OHFA Income Limits, Effective July 1, 2026

Program and regulatory figures verified September 25, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.

By Mike Certo, Cornerstone First Mortgage · NMLS #260555 · Updated September 25, 2026

Ohio publishes two numbers per county and the arithmetic between them is exact, not approximate. Once you see the multipliers the whole table collapses into one column.

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Non-target limits

Published by OHFA under OHFA purchase price and income limits, effective July 1, 2026.

Union County sitting above Columbus surprises people, and the margin is not small. At $146,700 it is $35,200 clear of the Columbus group and $47,900 above the floor that covers most of the state.

The two multipliers

Check any row and the same two relationships hold.

• Non-target, three or more people is 1.15 times the one-to-two figure. $98,800 becomes $113,620. $111,500 becomes $128,225. $146,700 becomes $168,705.
• Target, one to two people, is exactly 1.20 times the non-target figure. $98,800 becomes $118,560. $111,500 becomes $133,800. $146,700 becomes $176,040.
• Target, three or more, is 7/6 of the target one-to-two figure, not 1.15 of it. $118,560 becomes $138,320. That is about 1.217 times the non-target three-or-more figure rather than 1.20, so a larger household gains slightly more from a target address than a smaller one.

The second multiplier is unusually clean. In many states a target-area designation changes limits by an amount that varies county to county. In Ohio the one-to-two-person gain is 20% everywhere. Just do not carry that 20% across to the three-or-more column, where the published figures work out closer to 21.7%; use the table rather than the multiplier there.

Target limits

In most of Ohio a target-area address buys $19,760 of extra room for a one to two person household, and $24,700 for three or more. In the Columbus group it is $22,300 and $27,875. What else target status does.

The band between the two

Because the target figure is a fixed multiple of the non-target one, there is a defined band where a first-time buyer is over the non-target limit but under the target one, 20% wide for a one-to-two-person household and about 21.7% for three or more. OHFA built a program specifically for buyers in a non-target area who land there, called FTHB Edge. How the Edge band works.

How the income is counted

Only the income of individuals who will both live in the property and be obligated on the mortgage note. These limits apply to the Government, Conventional, MTC Plus and MTC Basic programs alike.

See also the full eligibility test and the income check.

Frequently asked questions

What is the income limit for down payment assistance in Ohio?

Effective July 1, 2026, the non-target limit for a one to two person household is $146,700 in Union County, $111,500 in the Columbus group of Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Hocking, Licking, Madison, Morrow, Perry and Pickaway, $109,900 around Cincinnati, $105,000 around Cleveland, $103,000 around Dayton and $98,800 across the other 58 counties. A non-target household of three or more gets 1.15 times those figures; in a target area the three-or-more limit is OHFA's published figure, not 1.15 of anything.

Which Ohio county has the highest OHFA income limit?

Union County, at $146,700 for a one to two person household and $168,705 for three or more, effective July 1, 2026. That is $35,200 above the Columbus group limit of $111,500 and $47,900 above the $98,800 that applies across most Ohio counties. In a target area Union rises to $176,040.

How much does a target area raise the Ohio income limit?

Exactly 20% for a one to two person household, in every Ohio county: $98,800 becomes $118,560, $111,500 becomes $133,800 and $146,700 becomes $176,040. For a household of three or more the gain is larger, about 21.7%, because the target three-or-more figure is 7/6 of the target one-to-two figure rather than 1.15 of it. In most counties $113,620 becomes $138,320.

Does household size change the OHFA income limit?

Yes. In non-target areas the three-or-more figure is exactly 1.15 times the one-to-two figure across every county group, so in most of Ohio that is $98,800 and $113,620. In target areas the relationship is different: the three-or-more figure is 7/6 of the target one-to-two figure, so $118,560 becomes $138,320 rather than $136,344.

Whose income is counted for the OHFA limit?

Only the income of the individuals who will both live in the property and be obligated on the mortgage note. Both conditions have to apply to the same person. That is why a non-occupant co-signer, who is on the note but does not live in the home, falls outside the OHFA income limit while their income remains available to the first mortgage's qualifying ratios.

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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.