Davis County, Utah

What it costs to finance a home in Davis County

Davis County is the exception on the Wasatch Front. Its FHA limit is the highest of any county we lend in outside the resort markets, and it clears the county median with real room to spare. The county also runs the largest local assistance program in Utah. The catch is that both of the big assistance programs cap out below the median sale price, so what works here depends on where in the price band you land.

Scott Asbell · NMLS 270856 · Lending Manager
Call 801-368-2900 Visit AsbellTeam.com
The county lending profile

Davis County loan limits and thresholds

Published federal and state figures, not offers. Each names its source.

MeasureDavis CountySource
Conforming loan limit, one unit$832,750FHFA, 2026
Conforming loan limit, two units$1,066,250FHFA, 2026
FHA loan limit, one unit$744,050HUD, 2026
VA, partial entitlement tie$832,750VA, tied to the conforming figure
Median single-family sale price$568,450Q2 2026 quarterly market report
FHA headroom above the median$175,600HUD limit less the county median
Utah Housing purchase price cap$555,000Utah Housing Corporation, 2026
County assistance purchase price cap$500,000Davis County Homeownership Assistance

Loan limits are set annually and take effect January 1. FHFA and HUD publish new figures late in the calendar year, and county assistance terms change with each funding cycle. Ask for a current read before relying on any of them.

Reading the numbers

What these numbers mean if you're buying here

FHA actually works here, and that is unusual

In Salt Lake County the FHA limit sits below the median. In Utah County it sits about two thousand dollars above it. In Davis County it clears the median by $175,600. A buyer using FHA here is not shopping against a ceiling, which changes what an offer can look like and how much house is genuinely reachable at 3.5 percent down.

The market has noticed. FHA's share of Davis County originations rose from 12.73 percent in 2019 to 20.66 percent in 2024, and FHA volume grew 25.16 percent in a single year.

The assistance programs stop below the median, both of them

Davis County runs the largest county-level assistance program in Utah, up to $50,000. It is also capped at a $500,000 purchase price. The Utah Housing cap here is $555,000. The county median single-family price is $568,450.

So the biggest program in the state and the state's own program both stop short of the middle of this market, by $68,450 and $13,450 respectively. That does not make either useless. It means assistance in Davis County lives in a specific price band, and knowing where that band ends before you tour anything is the difference between a plan and a disappointment.

VA carries more weight in this county than anywhere else we lend

VA accounted for 14.00 percent of Davis County originations in 2024, the highest share of the four counties we cover, and VA volume grew 29.87 percent in a year. VA also imposes no loan cap at all for a borrower with full entitlement, which means it is the one program in this county with no ceiling to run into.

Average VA loan-to-value here was 97.40 percent in 2024 against 69.20 percent on conventional loans. Those are two very different equity positions financing the same houses.

Who is behind this page

Scott Asbell, Davis County

I have originated loans since 1997, when my wife Ann and I started Rocky Mountain Mortgage Group. I served as managing partner there for thirteen years. Before that I practiced as an accountant and held my CPA from 1994 to 2016, which is why I read a loan for its structure and its tax effects rather than only its payment.

Our office is at 1440 N 900 W in Mapleton, and most of our work never requires anyone to drive there. I have spent my whole adult life along the Wasatch Front and have personally owned more than fourteen properties over the years, homes, commercial and land, most of it in the markets I lend in.

Davis County rewards a lender who reads program fit carefully, because the county has the widest spread between what the federal limits allow and what the local assistance programs cap. Getting that right is exactly the kind of judgment my accounting background is for.

I work alongside Zachary S. Asbell, NMLS 1535031, and Kristen Moyes, our loan partner since 2004. We operate as Homeside Financial, a dba of Lower, LLC, NMLS 1124061, and are licensed in 48 states.

Knowing which program fits which borrower is most of the job. The monthly payment is the last thing we calculate, not the first thing we chase.

