homebuying

    First-Time Homebuyer Grants by State, County, and City

    J

    Justin Reynolds

    Updated Sep 12, 2026 3 min read
    first-time homebuyer grants real estate grants housing assistance homebuyer programs

    Key Takeaways

    Home Approach: First-Time Homebuyer Grants Hub Find First-Time Homebuyer Grants by State, County, and City The

    Skip ahead — run the numbers now

    The First-Time Homebuyer Grants Hub Taxonomy

    Our trusted discovery hub turns scattered local assistance programs into searchable, verifiable grant results. We categorize programs based on:

    • State: The state where the property is located.
    • County/City: The specific county or city where the property is located.
    • Provider: The organization offering the grant.
    • Grant vs Forgivable vs Deferred Loan: The type of financial assistance provided.
    • Stackable Status: Whether multiple grants can be combined for a single purchase (stackability).
    • Approved Lender Required: If the lender providing your mortgage must be approved for the grant.
    • Education Required: Whether homebuyer education is necessary to qualify for the grant.
    • AMI Basis: The percentage of Area Median Income (AMI) used to determine eligibility.
    • Funding Status: The current availability status of the grant funding (Open, Waitlist, Exhausted).
    • Last Verified Date: The most recent date the grant information was confirmed accurate.

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    Your situation

    Programs and caps vary by state and county.

    $
    $

    Estimated assistance range

    $28,000$38,500

    About 8% to 11% of a $350,000 home in California

    Most likely type

    Forgivable second loan

    A 0% second lien that disappears if you stay long enough.

    Likely qualifies

    Your profile lines up well with common DPA programs. Confirm with a lender or counselor.

    This is an estimate, not a guarantee. Program rules, income limits, and funding change by location and over time.
    See what stacks for you

    What To Check When You Search

    Before contacting a state HFA, county, or city housing office about first-time homebuyer grants, gather this information -- it's what every program will ask for:

    • State
    • County or city
    • Household size
    • Annual income
    • Home price ceiling
    • First-time-buyer status
    • Profession or military status, if applicable (some programs are profession- or service-specific)
    • Assistance type preference (grant, forgivable loan, or deferred loan)

    Use our Grant Finder tool to run a real search by ZIP code across federal, state, county, and employer-funded programs in one place. For programs it doesn't cover, contact your state Housing Finance Agency, your county or city housing department, or a HUD-approved housing counselor directly with the criteria above.

    Ask each program you find about approved-lender requirements, required homebuyer education, and current funding status -- program availability changes as bank-set-aside funds are exhausted and refilled.

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