Washington County and St. George Mortgage Lending: Loan Limits and Programs

Q: Can I get a USDA loan in St. George or Washington County?

In much of the county, yes. Eleven USDA loans were originated in Washington County in 2024, making it the only county in this network where USDA is genuinely active. Broadly the urbanized St. George core falls outside the eligible area while outlying communities generally fall inside it, but eligibility follows census-derived urbanized area boundaries rather than city lines and is determined address by address, with the final determination made by Rural Development on a complete application. The area loan limit is $433,020. Sources: USDA, CFPB HMDA.

Q: What is the difference between the asking price and the closing price in Washington County?

As of August 2026 the median asking price across active listings was $602,308 while the median closed price was $520,000, an $82,308 spread, alongside 5.21 months of supply and 53 median days on market. Source: Washington County MLS.

Q: Are prices in southern Utah rising or falling?

Close to flat on the year. Through August, 2,922 homes closed in 2026 against 2,926 in the same stretch of 2025, and the year-to-date median moved from $525,000 to $527,900. The August median of $520,000 was down 2.67 percent year over year. Source: Washington County MLS.

Q: What down payment assistance is available in Washington County?

Utah Housing Corporation FirstHome and Score run statewide, with a purchase price cap here of $505,000 and income limits of $96,000 for one to two people and $112,000 for three or more. The Federal Home Loan Bank HELP grant offers up to $20,000 forgivable at or below 80 percent of area median income. Local assistance is administered separately from the Wasatch Front programs, and several public summaries are out of date, so confirm current terms before relying on them.

Q: Can I build a backyard unit on a Washington County property?

It depends on the community. From October 1, 2026, Utah Code section 10-21-304 requires cities over 5,000 people to permit a detached accessory dwelling unit on lots of 11,000 square feet or larger, which reaches St. George, Washington, Hurricane, Ivins and Santa Clara. Many smaller communities in the county fall below the population threshold and are not covered, so the local ordinance governs there. Water and sewer capacity is a ground a city may cite in declining a unit.

Measure	Washington County	Source
Conforming, one unit	$832,750	FHFA, 2026
Conforming, two units	$1,066,250	FHFA, 2026
FHA, one unit	$607,200	HUD, 2026
VA, partial entitlement tie	$832,750	VA, tied to conforming
USDA area loan limit	$433,020	USDA, 2026
Median sale price	$520,000	Washington County MLS, August 2026
Utah Housing price cap	$505,000	Utah Housing Corporation, 2026

Reading the numbers

What these numbers mean if you're buying here

$87,200

FHA headroom above the county median

5.21

Months of supply, essentially flat year over year

$82,308

Gap between median asking price and median closed price

Difference in year-to-date sales against last year

A flat market is a different negotiation

Through August, 2,922 homes closed in 2026 against 2,926 over the same stretch of 2025. A difference of four sales. The year-to-date median moved from $525,000 to $527,900, about half a percent. Anyone telling you southern Utah is collapsing or booming this year is working from one month rather than the year.

What has changed is inventory. Active listings finished August at 1,886, up 4.4 percent from a year earlier, while new listings came in slightly lower. Buyers are taking longer to work through what is already sitting there, and median days on market ran 53.

The most useful number on this page may be the spread between asking and closing. The median asking price across active listings is $602,308. The median price that actually closed is $520,000. That gap tells you a good deal about how offers are landing here.

More programs reach the median here

In Salt Lake County the FHA limit sits below the median and the Utah Housing cap sits $83,000 below it. Here the FHA limit clears the median by $87,200 and the Utah Housing cap of $505,000 is only $15,000 short of it. The distance between what assistance allows and what the market costs is narrower in Washington County than anywhere else we lend.

USDA is the real differentiator. It offers zero-down financing, it is decided address by address, and the urbanized St. George core is generally outside the eligible area while outlying communities generally are not. The area loan limit of $433,020 caps the loan below the county median, so USDA works below the middle of the market rather than at it. For a buyer looking outside the core, that is a genuine option and almost nobody explains it locally.

Income is the counterweight. The county's average weekly wage is the lowest of Utah's five largest counties, so qualifying income rather than the loan limit is usually what governs here.

Sixty things worth knowing

The Washington County lending deep dive

Financing specifics for this county, grouped by what you are trying to figure out. Every figure names its source.