Scott Asbell
Sixty things worth knowing

The Davis 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
  1. The 2026 conforming loan limit for a one-unit property in Davis County is $832,750. Above that figure a loan is jumbo. (FHFA)
  2. The 2026 FHA limit for a one-unit property is $744,050, the highest of the four Utah counties we cover. (HUD)
  3. That FHA limit clears the county median single-family sale price of $568,450 by $175,600. (HUD, Q2 2026 market report)
  4. The FHA limit has been flat at $744,050 since 2023, four consecutive years. It has not needed to rise here, because it started high relative to local prices. (HUD)
  5. Davis County carries no high-cost designation and sits at the national baseline for conforming, while Summit and Wasatch counties are elevated to $1,150,000. (FHFA)
  6. The 2026 national FHA floor is $541,287 and the ceiling is $1,249,125. Davis County sits well above the floor and below the ceiling. (HUD)
  7. 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)
  8. The conforming trend runs $744,050, $766,550, $806,500 and $832,750 across 2023 through 2026. In 2023 the conforming and FHA limits here were identical. (FHFA, HUD)
  9. There is no high-balance tier in this county. The move from conforming to jumbo is a single step. (FHFA)
  10. 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)
  11. The USDA area loan limit is $433,020, but Davis County recorded zero USDA originations in every year from 2019 through 2024. Treat USDA as unavailable here. (USDA, CFPB HMDA)
  12. Because FHA clears the median by so much, the binding constraint for most Davis County buyers is qualifying income and down payment, not the loan limit. That is the opposite of the situation one county south. (HUD, Q2 2026 market report)
Programs live in this county
  1. The Davis County Homeownership Assistance Program offers up to $50,000, the largest county-level program in Utah. (Davis County Community and Economic Development)
  2. It carries 1 percent interest compounded annually with no monthly payments. The full balance plus interest is repaid when the home is sold, refinanced, or stops being the primary residence. (Davis County CED)
  3. Eligibility is set at or below 80 percent of area median income, and the program is open to repeat buyers, not first-time buyers only. That is unusual and it matters. (Davis County CED)
  4. The program caps the purchase price at $500,000, which sits $68,450 below the county median single-family price. (Davis County CED, Q2 2026 market report)
  5. Funds can be applied to principal reduction, a rate buydown capped at $10,000, up to half the down payment, and closing costs. That flexibility is rare among local programs. (Davis County CED)
  6. The program stacks with Utah Housing Corporation financing when the county agrees to third lien position, with the UHC assistance in second. (Davis County CED)
  7. Funding runs in cycles and has been exhausted mid-year before, with applications reopening through the county's Neighborly portal. Being application-ready when a cycle opens is worth real money here. (Davis County CED)
  8. 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)
  9. The Utah Housing purchase price cap for Davis County is $555,000, $13,450 below the county median. (UHC, Q2 2026 market report)
  10. Utah Housing income limits for Davis County are $110,400 for a one or two person household and $128,800 for three or more. (UHC)
  11. FirstHome requires a 660 minimum credit score. The Score program reaches borrowers between 620 and 659 on a similar structure. (UHC)
  12. 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)
What it costs to close here
  1. 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)
  2. 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)
  3. Utah is a filed-rate title state, so title premiums are published and comparable. The lender's policy is one of the few closing costs a buyer can genuinely shop.
  4. 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.
  5. A Utah appraisal typically runs around $700. If it returns requiring repairs, budget for a re-inspection and a return trip.
  6. 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.
  7. 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)
  8. Utah Code defines a primary residence as one occupied 183 or more consecutive days in the calendar year, with one exemption per household statewide. (Utah Code 59-2-102)
