destin are all in that group. A buyer there working from a statewide article, or from a lender who quoted the floor, is being told they can borrow less than they actually can.
The error that costs people houses
It is almost always in the same direction. Somebody reads the floor, decides a property is out of reach, and stops looking. In Duval that assumption is $39,463 short. In Collier it is $223,463 short.
Nobody ever walks away because they thought the limit was too high. The mistake that costs you a house is the quiet one, and it is worth five minutes to make sure you are not making it.
Check the county the property is in, not the one you live in
The limit follows the address you are buying, which matters in a state where people routinely cross county lines to buy. Living in Broward and buying in Palm Beach keeps you at $667,000; buying in Martin drops you to $603,750.
These figures reset every January, so a number from an older article is a different year’s number rather than a wrong one. Check the year before you trust it.
Before You Start
What Happens After You Apply
- You send the application
A few minutes online. No documents at this stage.
- A licensed loan officer calls you
Someone on our team covering your state.
- We ask for documents and pull credit
Only once you have decided to move forward.
- You get an approval to shop with
Typically back within the hour.
What Clients Say
Real Reviews From Our Clients
Here’s what a few of our clients said about working with Mortgage-World.com.
Common Questions Answered
Frequently Asked Questions — FHA Loan Florida
Related FHA pages: Florida FHA requirements · FHA loans overview · New Jersey FHA loans · Connecticut FHA loans.
Related Resources
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Find out which tier your county is in
A licensed loan officer will confirm the exact FHA limit for the address you are buying — not the statewide floor, and not last year’s figure — before you decide a property is out of reach.
Written and reviewed by Chris Luis, Broker/Owner of Mortgage-World.com, NMLS #1630225. About the author