Loan limits and thresholds

The 2026 conforming loan limit for a one-unit property in Washington County is $832,750. Above that figure a loan is jumbo. (FHFA)
The 2026 FHA limit for a one-unit property is $607,200. (HUD)
That FHA limit clears the county median sale price of $520,000 by about $87,200. (HUD, Washington County MLS)
The FHA limit rose this year. It sat at $593,400 for 2023, 2024 and 2025, then moved to $607,200 for 2026. (HUD)
Washington County carries no high-cost designation and sits at the national baseline, while Summit and Wasatch counties are elevated to $1,150,000. (FHFA)
The 2026 national FHA floor is $541,287 and the ceiling is $1,249,125. Washington County sits above the floor and below the ceiling. (HUD)
VA imposes no loan cap for a borrower with full entitlement. The $832,750 conforming figure is the tie for partial entitlement and zero-down calculations. (VA)
The USDA area loan limit is $433,020, down from $474,720 the prior year, a drop of $41,700. (USDA)
The conforming trend runs $726,200, $766,550, $806,500 and $832,750 across 2023 through 2026. (FHFA)
There is no high-balance tier in this county. The move from conforming to jumbo is a single step. (FHFA)
Multi-unit conforming limits for 2026 are $1,066,250 for two units, roughly $1,288,000 for three and $1,601,750 for four. (FHFA)
This is the only one of the four counties we cover with meaningful USDA activity: eleven originations in 2024, or 0.29 percent of county lending. Small in share, decisive for the households that used it. (CFPB HMDA)

Programs live in this county

USDA Rural Development offers 100 percent financing on an eligible property, with no down payment required. Average USDA loan-to-value in Washington County was 100.00 percent in 2024. (USDA, CFPB HMDA)
USDA eligibility is decided address by address on the Rural Development map, and the final determination is made by Rural Development on a complete application. Viewing the map is not an approval. (USDA)
Broadly, the urbanized St. George core falls outside the eligible area while outlying communities generally fall inside it. Because boundaries are drawn by census-derived urbanized area rather than by city line, send a specific address rather than assuming from a town name. (USDA)
The USDA area loan limit of $433,020 sits below the county median sale price, so USDA works below the middle of this market rather than at it. (USDA, Washington County MLS)
Utah Housing Corporation's FirstHome pairs a 30-year fixed first at a below-market rate with assistance up to 6 percent as a second with no monthly payment, due at payoff, sale or refinance. (UHC)
The Utah Housing purchase price cap for Washington County is $505,000, only about $15,000 below the county median. That is the narrowest gap between the cap and the median of the four counties we cover. (UHC, Washington County MLS)
Utah Housing income limits for Washington County are $96,000 for a one or two person household and $112,000 for three or more, the lowest of the four counties we cover. (UHC)
FirstHome requires a 660 minimum credit score. The Score program reaches borrowers between 620 and 659 on a similar structure. (UHC)
The Federal Home Loan Bank HELP grant offers up to $20,000, forgivable, for first-time buyers at or below 80 percent of area median income, with a $500 minimum borrower contribution, on owner-occupied one to four unit properties. (FHLB)
Local assistance in southern Utah is administered separately from the Wasatch Front programs, and several publicly posted summaries are out of date, some still quoting purchase price caps from earlier loan-limit years. Confirm current terms with the administering agency before an offer depends on them.
Where programs stack, lien position governs. A local assistance loan generally sits behind a Utah Housing second, and each program has to agree to its position.
HUD-approved homebuyer education is a common requirement across the state and local programs. Completing it early removes a bottleneck later.

What it costs to close here

Utah charges no real estate transfer tax at the state or local level. Utah Code Title 57, which governs property conveyances, contains no transfer tax provision. (Utah Code Title 57)
Recording is the only government cost at transfer, charged per instrument rather than as a share of price. Expect roughly $45 per instrument, so a deed and a deed of trust together land near $90. (County recorder fee schedule)
Utah is a filed-rate title state, so title premiums are published and comparable across companies. The lender's policy is one of the few closing costs a buyer can genuinely shop.
Lender and third-party closing costs generally run 1 to 3 percent of the purchase price, with total cash to close typically landing in the 2 to 5 percent range once prepaids and escrow reserves are added.
A Utah appraisal typically runs around $700. In outlying parts of this county, appraisal turn times can run longer simply because fewer appraisers cover the area.
In Utah it is customary, though not legally required, for the seller to pay the buyer's owner's title policy while the buyer pays the lender's policy. Everything in the Real Estate Purchase Contract is negotiable.
Utah exempts 45 percent of a primary residence's fair market value plus up to one acre from property tax, so an owner-occupant is taxed on 55 percent of value. (Utah Constitution Article XIII, Section 3; Utah Code 59-2-103)
Washington County carries one of the lower effective property tax rates in Utah, alongside the other southern and resort counties. Rates reset annually through the certified tax rate process and vary by tax area, so confirm your exact rate with the Washington County Assessor.
The primary residence exemption matters more here than on the Wasatch Front, because second homes and properties held in short-term rental pools do not qualify and this county has more of both. A home bought as a second residence is taxed on full value. (Utah Code 59-2-102)
Homes in outlying communities may be served by a private well or a septic system rather than municipal utilities, which adds inspection requirements and can affect which loan programs will finance the property.

