Where the Assistance Covers More of the House
Program and regulatory figures verified September 25, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Outside the four big metros the program arithmetic shifts. The percentage does not change, but what it buys does, and so does the income headroom.
One limit across most of the state
Per the OHFA purchase price and income limits, effective July 1, 2026.
Per the OHFA purchase price and income limits, fifty-eight of Ohio's eighty-eight counties sit on the same non-target income line: $98,800 for one to two people, $113,620 for three or more. That covers most of the state geographically, including Allen, Athens, Clark, Portage, Richland, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Wayne and Wood.
A handful sit slightly higher on their own tiers: Mercer at $102,400, Greene, Miami and Montgomery at $103,000, Erie and Ottawa at $105,300, Auglaize and Hancock at $105,900, and Putnam at $108,800. The full table.
What 3.5% actually buys
The assistance is a percentage of the purchase price, so its dollar value tracks the market rather than being fixed.
| Metro | Typical value, Aug 2026 | Roughly, at 3.5% |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus | $330,327 | about $11,600 |
| Cleveland | $253,678 | about $8,900 |
| Canton | $219,938 | about $7,700 |
| Toledo | $205,237 | about $7,200 |
| Youngstown | $177,110 | about $6,200 |
| Portsmouth | $145,670 | about $5,100 |
The dollar figure is smaller in the smaller markets, which is the obvious half. The less obvious half is that it covers a much larger share of what a buyer actually needs, because the down payment and closing costs scale with the price too.
Against a $98,800 income ceiling and a $177,110 typical home, the ratio of income to price in Youngstown is far more forgiving than the same ceiling against Columbus prices. Smaller-metro buyers generally have more room on both tests at once.
The market, including the one exception
| Metro | Typical value | Year over year |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon | $290,887 | +4.9% |
| Findlay | $241,195 | +3.5% |
| Greenville | $220,798 | +8.9% |
| Zanesville | $213,186 | +2.1% |
| Chillicothe | $205,291 | +3.9% |
| Mansfield | $201,779 | +6.4% |
| Lima | $192,619 | +5.8% |
| Jackson | $147,182 | -1.5% |
Jackson is the only Ohio metro that fell year over year as of August 2026. Every other one in the state rose, led by Greenville at 8.9%, Sidney at 7.6% and Urbana at 7.0%.
One declining metro out of forty-four is a healthy picture. Illinois, which we looked at the day before, had none falling at all.
Two to four units
Smaller Ohio cities carry a lot of older two to four unit stock at prices where the numbers work. OHFA permits assistance on up to four units with owner occupancy of one, which makes this one of the more practical routes into a small multi-unit anywhere in the network. The property rules.
And manufactured homes
Permitted, if at least doublewide, with a 660 minimum credit score. Across Ohio's smaller counties that is a genuinely useful allowance, and it is one Illinois does not offer on any loan type. Conditions.
See also the programs and talk to our team.
Frequently asked questions
What is the OHFA income limit in most Ohio counties?
$98,800 for a one to two person household and $113,620 for three or more, effective July 1, 2026, across 58 of Ohio's 88 counties. A few sit slightly higher on their own tiers, including Mercer at $102,400, the Dayton group at $103,000, Erie and Ottawa at $105,300, Auglaize and Hancock at $105,900 and Putnam at $108,800. A target area address raises the one-to-two-person figure by exactly 20%, and the three-or-more figure by about 21.7%, which is OHFA's published target three-or-more limit rather than a multiple you calculate.
How much assistance do you get on a lower-priced Ohio home?
3% of the purchase price on a conventional loan or 3.5% on FHA, VA or USDA-RD, so the dollar figure tracks the price. At Youngstown's typical value of $177,110 that is roughly $6,200 at 3.5%, against roughly $11,600 at Columbus' $330,327. The percentage is the same statewide; what changes is the market it applies to.
Are home values rising in smaller Ohio markets?
Almost everywhere. As of August 2026, Jackson was the only declining Ohio metro at -1.5%. Every other Ohio metro rose, led by Greenville at +8.9%, Sidney at +7.6% and Urbana at +7.0%. Mansfield rose 6.4%, Lima 5.8% and Chillicothe 3.9%.
Can I use Ohio down payment assistance on a manufactured home?
Yes, with conditions. OHFA permits manufactured homes on both government and conventional loans provided the home is at least doublewide and the credit score is 660 or higher, with DTI capped at 45%. Non-occupant co-signers are not permitted on manufactured homes. Acreage is limited to five acres or less outside municipal corporations and two acres or less within them.
Is the purchase price limit a constraint outside Ohio's big cities?
No. The $566,355 one-family non-target cap applies to every Ohio county outside the Columbus group, while typical values in the smaller metros run from about $101,000 to $290,000. The cap sits far above anything a buyer in those markets is likely to encounter, so income and credit are the tests that decide eligibility.
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.