Down payment assistance income limits in New Hampshire
29 down payment assistance programs in New Hampshire publish an income limit, a purchase price cap, or both.
Every figure below is the limit the administering agency publishes. Limits are revised as area incomes and local prices move, so confirm current figures with the agency before relying on them.
Area median income by county
HUD's published four-person area median income for each New Hampshire county. A program that sets its limit at a percentage of area median income applies that percentage to the figure for the county where the home is, adjusted for household size.
| County | Published | 4-person median |
|---|---|---|
| Belknap | 2026 | $116,700 |
| Carroll | 2026 | $108,800 |
| Cheshire | 2026 | $114,700 |
| Coos | 2026 | $87,700 |
| Grafton | 2026 | $112,000 |
| Hillsborough | 2026 | $147,600 |
| Merrimack | 2026 | $128,600 |
| Rockingham | 2026 | $137,300 |
| Strafford | 2026 | $140,900 |
| Sullivan | 2026 | $105,900 |
Published limits by program
| Program | Income limit | Price cap |
|---|---|---|
| 1stGenHomeNHStatewide · Statewide | $176,200NH Housing combined household income limits (all occupants 18+): non-targeted $125,900 (1-2 person) / $144,785 (3+ person); targeted/higher-cost counties up to $151,080 (1-2) / $176,200 (3+). | $950,000 |
| AHEAD Pathways to Homeownership (Coos County / Tillotson Fund)Littleton · Coos | 120% of area median incomeHousehold must earn 120% or less of Area Median Income. | — |
| AHEAD Pathways to Homeownership II (Grafton County)Littleton · Grafton | 120% of area median incomeHousehold must earn 120% or less of Area Median Income (AMI). | — |
| Cash Assistance Mortgage ProgramStatewide · Statewide | $176,200NH Housing combined household income limits (all occupants 18+): non-targeted $125,900 (1-2 person) / $144,785 (3+ person); targeted/higher-cost counties $151,080 (1-2) / $176,200 (3+). | $950,000 |
| Equity Builder Program (EBP)Statewide · Statewide | 80% of area median incomeHousehold income may not exceed 80% of area median income (AMI); AMI derived from the specific state/city/town of the property. ALL income for ALL household members occupying the property is counted. | — |
| First-Time Homebuyer Assistance ProgramNashua · Hillsborough | 80% of area median incomeCity of Nashua / HUD HOME income limits at or below 80% AMI: $64,900 (1-person) to $122,300 (8+ person) per HUD MFI table for Nashua, NH-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. | — |
| Habitat for Humanity Greater Nashua Manchester Homeownership ProgramHollis · Hillsborough | See programLow-to-moderate-income families who would not qualify for a conventional commercial mortgage; income requirements apply. | — |
| Home FirstStatewide · Statewide | $176,200NH Housing combined household income limits (all occupants 18+): non-targeted $125,900 (1-2 person) / $144,785 (3+ person); targeted/higher-cost counties $151,080 (1-2) / $176,200 (3+). | $950,000 |
| Home FlexStatewide · Statewide | $176,200NH Housing combined household income limits (all occupants 18+): non-targeted $125,900 (1-2 person) / $144,785 (3+ person); targeted/higher-cost counties $151,080 (1-2) / $176,200 (3+). | $950,000 |
| Home Flex PlusStatewide · Statewide | $176,200NH Housing combined household income limits (all occupants 18+): non-targeted $125,900 (1-2 person) / $144,785 (3+ person); targeted/higher-cost counties $151,080 (1-2) / $176,200 (3+). | $950,000 |
| Home PreferredStatewide · Statewide | 80% of area median incomeNH Housing Home Preferred income limits at or below 80% AMI by county and household size. Range $70,500 (low-AMI 1-person county) to $132,950 (higher-cost 4+ person county). | $950,000 |
| Home Town: First Time Homebuyer programPortsmouth · Rockingham | 120% of area median incomeCity of Portsmouth / HUD income limits at or below 120% AMI: $110,208 (1-person) to $182,630 (8+ person) per HUD MFI table for Portsmouth-Rockingham, NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Higher AMI tier than Nashua reflects Portsmouth's higher cost of living and 120% (vs. 80%) AMI ceiling. | — |
| Homebuyer Tax Credit (Mortgage Credit Certificate / MCC)Statewide · Statewide | See programHousehold income cannot exceed New Hampshire Housing MCC Program income limits, which vary by town/city and household size and are posted on the official websites. Purchase price must also be within program limits for the town. | — |
| Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Option (MHRA)Manchester · Hillsborough | See programMinimum income requirement: non-disabled families must have adult owner income of at least $14,500 (2,000 hrs x minimum wage); disabled families at least $10,092 (12 x monthly SSI). Welfare assistance not counted toward the minimum unless elderly/disabled. | — |
| Housing Our Workforce (HOW)Statewide · Statewide | 120% of area median incomeHousehold income must be more than 80% and up to 120% of area median income (AMI); AMI derived from the specific state/city/town of the property. | — |
| Lift Up HomeownershipStatewide · Statewide | 120% of area median incomeOpen to people of color earning up to 120% of area median income. FHLBank Boston defines a person of color as Black, American Indian, Alaska Native, Hispanic, Asian, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. | — |
