Florida Down Payment Assistance Eligibility (2026)
Florida down payment assistance has a few simple gates: a 640 credit score, an income limit that varies by county, and a purchase-price cap. Here is what qualifies you across Florida Housing and the county programs.
Who qualifies for Florida down payment assistance
The core requirements are simple. You need a 640 middle credit score, or 660 if your loan is manually underwritten. Your income has to fall under your county’s limit, and the home’s price under the county cap, both set by Florida Housing and updated periodically. The home must be your primary residence, and the assistance pairs with an FHA, VA, USDA, or conventional first mortgage. Hometown Heroes layers on workforce and employment requirements, and county HFA programs set their own limits.
Florida Housing Hometown Heroes income limits by county (2026)
Florida sets its income cap county by county, not as one statewide number. The figures below are the Hometown Heroes borrower income limits, the 150% area-median-income ceiling that governs the FHA, VA, and HFA Advantage first mortgages, pulled from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation lender guide effective with reservations as of May 6, 2026. Most rural counties share the $148,050 baseline. High-cost counties like Monroe (the Keys) and Miami-Dade run far higher. Florida Housing revises these periodically, so we confirm your county's live number before you shop.
| County / metro | 2026 income limit |
|---|---|
| Monroe (the Florida Keys) | $214,950 |
| Miami-Dade | $204,300 |
| Palm Beach | $192,750 |
| Broward | $190,200 |
| Collier (Naples) | $181,500 |
| Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake (Orlando metro) | $172,350 |
| Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando (Tampa Bay) | $172,050 |
| Sarasota, Manatee | $171,150 |
| Lee (Fort Myers) | $168,600 |
| Clay, Duval, Nassau, St. Johns (Jacksonville metro) | $163,050 |
| Okaloosa | $160,050 |
| Alachua (Gainesville) | $156,000 |
| Brevard (Space Coast) | $149,400 |
| Leon (Tallahassee) | $149,250 |
| Volusia (Daytona) | $148,650 |
| All other Florida counties (baseline) | $148,050 |
Source: Florida Housing Finance Corporation, 2026 Hometown Heroes TBA Loan Program Lender Guide (income limits effective with reservations as of 5/06/2026). The standard Florida Assist and county HFA programs set their own, generally lower, limits, and each also carries a county purchase-price cap. Verify your county's current figure with us before you lock.
Hometown Heroes has its own rules
Hometown Heroes, the flagship program, adds a workforce dimension: it was built for Floridians employed by a Florida-based employer, and its exact eligibility has shifted as the state has retooled and refunded it. It also runs in funding cycles, so it can be open at one point and paused at another. Before you build a plan around Hometown Heroes, we confirm both that you qualify and that the program is currently funded. See the Hometown Heroes page.
Common questions
What credit score do I need for Florida down payment assistance?
Florida Housing requires a 640 minimum credit score for all borrowers, or 660 for manual underwriting (640 for manufactured housing). County HFA programs may set their own minimums.
What are the 2026 Florida Housing income limits?
Florida Housing sets Hometown Heroes income limits county by county. As of the limits effective with reservations May 6, 2026, most rural counties cap borrower income at $148,050, while high-cost areas run higher: Miami-Dade $204,300, Monroe (the Keys) $214,950, Palm Beach $192,750, Broward $190,200, and the Orlando and Tampa Bay metros around $172,000. These figures are 150% of area median income and revise periodically, so confirm your county's live number before you lock. County HFA and other programs set their own, generally lower, limits.
What loans work with Florida down payment assistance?
The assistance pairs with FHA, VA, USDA, or conventional first mortgages (HFA Preferred / HFA Advantage). The home must be your primary residence, and a 640 credit score is required.
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