Forgivable loan
Down Payment Assistance
First-time homebuyers · Income limits · Single-family detached, condominium, townhouse
Down payment assistance · Pottawattamie County
Buying a home in Council Bluffs, IA
1 Council Bluffs program and 9 statewide.Council Bluffs has 1 program of its own, and 9 statewide. Here is what each one offers, what the local market looks like, and who near you can walk you through it.
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Only for Council Bluffs addresses
Council Bluffs’s own program
The Council Bluffs marketThe Council Bluffs housing market
Kinds of homes hereWhat’s for sale here, and what the programs accept
Kinds of homes in Council Bluffs
- 69.4% single-familysingle-family
- 2.4% townhousetownhouse
- 5.3% 2–4 units2–4 units
- 19.3% 5+ unitscondo & apartment buildings (5+ units)
- 3.6% mobile & othermobile home & other
Condos count. Council Bluffs’s one local program accepts condos.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year (2020–2024). Table B25024.
When Council Bluffs’s homes were built
pre-19401970s2020+
65.8%
of Council Bluffs homes were built before 1980. Pre-1978 homes come with a federal lead-paint disclosure.of homes were built before 1980. A home built before 1978 comes with a federal lead-paint disclosure, and some programs require an inspection.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year (2020–2024). Table B25034.
$114,000
County area median income, 4 people (HUD)HUD area median income, Pottawattamie County, 4-person household (2026)
$64,578
Council Bluffs median household incomeMedian household income in Council Bluffs (Census, 2024)
11 of the 72 programs here set their income limit as a share of Pottawattamie County’s area median income, adjusted for household size. See the published limits for Pottawattamie County
Free help nearbyFree help near Council Bluffs
7 HUD-approved counseling agencies within 15 miles7 HUD-approved housing counseling agencies within 15 miles
Council Bluffs’s program asks for a homebuyer class first. Create a free account to see who’s near you and pick one.Down Payment Assistance asks for a homebuyer class. A HUD-approved counselor teaches it and can walk you through your options. Create a free account to see who’s near you and pick one.
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Across Iowa and nationwide
71 statewide & federal programs9 statewide programs, plus federal options
Council Bluffs questions
Does Council Bluffs have its own down payment program?
Yes, one: Down Payment Assistance, a forgivable loan for first-time homebuyers (forgiven over 5 yrs, income limits). It is for homes inside Council Bluffs.
Can I use assistance on a condo in Council Bluffs?
Council Bluffs’s one local program accepts condos. Each program’s page lists the kinds of homes it accepts, and the agency confirms it for the home you choose.
What is the income limit in Pottawattamie County?
Each program sets its own. 11 of the programs here set theirs as a share of HUD’s area median income for Pottawattamie County, adjusted for household size. HUD publishes the median each year; the 2026 figure is shown above and on the published limits page.
Where can I take a homebuyer class near Council Bluffs?
HUD-approved housing counseling agencies teach homebuyer classes, and 7 agencies are within 15 miles of Council Bluffs. Create a free account and take the 90-second match to see the ones near you.
ZIP codes
51501 · 51502 · 51503
Nearby in Pottawattamie
Sources
Sources: agency sites (June–September 2026), Census ACS 2024 5-year, HUD FY2026, HUD counseling list. Hey Prescott is not a lender.Programs: Hey Prescott catalog of 2,000+ programs, each verified with its agency (June–September 2026). Market: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 5-year (2020–2024). Income: HUD FY2026 income limits. Counselors: HUD list of approved housing counseling agencies. Hey Prescott is not a lender.