| Monadnock Habitat for Humanity Homeownership ProgramKeene · Cheshire | See programTotal household income between 60% and 80% of HUD Area Median Family Income (FAQ states 50%-80% AMI). Published minimum income thresholds: Family of 1 >=$44,940; 2 $51,360; 3 $57,780; 4 $64,200; 5 $69,336; 6 $74,472. A 2020 table lists 50% AMI minimums and 80% AMI maximums (e.g., Family of 4: $63,950 min / $96,250 max). | — |
| Mount Washington Valley Habitat for Humanity Homeownership ProgramNorth Conway · Carroll | See programLow-to-moderate income partner families with income sufficient to repay an affordable interest-free mortgage but within Habitat's low-to-moderate income guidelines (specific AMI thresholds not published on the official site). | — |
| NH Capital Region Habitat for Humanity Homeownership ProgramWarner · Merrimack | 60% of area median incomeHousehold income (all sources/members) must fall between 25% and 60% of Merrimack County Area Median Family Income, adjusted for family size. 2021 AMFI 60% table: 1 $39,360; 2 $44,940; 3 $50,580; 4 $56,160; 5 $60,660; 6 $65,160; 7 $69,660; 8 $74,160. NOTE: affiliate's Homeownership Overview instead cites 80% AMI (1-person $52,450) — a documented discrepancy to confirm. | — |
| Pathways to HomeownershipMultiple | 80% of area median incomeAHEAD Pathways income limits at or below 80% AMI by county and household size: range $87,840 (low-AMI 1-person) to $129,840 (Grafton County 4+ person 80% AMI tier). | — |
| Pemi-Valley Habitat for Humanity Homeownership ProgramPlymouth · Grafton | 80% of area median incomeHomeowners must earn 30-80% of HUD median household income levels, adjusted for household size. | — |
| Purchase Rehab Mortgage (Home Flex Rehab) | See programSubject to Home Flex income limits (generally up to $176,200). For RD-guaranteed loans the lower of the NH Housing limit or the RD limit applies. See NH Housing Program Income Limits (effective 06/02/25). | — |
| ROC PreferredStatewide · Statewide | $176,200NH Housing combined household income limits (all occupants 18+): non-targeted $125,900 (1-2 person) / $144,785 (3+ person); targeted/higher-cost counties $151,080 (1-2) / $176,200 (3+). | — |
| Southeast New Hampshire Habitat for Humanity Homeownership ProgramPortsmouth · Strafford | 60% of area median incomePartner families must be above the state public-assistance level and within 30%-60% of area median income; income must show need yet ability to repay a no-interest mortgage. Specific dollar limits by household size not published (determined at application). | — |
| Twin Pines Housing Shared-Equity Homeownership Program (Down Payment Grants)Grafton | 120% of area median incomeGenerally may not earn more than 120% of county median income at time of purchase; adjusted annually by HUD (~April). NH portion of the program is in Grafton County; published worked examples in TPH documents reference Vermont's Windsor/Orange Counties, and the Grafton County NH limit table by household size was not published in the fetched documents. | — |
| Upper Valley Habitat for Humanity Homeownership ProgramLebanon · Grafton | 80% of area median incomeTotal family income must be between 50% and 80% of HUD County Median Family Income, adjusted for family size, for the community/county the applicant will move into. | — |
| USDA Section 502 Direct Home Loan ProgramStatewide · Multiple | See programApplicant's adjusted income must be at or below the applicable low-income limit for the county where the home is located (limits vary by county and household size; published in the USDA Direct Loan income-limit map / Appendix 9). | — |
| USDA Section 502 Guaranteed Loan Program (New Hampshire)Statewide · Statewide | 115% of area median incomeApplicant household income cannot exceed 115% of the median household income for the area; varies by county and household size (verify on USDA income eligibility tool). | — |
| Your Turn Homebuyer AssistanceStatewide · Statewide | See programCommunity Loan Fund Your Turn income limits per case-by-case underwriting; typically at or below 80%-100% AMI by county. | — |
Questions, answered
What are the income limits for down payment assistance in New Hampshire?
29 down payment assistance programs in New Hampshire publish an income limit, a purchase price cap, or both. 15 express the limit as a percentage of the area median income for the county where the home is, and 11 publish a flat dollar figure instead.
Why does the same program have different income limits in different counties?
Because most limits are set as a percentage of area median income, which HUD publishes per county and revises annually. A program with one published percentage therefore admits a different dollar figure in each county, and the figure is further adjusted for household size.
Is a published limit the same as being approved?
No. An income limit is one eligibility rule among several — credit requirements, purchase price caps, occupancy rules and homebuyer education all apply separately, and the first-mortgage lender underwrites on its own terms. Always confirm current figures with the administering agency.
Is Hey Prescott a lender?
No. Hey Prescott is an educational directory of down payment assistance programs. We list programs and link to official sources; we do not make loans or give individualized lending advice.
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