- Income limit is based on county AMI (Area Median Income)
- Loan limit follows the FHA / Conventional / VA county limits
- Available statewide in all 67 Florida counties
- Must be a first-time buyer using the home as a primary residence
How Hometown Heroes income and loan limits work
Florida Hometown Heroes is administered by Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Two separate caps determine eligibility:
- Income limit — based on your household qualifying income vs. the county's Area Median Income (AMI). Hometown Heroes generally allows up to 150% of AMI, which is significantly higher than older first-time buyer programs.
- Loan limit — the maximum first-mortgage amount, which follows the underlying loan type (FHA, VA, USDA, or Conventional) for that county.
Both numbers are updated periodically. Always confirm with a licensed Florida loan officer before writing an offer — limits below reflect the most recent published figures for 2026 and can change mid-year.
Who qualifies as a "Hometown Hero" in Florida
You no longer need to be in a specific profession. As of program updates, Hometown Heroes is open to full-time Florida workers (generally 35+ hours/week) employed by a Florida-based employer who meet the income and first-time-buyer requirements. That includes — but is not limited to — teachers, nurses, law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, childcare workers, active military, and veterans.
You must also:
- Be a first-time homebuyer (no ownership interest in a primary residence in the last 3 years — veterans are exempt).
- Occupy the home as your primary residence.
- Complete a HUD-approved homebuyer education course.
- Meet the credit and DTI requirements of the first-mortgage product (typically 640+ FICO).
2026 Hometown Heroes income limits by county
Income limits below are the maximum qualifying household income for Hometown Heroes. Use them as a planning estimate; your loan officer will pull the exact published number on the day you lock.
| County | Income Limit |
|---|---|
| Alachua | $140,000 |
| Baker | $152,200 |
| Bay | $132,840 |
| Bradford | $128,800 |
| Brevard | $144,200 |
| Broward | $159,650 |
| Calhoun | $128,800 |
| Charlotte | $130,000 |
| Citrus | $128,800 |
| Clay | $152,200 |
| Collier | $172,200 |
| Columbia | $128,800 |
| DeSoto | $128,800 |
| Dixie | $128,800 |
| Duval | $152,200 |
| Escambia | $130,800 |
| Flagler | $128,800 |
| Franklin | $128,800 |
| Gadsden | $143,600 |
| Gilchrist | $140,000 |
| Glades | $128,800 |
| Gulf | $128,800 |
| Hamilton | $128,800 |
| Hardee | $128,800 |
| Hendry | $128,800 |
| Hernando | $140,800 |
| Highlands | $128,800 |
| Hillsborough | $140,800 |
| Holmes | $128,800 |
| Indian River | $135,200 |
| Jackson | $128,800 |
| Jefferson | $143,600 |
| Lafayette | $128,800 |
| Lake | $144,400 |
| Lee | $144,400 |
| Leon | $143,600 |
| Levy | $140,000 |
| Liberty | $128,800 |
| Madison | $128,800 |
| Manatee | $157,100 |
| Marion | $128,800 |
| Martin | $148,600 |
| Miami-Dade | $154,420 |
| Monroe | $172,500 |
| Nassau | $152,200 |
| Okaloosa | $148,200 |
| Okeechobee | $128,800 |
| Orange | $144,400 |
| Osceola | $144,400 |
| Palm Beach | $158,550 |
| Pasco | $140,800 |
| Pinellas | $140,800 |
| Polk | $130,000 |
| Putnam | $128,800 |
| Santa Rosa | $130,800 |
| Sarasota | $157,100 |
| Seminole | $144,400 |
| St. Johns | $152,200 |
| St. Lucie | $135,200 |
| Sumter | $128,800 |
| Suwannee | $128,800 |
| Taylor | $128,800 |
| Union | $128,800 |
| Volusia | $128,800 |
| Wakulla | $143,600 |
| Walton | $135,200 |
| Washington | $128,800 |
2026 first-mortgage loan limits (by loan type)
Hometown Heroes pairs with a first mortgage — typically FHA, VA, USDA, or Conventional. Your max loan amount is set by that program's county loan limit, not by Florida Housing.
- Conforming / Conventional: $806,500 in most Florida counties (1-unit), higher in Monroe County (high-cost area).
- FHA: $524,225 floor in most Florida counties; higher in Collier, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Johns, Monroe, and other higher-cost counties (up to ~$967,000 in Monroe).
- VA: No official VA loan cap for buyers with full entitlement, but lender overlays often apply at the conforming limit.
If your purchase price is close to the cap, ask your loan officer to verify the exact county limit for the product you're using.
How much assistance Hometown Heroes provides
Eligible buyers can receive up to 5% of the first mortgage loan amount (capped at $35,000) in down payment and closing cost assistance, structured as a 0% interest, non-amortizing 30-year second mortgage. It becomes due when you sell, refinance, transfer the deed, or stop using the home as your primary residence.
Quick eligibility check
- Is your household income at or below your county's limit above?
- Are you a first-time buyer (or a veteran)?
- Will the home be your primary residence?
- Is your FICO 640+ and your DTI within FHA/VA/Conv guidelines?
If you answered yes to all four, Hometown Heroes is worth pricing out.
Related Florida homebuyer guides
- Florida Hometown Heroes — Program Overview
- Florida Down Payment Assistance, Explained
- Florida First-Time Home Buyer Programs
- Florida FHA Loans
- Florida VA Loans
- How Much Money You Need to Buy a House in Florida
Want to see what programs may fit your situation? Take the free Homebuyer Qualification Quiz.
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