  9. Property tax rates reset annually through Utah's certified tax rate process and vary by tax area within the county. Confirm your exact rate with the Davis County Assessor rather than relying on a countywide average.
  10. New construction can default to a secondary classification in the assessor's system. Verify on the first tax bill that the residential exemption was applied, and file Form PT-19A if it was not. (Utah County assessors)
Property types and local conditions
  1. 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)
  2. Davis County's larger cities all clear the 5,000 population threshold, so the statute reaches Layton, Bountiful, Kaysville, Clearfield, Syracuse, Farmington, Clinton, Centerville, North Salt Lake, West Point, Woods Cross and Fruit Heights.
  3. Cities that did not already have an ADU ordinance must adopt one by October 2026. Cities that already have one are not required to loosen it, so implementation will vary across the county. (S.B. 284)
  4. Internal accessory dwelling units, the basement-apartment kind, are already protected statewide under Utah Code § 10-21-303. The by-right protection covers internal units, not detached ones.
  5. 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)
  6. 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)
  7. City minimum lot sizes can sit above the 11,000 square foot state threshold, in which case the statute does not automatically open eligibility. Verify the city ordinance, not the county.
  8. Davis County's housing stock skews strongly toward owner-occupied detached homes. The homeownership rate is 77.3 percent, well above the national 65.2 percent and the highest of the four counties we cover. (ACS)
  9. That ownership profile means fewer condominium projects than Salt Lake County, so condominium project approval comes up less often here as an underwriting gate.
  10. The county runs along the I-15 corridor between Salt Lake and Weber counties, which is why commuting patterns rather than county lines often decide which city a buyer ends up in. Average commute is 22.9 minutes. (ACS)
Who buys here and how
  1. Median household income in Davis County is $108,058, roughly 37.6 percent above the national median. (ACS)
  2. Average household income is $129,739 across about 114,674 households. (ACS)
  3. The homeownership rate is 77.3 percent, the highest of the four counties we cover and well above the national 65.2 percent. (ACS)
  4. Median property value was $505,500 in 2024, up 7.44 percent from $470,500 the year before. (ACS)
  5. County population is roughly 371,000. (ACS)
  6. The county labor force is about 197,676 with roughly 191,929 employed, and unemployment sits at 2.9 percent against a national 4.0 percent. (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics)
  7. 9.47 percent of the population was living with severe housing problems in 2025, the lowest of the four counties we cover, down 1.53 percent since 2014. (Census)
  8. Average commute is 22.9 minutes and most residents drive alone. (ACS)
Market context for financing
  1. The median single-family sale price was $568,450 in the second quarter of 2026, down 1.57 percent year over year. Davis County eased while Salt Lake County set a record. (Q2 2026 quarterly market report)
  2. 774 single-family homes sold in the quarter, down 2.76 percent from a year earlier. (Q2 2026 quarterly market report)
  3. Condominium sales fell by nearly 15 percent over the same period, a much sharper drop than in the detached market. (Q2 2026 quarterly market report)
  4. Conventional's share of county originations fell from 74.39 percent in 2019 to 65.34 percent in 2024, the lowest conventional share of the four counties we cover. (CFPB HMDA)
  5. FHA rose from 12.73 percent to 20.66 percent of originations over the same period, with volume up 25.16 percent between 2023 and 2024. (CFPB HMDA)
  6. VA held 14.00 percent of originations in 2024, the highest share of the four counties, with volume up 29.87 percent in a year. (CFPB HMDA)
  7. Average loan-to-value in 2024 was 69.20 percent on conventional loans, 93.10 percent on FHA and 97.40 percent on VA. Government-backed lending is doing the low-down-payment work here. (CFPB HMDA)
  8. Roughly a third of Davis County originations in 2024 used a government-backed program. That is a materially different mix from Utah County and it changes which thresholds actually bind. (CFPB HMDA)
Situations we handle

