MHDC Income Limits, Effective May 1, 2026
Program and regulatory figures verified September 26, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
One page of figures, and three traps in it: the exclusions, the Next Step column, and the multiplier people assume is the same in both directions.
The whole table
| Area | Non-targeted 1–2 | Non-targeted 3+ | Targeted / Next Step 1–2 | Targeted / Next Step 3+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City MSA | $113,400 | $130,410 | $136,080 | $158,760 |
| Jefferson City MSA | $105,500 | $121,325 | $126,600 | $147,700 |
| Columbia MSA | $116,300 | $133,745 | $139,560 | $162,820 |
| St. Louis MSA | $113,500 | $130,525 | $136,200 | $158,900 |
| All other areas | $97,100 | $111,665 | $116,520 | $135,940 |
HUD FY 2026 income limits, effective May 1, 2026, read from MHDC's published sheet on 2026-09-26.
Columbia beats both big metros
This surprises people, so it is worth stating plainly. Boone County carries $116,300 for a one to two person household, against Kansas City's $113,400 and St. Louis's $113,500. On the three-or-more column it is $133,745 against Kansas City's $130,410 and St. Louis's $130,525.
It is only $2,900 over Kansas City at the smaller household size, but it is $19,200 over the all-other-areas floor, and it means a Columbia household that assumed the big-city limits applied to them has slightly more room, not less. Columbia and Jefferson City.
The exclusions, which is where mistakes happen
Four of the five areas carry named carve-outs. MHDC prints them as footnotes and they are easy to skim past.
| Area | Counties included | Excluded |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City MSA | Caldwell, Cass, Clay, Clinton, Jackson, Lafayette, Platte, Ray | Bates (lower income limit) |
| Jefferson City MSA | Cole, Osage | Callaway, Moniteau (lower limits) |
| Columbia MSA | Boone | Cooper, Howard (lower limits) |
| St. Louis MSA | Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Warren | The Sullivan City part of Crawford County |
An excluded county falls to the all-other-areas row, which is $97,100 rather than the metro figure. That is a $16,300 swing for a Bates County household who assumed the Kansas City limit applied. Worth checking rather than assuming from the commute.
Three multipliers, and they are different numbers
These hold exactly on all five areas. We checked them as fractions rather than by eye, because a neighbouring state's build shipped an error by generalising one of them.
| Relationship | Exact | Worked from the floor |
|---|---|---|
| Non-targeted: 3+ from 1–2 | 23/20 = 1.15 | $97,100 → $111,665 |
| Targeted / Next Step: 3+ from 1–2 | 7/6 ≈ 1.1667 | $116,520 → $135,940 |
| Targeted from non-targeted, 1–2 | 6/5 = 1.20 | $97,100 → $116,520 |
| Targeted from non-targeted, 3+ | ≈ 1.21739 | $111,665 → $135,940 |
Apply 1.20 to the three-or-more column and you land under MHDC's real figure, which could talk a qualified family out of applying. Check your band instead of deriving it.
Read the column heading
MHDC's right-hand column is headed "TARGETED AREAS/NEXT STEP". Next Step is not a targeted-area program; it simply shares the column. A Next Step buyer in a plain non-targeted subdivision reads $116,520 rather than $97,100.
That single fact resolves more Missouri eligibility questions than anything else on this site. Next Step.
What counts as income
More than the wages on a pay stub, and calculated rather than added. MHDC requires an income calculation worksheet with all income for all included household members, supported by documentation no older than 30 days at closing.
Two exclusions are worth knowing because they help. Non-occupying co-signer income is excluded from total household income, and co-signers are not counted in household size. And anticipated rental income from the second unit of a two-unit property is excluded from the household income calculation for First Place even where it is used as qualifying income.
MHDC also notes the reverse can bite: if the income figure for credit underwriting is higher than the projected household income, the lender must use the underwriting figure. The co-signer rule.
Figures here are MHDC's, effective May 1, 2026, read on 2026-09-26. They change. Ask us for the current figure before you rely on it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the income limit for MHDC in Missouri?
It depends on the area, household size and program. Effective May 1, 2026 the floor for most of Missouri is $97,100 for a one to two person household and $111,665 for three or more; the highest figures are Columbia's $139,560 and $162,820 on the targeted and Next Step column. Kansas City and St. Louis sit around $113,400 to $113,500 non-targeted.
Which Missouri area has the highest MHDC income limit?
The Columbia MSA, meaning Boone County, at $116,300 for a one to two person household and $133,745 for three or more in the non-targeted column, rising to $139,560 and $162,820 on the targeted and Next Step column. Columbia's limits are higher than both Kansas City's and St. Louis's, which surprises most people.
Is Bates County part of the Kansas City MHDC income limit?
No. MHDC's sheet includes Caldwell, Cass, Clay, Clinton, Jackson, Lafayette, Platte and Ray in the Kansas City MSA but explicitly excludes Bates County due to a lower income limit, so Bates falls to the all-other-areas row of $97,100 and $111,665. Callaway and Moniteau are similarly excluded from Jefferson City, and Cooper and Howard from Columbia.
How do I derive a Missouri three-person income limit from the two-person figure?
Use the right multiplier for the column. On the non-targeted column the three-or-more figure is exactly 23/20, or 1.15, times the one-to-two figure. On the targeted and Next Step column it is 7/6, about 1.1667. The 1.20 multiplier describes a different relationship, the step from the non-targeted to the targeted one-to-two figure, and applying it to the three-or-more column understates MHDC's real limit.
Does a co-signer's income count against the MHDC income limit?
No. MHDC states that income from non-occupying co-signers must be excluded from the total household income, that co-signers do not count in the household size composition, and that non-occupying co-signers do not need to be first-time homebuyers. That makes a co-signer genuinely useful in Missouri, because they can strengthen the credit file without consuming the income 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. MHDC program terms, income limits and purchase price limits are set by the Missouri Housing Development Commission and change; figures here carry the date we verified them against MHDC's published documents. MHDC down payment assistance is a forgivable second loan, not a grant, and selling or refinancing inside ten years can require repaying all or part of it. Loans are subject to borrower and property qualification.