Property types and local conditions

Utah Code § 10-21-304, enacted by S.B. 284 in the 2026 general session, takes effect October 1, 2026. It requires every city over 5,000 people in the populous counties to permit a detached accessory dwelling unit on lots of 11,000 square feet or larger that already hold a single-family home. (S.B. 284 enrolled copy)
That population threshold matters unusually much in Washington County. The statute reaches the larger cities such as St. George, Washington, Hurricane, Ivins and Santa Clara, while many of the county's smaller communities fall below 5,000 people and are not covered.
In the communities the statute does not reach, whether a detached unit is permitted remains entirely a local decision. Read the specific town ordinance rather than assuming the state rule applies.
Internal accessory dwelling units are already protected statewide under Utah Code § 10-21-303. That protection covers units inside the home, not detached ones.
Under the detached-ADU section a city may still require the owner to live in one of the two units, limit the lot to a single unit, require replacement of garage parking lost to a conversion, and refuse a unit where sewer, water, electrical or storm-water capacity is short. (Utah Code § 10-21-304)
One accessory dwelling unit per lot is the statewide baseline, and it cannot be sold or subdivided away from the primary home. (Utah Code § 10-21-304)
Water capacity is a live constraint in this county in a way it is not further north, and it is one of the grounds a city may cite in declining a unit. (Utah Code § 10-21-304)
The homeownership rate is 71.6 percent, above the national 65.2 percent, and the housing stock skews toward detached and master-planned product rather than dense condominium inventory. (ACS)
New construction is a larger share of this market than in the northern counties, and builders have shifted toward completed standing inventory rather than build-to-order, which changes financing timelines.
Utah Tech University and Dixie Technical College anchor the local education base, awarding 4,474 and 1,121 degrees respectively in 2024. Academic and contract income patterns show up regularly in underwriting here. (IPEDS)

Who buys here and how

Median household income in Washington County is $86,983, roughly 10 percent above the national figure but about 90 percent of the Utah figure. (ACS 2024 one-year estimate)
Per capita income is $41,250, close to the Utah figure and about 90 percent of the national one. (ACS 2024 one-year estimate)
The homeownership rate is 71.6 percent, above the national 65.2 percent. (ACS)
Median property value was $510,700 in 2024. (ACS)
County population is roughly 196,400, making it the fifth most populous county in Utah. (Census)
Mean travel time to work is 19.2 minutes, the shortest of the four counties we cover. (ACS)
The county labor force is about 94,040 with roughly 90,898 employed, and unemployment sits at 3.3 percent against a national 4.0 percent. (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics)
Washington County posted the largest year-over-year employment gain of Utah's five largest counties at 2.8 percent, while its average weekly wage of $961 was the lowest of those five against a national average of $1,459. Fast job growth and modest wages together are why qualifying income, not the loan limit, is usually the binding constraint here. (BLS)

Market context for financing

The county median sale price was $520,000 in August 2026, down 2.67 percent from $534,250 a year earlier. (Washington County MLS)
The year-to-date median through August was $527,900 against $525,000 for the same period in 2025, up about half a percent. The year is closer to flat than the monthly swings suggest. (Washington County MLS)
Through August, 2,922 homes closed in 2026 against 2,926 over the same stretch of 2025, a difference of four sales. (Washington County MLS)
Active listings stood at 1,886 at the end of August, up 4.4 percent from 1,807 a year earlier. (Washington County MLS)
New listings came in at 577 against 587 a year earlier, so the inventory build is coming from slower absorption rather than a flood of sellers. (Washington County MLS)
Absorption sat at 5.21 months, essentially flat against 5.24 the prior August, which is balanced-market territory. (Washington County MLS)
The median asking price across active listings was $602,308 against the $520,000 that actually closed. That $82,308 spread is the most useful number in the county for anyone writing an offer. (Washington County MLS)
Conventional's share of county originations fell from 78.20 percent in 2019 to 73.41 percent in 2024, while FHA rose from 11.74 to 18.40 percent and VA held 7.91 percent. FHA volume grew 38.24 percent and VA volume 50.75 percent between 2023 and 2024. (CFPB HMDA)

Questions we get

Washington County lending questions

What is the FHA loan limit in Washington County?

