Does Your Income Fit the MSHDA Limit?
Program and regulatory figures verified September 26, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Pick the band that matches where you are buying. The gap between the targeted and non-targeted figures is the single most useful thing on this page.
The check
| MSHDA limit for this band and household size | — |
|---|---|
| Your income | — |
| Result | — |
| Room left, or amount over | — |
A band is a group of MSHDA rows, not every county. There are 22 distinct income pairs across MSHDA's 99 rows; if your county is not represented above, ask us for its row. Household income for MSHDA purposes is calculated by an underwriter from your documents.
Run it twice
The useful exercise is to run your income against the targeted and the non-targeted band for the same county and look at the difference. At the floor that difference is $19,680 for a one to two person household and $24,600 for three or more. In Wayne County it is $20,960 and in Kent $21,320.
A household that lands over the non-targeted figure and under the targeted one has a real decision in front of it, because the address determines the answer. The county picture.
The two multipliers
If you want to derive a county figure yourself, use the right one.
| Relationship | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Non-targeted, 3+ from 1–2 | 1.15 |
| Targeted, 3+ from 1–2 | 7/6, about 1.1667 |
| Targeted from non-targeted, 1–2 | exactly 1.20 |
| Targeted from non-targeted, 3+ | about 1.2174 |
Using 1.20 on the three-or-more column gives a figure below MSHDA's actual limit, which would talk a qualified household out of applying. The published figures.
What counts as income
More than the gross on your pay stub, and calculated rather than added. Self-employment income comes off tax returns to a guideline formula. Overtime and bonus need a history. Rental income is calculated, not taken at face value. Retirement and benefit income have their own treatment.
Which is why this check is directional. If you are within a few thousand of the limit either way, the only number that settles it is the one an underwriter produces. Send us two pay stubs and last year's return and we will tell you where you actually land. Send them.
If you are over
Three things worth checking before you conclude MSHDA is closed to you. Whether a targeted address puts you under a higher limit. Whether your qualifying income is actually lower than your gross, which happens more often than people expect. And whether your household size is being counted the way MSHDA counts it, since the limit steps up at the third person.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MSHDA income limit for my household?
MSHDA publishes two columns, one to two persons and three or more, and the figure depends on the county and on targeted status. The non-targeted floor is $98,400 and $113,160, the targeted floor is $118,080 and $137,760, and the highest figures in the state are Washtenaw County's $170,760 and $199,220. There are 22 distinct pairs across MSHDA's 99 rows.
Does household size change the MSHDA income limit?
Yes, but only once. MSHDA uses two brackets, one to two people and three or more, so the limit steps up at the third person and then stays flat: a household of three, four or six reads the same figure. At the non-targeted floor that means $98,400 for one to two people and $113,160 for three or more.
How do I work out my county's MSHDA limit from the floor?
Use the right multiplier for the right relationship. On non-targeted rows the three-or-more figure is 1.15 times the one-to-two figure; on targeted rows it is 7/6, about 1.1667. The step from the non-targeted to the targeted one-to-two figure is exactly 1.20, and for three or more it is about 1.2174. Applying 1.20 to the three-or-more column understates MSHDA's real limit.
My income is slightly over the MSHDA limit. Is that final?
Not necessarily. Three things are worth checking: whether a targeted address puts you under a higher limit, which can be $19,680 to $21,320 higher for a one to two person household; whether your qualifying income is actually lower than your gross, which happens more often than people expect once an underwriter calculates it; and whether your household size is being counted the way MSHDA counts it.
Does MSHDA use gross income or qualifying income?
The figure that counts is an underwriter's calculation from your documents rather than the gross on a pay stub. Self-employment income comes off tax returns to a guideline formula, overtime and bonus need a documented history, and rental income is calculated rather than taken at face value. So a quick estimate can be wrong in either direction if you are within a few thousand of the limit.
Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content about financing, not a loan commitment and not legal or tax advice. MSHDA program terms, income limits and sales price limits are set by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and change; figures here carry the date we verified them against MSHDA's published documents. Targeted-area status is determined by MSHDA at city and township level and must be confirmed for the specific address. Loans are subject to borrower and property qualification.