Columbus Sits in a Tier of Its Own
Program and regulatory figures verified September 25, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Columbus is the one part of Ohio where the price cap is different, and the one part where a neighbouring county has a dramatically higher income limit.
The Columbus numbers
| Test | Non-target | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Income, 1 to 2 people | $111,500 | $133,800 |
| Income, 3 or more | $128,225 | $156,100 |
| Purchase price, one family | $618,475 | $755,913 |
The counties on this tier are Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Hocking, Licking, Madison, Morrow, Perry, Pickaway and Union, per the OHFA purchase price and income limits.
The Union County anomaly
Union is in the Columbus purchase price group, so it shares the $618,475 cap. On income it is on its own entirely: $146,700 for one to two people, against $111,500 for the rest of the group.
That is a $35,200 difference on the same metro's price tier. A household earning $130,000 is over the limit in Franklin County and comfortably inside it in Union.
Marysville and the rest of Union County sit close enough to the Columbus commute for that to be a live comparison rather than a curiosity. If you are shopping across the county line, the subject property county is what sets the limit. All the county groups.
The market against the cap
Columbus typical home value was $330,327 in August 2026, up 1.4% year over year. That is the slowest growth among Ohio's large metros, and it leaves $288,148 of headroom under the $618,475 cap.
So the price test is not what stops Columbus buyers. The income ladder is, and specifically the gap between $111,500 and what two professional salaries in Franklin County add up to.
Three routes if you are over
- Target areas. A designated census tract raises the limit to $133,800 and waives the first-time test. Check the address.
- FTHB Edge. Built precisely for first-time buyers in a non-target area between $111,500 and $133,800. How the band works.
- A non-occupant co-signer. Their income is outside the OHFA limit because they do not live there, while still helping the first mortgage qualify. The rule.
On city programs
We originate OHFA assistance in the Columbus area and that is what this site covers. Where a municipal program exists separately, it falls outside what we are approved to originate, and we would rather describe OHFA accurately than list programs we cannot deliver.
See also the eligibility test and the programs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the income limit for down payment assistance in Columbus?
$111,500 for a one to two person household and $128,225 for three or more in the Columbus group, which covers Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Hocking, Licking, Madison, Morrow, Perry and Pickaway counties, effective July 1, 2026. Union County is in the same purchase price group but carries a much higher income limit of $146,700. In a target area the Columbus figure rises to $133,800.
Why does Columbus have a higher purchase price limit than Cleveland?
OHFA places the Columbus group in its own purchase price tier at $618,475 for a one-family non-target home, while every other Ohio county including Cleveland, Cincinnati, Akron and Dayton sits at $566,355. It is the only group in the higher tier, worth $52,120 of additional cap. Income limits are set separately and do vary across several groups.
Which county near Columbus has a higher OHFA income limit?
Union County, at $146,700 for a one to two person household against $111,500 in Franklin and the rest of the Columbus group, a difference of $35,200. Union shares the Columbus purchase price tier of $618,475 but sits alone on income. Since the subject property county sets the limit, a buyer shopping across the county line can face very different eligibility on the same income.
Is the OHFA price limit a problem in Columbus?
Rarely. Columbus had a typical home value of $330,327 in August 2026, which leaves $288,148 of headroom under the $618,475 non-target one-family cap. A Columbus buyer would need to be purchasing at close to twice the metro typical value before the purchase price limit affected eligibility. The income limit is the test that actually binds.
What can a Columbus buyer do if their income is over the limit?
Three routes. Check whether the address sits in a designated target area census tract, which raises the limit to $133,800 and waives the first-time buyer test. Use FTHB Edge, which serves first-time buyers in non-target areas whose income falls between the two limits. Or involve a non-occupant co-signer, whose income sits outside the OHFA limit because they do not live in the property.
Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Cornerstone First Mortgage is a participating lender in the Ohio Housing Finance Agency's programs. The Ohio Housing Finance Agency is an Equal Opportunity Housing entity. Loans are available on a fair and equal basis regardless of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, military status, disability or ancestry. Please visit www.ohiohome.org for more information. Educational content about financing, not a loan commitment and not legal or tax advice. OHFA program terms and limits are set by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency and change; figures here carry the date we verified them. Loans are subject to borrower and property qualification.