$607,200 for a one-unit property in 2026, up from $593,400 where it had sat for 2023, 2024 and 2025. It clears the county median sale price of $520,000 by about $87,200, so FHA has real room here rather than pressing against a ceiling. (HUD, Washington County MLS)

What is the conforming loan limit in Washington County for 2026?

$832,750 for a one-unit property and $1,066,250 for two units. The county carries no high-cost designation and sits at the national baseline. Above $832,750 a loan is jumbo. (FHFA)

Can I get a USDA loan in St. George or Washington County?

In much of the county, yes, and this is the one county we lend in where USDA is genuinely live rather than technically available. Eleven USDA loans were originated here in 2024. Broadly the urbanized St. George core falls outside the eligible area while outlying communities generally fall inside it, but eligibility is drawn from census-derived urbanized area boundaries rather than city lines. Send a specific address and we will check the parcel. The area loan limit is $433,020. (USDA, CFPB HMDA)

What is the difference between the asking price and the closing price here?

As of August 2026, the median asking price across active listings was $602,308 while the median price that actually closed was $520,000. That $82,308 spread, alongside 5.21 months of supply and 53 median days on market, is the clearest picture of how offers are landing in this county. (Washington County MLS)

Are prices in southern Utah rising or falling?

Neither, on the year. Through August, 2,922 homes closed in 2026 against 2,926 in the same stretch of 2025, and the year-to-date median moved from $525,000 to $527,900. The August median of $520,000 was down 2.67 percent year over year, but monthly figures swing more than the year does. (Washington County MLS)

What down payment assistance is available in Washington County?

Utah Housing Corporation's FirstHome and Score programs run statewide, with a purchase price cap here of $505,000 and income limits of $96,000 for one to two people and $112,000 for three or more. The Federal Home Loan Bank HELP grant offers up to $20,000 forgivable at or below 80 percent of area median income. Local assistance is administered separately from the Wasatch Front programs and several public summaries are out of date, so confirm current terms before an offer depends on them.

Can I build a backyard unit on a Washington County property?

It depends on which community you are in, more than in any other county we cover. From October 1, 2026, Utah Code section 10-21-304 requires cities over 5,000 people to permit a detached accessory dwelling unit on lots of 11,000 square feet or larger. That reaches St. George, Washington, Hurricane, Ivins and Santa Clara, but many smaller communities in this county fall below the population threshold and are not covered, so the local ordinance still governs there. Water and sewer capacity is also a ground a city may cite in declining a unit.

How are property taxes different on a second home here?

Substantially. Utah exempts 45 percent of a primary residence's fair market value plus up to one acre, so an owner-occupant is taxed on 55 percent of value. Second homes and properties held in short-term rental pools do not qualify, so they are taxed on full value. Washington County has more of both than the Wasatch Front counties, which makes this the single most common tax surprise here. (Utah Code 59-2-102, 59-2-103)

In their words

Five-Star Client Reviews

“

If you're looking for a team that will treat you like family, look no further than Asbell. From the moment we started working together, Zach and Scott made us feel at home.

★★★★★

Shelly Barbakos

via Google

I recommend The Asbell Team 100%! I have absolutely nothing negative to say about my experience with them. As first-home buyers, my husband and I received a lot of education and support every single step of the way.

Amy Sullivan

Right from the beginning Scott and his team have showed the highest integrity, and service we have ever had. When we bought our first home they were the only part of our team that was fully honest with us on what to expect.

Shelley Pollock

Read and leave reviews on Google

What it costs to finance a home in Washington County

Washington County loan limits and thresholds

What these numbers mean if you're buying here

A flat market is a different negotiation

More programs reach the median here

Scott Asbell, Washington County

The Washington County lending deep dive

Which of these is your situation

Buying a home that helps pay for itself

Your score is standing between you and a program

You have an offer pending and no time

Five-Star Client Reviews

Washington County lending questions

Every question we get, answered in one place

Three more counties, three different answers

Utah County

Salt Lake County

Davis County