Detroit Is Targeted. The Rest of Wayne County Is Not.
Program and regulatory figures verified September 26, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Wayne County is split, and the split runs straight through the metro. Two houses ten minutes apart can face different rules.
What the split looks like
| Targeted Wayne places | Rest of Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Income limit, 1–2 people | $125,760 | $104,800 |
| Income limit, 3 or more | $146,720 | $120,520 |
| Repeat buyers | Eligible | Not eligible |
| Sales price limit | $566,355 | $566,355 |
Among the targeted places MSHDA names in Wayne County are the City of Detroit, the City of Dearborn, the City of Ecorse and the City of Hamtramck. The county's other communities are non-targeted, where the first-time homebuyer requirement applies and the income limit is $20,960 lower for a one to two person household.
Targeted-area status is determined by MSHDA at city and township level and must be confirmed for the specific address.
Who this changes the answer for
Two groups, and they are both common in this metro.
Repeat buyers. A household that owned a home in the last three years is shut out of MSHDA in a non-targeted Wayne community and welcome inside Detroit's city limits. That is not a small distinction when you are choosing between a house in the city and a house in a suburb ten minutes away. More on repeat buyers.
Households near the income line. A couple earning $110,000 is over the non-targeted Wayne limit of $104,800 and comfortably under the targeted limit of $125,760. Same buyers, same lender, different answer depending on which side of a city boundary the house sits.
What the money buys here
Detroit's typical home value in Zillow's August 2026 data is $267,167, up 2.1% year over year. That is the context that makes $10,000 of interest-free assistance substantial rather than symbolic.
It also means the $566,355 sales price limit has $299,188 of headroom and will not be the constraint on anything you are realistically shopping for in the city. The price limit.
The practical move
If you are shopping across the Detroit metro and you either have owned before or sit near the income line, the targeted map is a real input into where you look. Not the only input, and we are not going to tell you where to buy. But it is information most buyers do not have, and a lender who does not mention it is letting you make the decision blind.
Send us two or three addresses you are considering and we will tell you the MSHDA status of each. Send them over.
The assistance itself does not change
Whichever side of the line the house is on, when you are eligible the terms are identical: up to $10,000, interest-free, no monthly payments, combined with a MI Home Loan, 640 minimum credit score, and repayment deferred until payoff, sale, refinance or the home no longer being owner-occupied.
The assistance in detail · the full test · every county figure.
Frequently asked questions
Is Detroit a MSHDA targeted area?
The City of Detroit is among the targeted places MSHDA names in Wayne County, alongside the City of Dearborn, City of Ecorse and City of Hamtramck. Inside those places repeat homebuyers are eligible and the income limit is $125,760 for a one to two person household, against $104,800 in non-targeted Wayne County. Targeted-area status is determined by MSHDA at city and township level and must be confirmed for the specific address.
What is the MSHDA income limit in Detroit?
$125,760 for a one to two person household and $146,720 for three or more, effective June 1, 2026, because Detroit is one of the targeted places MSHDA names in Wayne County. Elsewhere in Wayne County the non-targeted figures apply, $104,800 and $120,520, a difference of $20,960 for the smaller household.
Can a repeat buyer get down payment assistance in Detroit?
Yes. MSHDA's limits sheet states that targeted areas may be a first-time homebuyer or repeat homebuyer, and the City of Detroit is a targeted place. So prior ownership does not disqualify you inside the city limits, while it would in a non-targeted Wayne County community, where the definition of not having owned a home in the previous three years applies.
How much house does $10,000 of assistance help with in Detroit?
Detroit's typical home value in Zillow's August 2026 data was $267,167, up 2.1% year over year, so $10,000 covers a meaningful share of down payment and closing costs rather than a fraction of them. The $566,355 MSHDA sales price limit leaves $299,188 of headroom against that typical value, so price is not a constraint in this market.
Are Dearborn and Hamtramck targeted areas for MSHDA?
The City of Dearborn, City of Ecorse and City of Hamtramck are among the targeted places MSHDA names in Wayne County, along with the City of Detroit. MSHDA lists the targeted places individually rather than by region, and the list changes, so an address should be confirmed against MSHDA's current limits sheet before you rely on it.
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.