Which of these is your situation

Own a Home Cheaper Than Rent, book cover

Buying a home that helps pay for itself

House hacking, accessory dwelling units and small multi-unit purchases. The two-unit conforming limit and the October 1 detached-ADU statute both land here.

Own a Home Cheaper Than Rent 12 SECRETS to Improve Your Credit Score, book cover

Your score is standing between you and a program

The gap between a 620 and a 660 is the gap between two different Utah Housing programs, and it sits on top of a county program with its own rules.

12 SECRETS to Improve Your Credit Score STOP Paying Extra, book cover

You have an offer pending and no time

The five fastest-moving strategies pulled out of the full system, for when the clock is already running.

STOP Paying Extra

Self-employed income, VA purchase and refinance, assistance layering across county and state programs, jumbo above $832,750 and investment property all come up constantly in this county. If your situation is not on a card above, it is still one we work on.

In their words

Five-Star Client Reviews

★★★★★
Rebekah Coon
via Google

Scott was amazing! He helped us realize that it was actually possible to buy our first home, even in this economy. He and Zach were with us every step of the way and made sure we understood all of the paperwork we were signing.

★★★★★
Martina Huntington
via Google

I love working with Scott, Zach, and Kristen. This is my third time with them and have really appreciated them each time. Whenever I had questions, they were always willing to explain and advise. They were organized with the paperwork.

★★★★★
Gregory Jack
via Google

The team was great at communicating with me to make sure I understood the different things that were asked of me throughout the process.

Read and leave reviews on Google
Questions we get

Davis County lending questions

What is the FHA loan limit in Davis County?

$744,050 for a one-unit property in 2026, unchanged since 2023. It clears the county median single-family sale price of $568,450 by $175,600, the widest FHA headroom of the four Utah counties we cover. (HUD, Q2 2026 quarterly market report)

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

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

How much down payment assistance can I get in Davis County?

Up to $50,000 through the Davis County Homeownership Assistance Program, the largest county-level program in Utah. It carries 1 percent interest compounded annually with no monthly payments, and the balance plus interest is repaid when you sell, refinance, or the home stops being your primary residence. Funds can go toward principal reduction, a rate buydown capped at $10,000, half the down payment, or closing costs.

Do I have to be a first-time buyer to use the Davis County program?

No, and that is genuinely unusual. Eligibility is set at or below 80 percent of area median income rather than by ownership history, so repeat buyers can qualify. Utah Housing's FirstHome, by contrast, does require first-time buyer status.

Why do both assistance programs stop below the county median?

Because the caps and the market moved at different speeds. The Davis County program caps the purchase price at $500,000 and Utah Housing caps it at $555,000, while the county median single-family price is $568,450. Assistance still works here, but it works below the median, which means the price band you shop in has to be chosen deliberately rather than discovered late.

Is VA financing common in Davis County?

More than anywhere else we lend. VA accounted for 14.00 percent of county originations in 2024, up 29.87 percent in a year, and average VA loan-to-value was 97.40 percent. VA also carries no loan cap for a borrower with full entitlement, so it is the one program in this county with no ceiling to run into. (CFPB HMDA, VA)

Is any part of Davis County eligible for a USDA loan?

Practically, no. The area loan limit exists at $433,020, but the county recorded zero USDA originations in every year from 2019 through 2024. Eligibility is decided address by address on the Rural Development map with the final determination made on a complete application, so a specific parcel can be checked, but do not build a plan around it. (USDA, CFPB HMDA)

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

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 more that already hold a single-family home. That reaches Layton, Bountiful, Kaysville, Clearfield, Syracuse, Farmington and the other larger Davis County cities. Cities may still impose owner occupancy, a one-unit limit, parking replacement and utility capacity conditions, and some set minimum lot sizes above the state threshold. Verify the city before buying for that purpose.

The full picture

Every question we get, answered in one place

This page covers financing in Davis County. Our Authority Center covers the rest of what we do, in Scott's own words, across more than two hundred questions.

Visit the Authority Center
Elsewhere in Utah

Three more counties, three different answers

The conforming limit is the same in all four. Everything that actually decides your options is not.

Salt Lake County

The opposite of Davis. The FHA limit sits roughly eight thousand dollars below the county median, so an FHA buyer at the median is already over the ceiling.

Conforming
$832,750
FHA
$637,100
Median
$645,000
Cities
Salt Lake City, Sandy, West Jordan, Draper

Utah County

The FHA limit sits about two thousand dollars above the median and has not moved since 2023, while a quarter of the county now uses FHA.

Conforming
$832,750
FHA
$601,450
Median
$599,350
Cities
Provo, Orem, Lehi, Spanish Fork

Washington County

St. George and southern Utah, where prices held roughly flat year over year and inventory rebuilt to about five months of supply.

Conforming
$832,750
FHA
$607,200
Median
$520,000
Cities
St. George, Hurricane, Ivins, Santa Clara
Call
801-368-2900
Email
Web
AsbellTeam.com
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