Two Price Caps, and Neither One Binds
Program and regulatory figures verified September 26, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Missouri's price limits are the easiest test in the program to pass, which is why the income limit is the one to check first.
The four figures
| 1-family residence | 2-family residence | |
|---|---|---|
| Non-targeted areas | $566,354 | $725,146 |
| Targeted areas / Next Step | $692,211 | $886,289 |
Set under Revenue Procedure 2026-23, effective May 6, 2026. There is no county grid: the only variables are whether the property sits in a targeted census tract and which program you are on.
And since Next Step reads the targeted row statewide, choosing the program is worth $125,857 of extra price room on a house and $161,143 on a duplex, without needing a targeted tract at all. Next Step.
Against the actual market
| Metro | Typical value, Aug 2026 | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $327,320 | +3.7% |
| Columbia | $321,371 | +2.9% |
| Warrensburg | $284,975 | +4.4% |
| Jefferson City | $279,076 | +7.3% |
| St. Louis | $275,704 | +3.4% |
| Springfield | $272,185 | +3.2% |
| Branson | $246,364 | −0.2% |
| Joplin | $228,639 | +2.6% |
| Cape Girardeau | $228,626 | +4.1% |
| West Plains | $224,493 | +7.4% |
Zillow's public ZHVI series for all homes, data month August 2026 against August 2025. Of Missouri's 25 metros in that data, 24 rose and one fell.
Kansas City tops the list at $327,320, which sits $239,034 below even the lower cap. There is no Missouri market where the typical home approaches the limit. On an individual house at the top of the Kansas City or Columbia range it could matter; as a market constraint it does not.
The one that fell
Branson was the only Missouri metro to decline year over year, at −0.2% and a typical value of $246,364, while the other 24 rose.
We are not going to tell you why. A vacation and short-term-rental market behaves differently from a primary-residence market and that is a plausible explanation, but it is not one we have verified, and a single year of a typical-value series is thin evidence for a story. The fact is worth knowing; the cause is speculation.
What it does mean practically is that a Branson buyer should be more careful than average about value, because the market is not carrying them upward the way the rest of the state currently is.
Acquisition cost, not contract price
MHDC defines the acquisition cost as the total cost of acquiring a residence from the seller as a completed residential unit, including all payments in whatever form paid.
For an ordinary purchase that is the contract price. Where it can differ is on new construction with work completed after closing, or on a deal with unusual payments alongside the contract. If your purchase has anything non-standard in it, that is worth raising rather than assuming the contract number is the tested number.
What binds instead
Since price does not, the constraints that decide Missouri files are income, credit and the flood zone.
- Income — $97,100 at the floor for a couple is a real limit in a state with these house prices.
- Credit, 640, or 660 on a manufactured home.
- Flood zones A and V, ineligible, all variations.
Figures here are MHDC's, effective May 6, 2026, read 2026-09-26. Ask us for the current number before you rely on it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MHDC purchase price limit in Missouri?
$566,354 for a one-family residence and $725,146 for two-family in non-targeted areas, rising to $692,211 and $886,289 in targeted census tracts and on the Next Step program. Those figures are set under Revenue Procedure 2026-23, effective May 6, 2026, and do not vary by county.
Does the MHDC price limit vary by Missouri county?
No. Unlike the income limits, which have five area bands, the purchase price caps depend only on whether the property is in a targeted census tract and which program you are on. Choosing Next Step rather than First Place is worth $125,857 of extra one-family price room anywhere in the state.
Is the MHDC price limit a problem in Kansas City or St. Louis?
Not at typical values. Kansas City is Missouri's most expensive metro in Zillow's August 2026 data at a typical value of $327,320, which leaves $239,034 of headroom under even the lower $566,354 cap, and St. Louis sits at $275,704. It could bind on an individual house at the top of a market, but it does not constrain ordinary Missouri purchases.
Are Missouri home values rising?
In Zillow's August 2026 data, 24 of Missouri's 25 metros rose year over year. West Plains led at +7.4% and Jefferson City was close behind at +7.3%, while Kansas City rose 3.7% and St. Louis 3.4%. Branson was the only metro to fall, at -0.2%. Those are typical values for all homes, so an individual property can move differently.
Does MHDC measure the contract price or something else?
Acquisition cost, which MHDC defines as the total cost of acquiring a residence from the seller as a completed residential unit, including all payments in whatever form paid. For an ordinary purchase that equals the contract price. It can differ on new construction finished after closing or where unusual payments sit alongside the contract, so anything non-standard is worth raising early.
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.