Most of Michigan Is a Targeted Area
Program and regulatory figures verified September 26, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
In most states a targeted area is a small carve-out. In Michigan it is the default condition of the map, and that inverts how the whole program reads.
The count
MSHDA's 2026 limits table runs to 99 rows covering all 83 counties. Sorted by status it looks like this.
| Counties | Status | What it means for a repeat buyer |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Entire county targeted | Qualifies anywhere in the county |
| 17 | Named places targeted, rest of county not | Depends on the address |
| 0 | No targeted area | — |
Among the 66 whole-county designations are Allegan, Berrien, Cass, Grand Traverse, Ingham, Kalamazoo, Lapeer, Lenawee, Marquette, Montcalm, St. Clair, St. Joseph, Van Buren, Washtenaw and Wexford, along with most of the northern lower peninsula and effectively all of the upper peninsula.
Two things targeted status does
It removes the first-time buyer requirement
This is the big one and it is stated by MSHDA rather than inferred. Non-targeted areas: must be a first-time homebuyer. Targeted areas: may be a first-time homebuyer or repeat homebuyer.
A Michigan household that owned a home two years ago is locked out of MSHDA in a non-targeted area and welcome in a targeted one. What that means if you have owned before.
It raises the income limit
| 1 to 2 people | 3 or more | |
|---|---|---|
| Non-targeted floor | $98,400 | $113,160 |
| Targeted floor | $118,080 | $137,760 |
| Gain | $19,680 | $24,600 |
Those are the floors. Higher-cost counties carry higher figures in both columns, and Washtenaw tops the table at $170,760 and $199,220. Every county group.
The seventeen split counties
Bay, Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Jackson, Kent, Livingston, Macomb, Midland, Monroe, Muskegon, Oakland, Ottawa, Saginaw, Shiawassee and Wayne.
In each of those, MSHDA lists the targeted places individually: a city here, a township there, sometimes a village. The rest of the county is non-targeted. A few examples read straight from the table:
| County | Targeted places include | Targeted limits | Rest of county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne | City of Detroit, City of Dearborn, City of Ecorse, City of Hamtramck | $125,760 / $146,720 | $104,800 / $120,520 |
| Kent | City of Grand Rapids, City of Kentwood, Village of Kent City | $127,920 / $149,240 | $106,600 / $122,590 |
| Genesee | City of Flint, Genesee Twp., Mount Morris Twp. | $118,080 / $137,760 | $98,400 / $113,160 |
| Oakland | City of Pontiac, Royal Oak Twp., City of Southfield | $125,760 / $146,720 | $104,800 / $120,520 |
| Macomb | Harrison Twp., City of Mt. Clemens | $125,760 / $146,720 | $104,800 / $120,520 |
Why we do not publish the full place list
MSHDA names the targeted places across those seventeen counties in a long table that changes, and a single address can sit inside or outside a named township without that being obvious from the street. A list typed onto this page would go stale and could talk someone out of a house that qualifies.
So we name the counties and the largest places, and then check the actual address. Send it to us, or read MSHDA's own limits sheet. Targeted-area status is determined by MSHDA at city and township level and must be confirmed for the specific address.
See also the full eligibility test and the two programs.
Frequently asked questions
How many Michigan counties are targeted areas?
66 of Michigan's 83 counties are designated targeted areas in their entirety, and a further 17 are split, with named cities and townships targeted while the rest of the county is not. No Michigan county is wholly without a targeted area. Targeted-area status is determined by MSHDA at city and township level and must be confirmed for the specific address.
What does a targeted area do for a Michigan homebuyer?
Two things. It removes the first-time homebuyer requirement, because MSHDA's limits sheet states that targeted areas may be a first-time homebuyer or repeat homebuyer while non-targeted areas must be a first-time homebuyer. And it raises the income limit, by $19,680 at the floor for a one to two person household and $24,600 for three or more.
Which Michigan counties are split between targeted and non-targeted?
Seventeen: Bay, Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Jackson, Kent, Livingston, Macomb, Midland, Monroe, Muskegon, Oakland, Ottawa, Saginaw, Shiawassee and Wayne. In each, MSHDA names the targeted cities and townships individually and treats the rest of the county as non-targeted, so two nearby addresses can fall on opposite sides.
Is Detroit a 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. Wayne County as a whole is split: the named places are targeted at income limits of $125,760 and $146,720, while the rest of the county is non-targeted at $104,800 and $120,520. Targeted-area status is determined by MSHDA at city and township level and must be confirmed for the specific address.
Which Michigan county has the highest MSHDA income limit?
Washtenaw County, which contains Ann Arbor, at $170,760 for a one to two person household and $199,220 for three or more. Washtenaw is also targeted in its entirety, so both the highest limits in the state and the waiver of the first-time buyer requirement apply across the whole county.
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.