CalHFA and Down Payment Assistance Income Limits: San Bernardino and Riverside Counties (2026)

What to know first

If you are searching for income limits, you want to know one thing: do I earn too much? Limits differ by program, and being over one does not put you over all of them. We can't say where you stand before we see your numbers. We can show you the published limits and how to read them.

Which county, and which limit?

Most limits depend on the county where the home is, not where you work or live now. Ontario, California is a city in the Inland Empire of Southern California, in San Bernardino County. It is not Ontario, Canada. A home in Ontario uses San Bernardino County limits.

Homes in Riverside County use that county's limits instead. We list both below.

The 2026 limits side by side

This table is a map, not an offer. CalHFA's limits took effect June 30, 2026. Check the source on the day you decide, because limits can change.

CalHFA's limits table excludes Dream For All, which has its own list. CalHFA's limits page says: "As defined in Program Bulletin 2020-07, effective June 1, 2020, CalHFA no longer has sales price limits on eligible properties. CalHFA income limits must continue to be met."

Whose income counts

This is the question we hear most. CalHFA's MyHome handbook says: "The income of all borrowers cannot exceed the published CalHFA income limits established for the county in which the property is located." It also says the lender's qualifying income is used, and "Income not used by the lender for credit qualifying will not be used by CalHFA."

The handbook says the income of all borrowers counts, and the lender's qualifying income is used. It doesn't say a non-borrower's income counts. Ask your lender to confirm for your situation.

Your lender decides what income is used, based on the loan's rules and your documents. That is why we ask early who will be on the loan.

GSFA says the same kind of thing about its conventional limits: "The income limit is based solely on qualifying income."

A worked example: two incomes of about $95,000

This couple is made up. The people, the home and the incomes are not real.

Suppose two borrowers each earn about $95,000. Together, that is $190,000 in qualifying income. They want to buy in Ontario, California, in San Bernardino County. Here is how each program looks:

• CalHFA first mortgage and MyHome: $190,000 is under the $210,000 limit.
• Dream For All: $190,000 is over the $168,000 limit. It is also closed to new applications.
• GSFA Platinum with an FHA loan: GSFA has no income limit for FHA loans.
• Riverside County programs: they don't apply, because the home is in San Bernardino County.
• City of Ontario Keys to Community: closed, and $190,000 is above its limits anyway.

Under the limit does not mean approved. The couple would still need to meet the program's other rules and qualify for the first mortgage. The lender may count bonuses or overtime differently, which can move the total.

This is an example only, subject to eligibility and lender approval; the lender calculates qualifying income.

Other local help, open and closed

San Bernardino County. The county's page says: "The Community Development & Housing Department no longer offers down payment assistance. However, there are agencies who may be of assistance. Please see the Down Payment Assistance Directory for a list of resources."

City of Ontario, California: Keys to Community. The First-Time Homebuyer program is closed. The city says: "The City has exhausted the program funding allocated to the First-Time Homebuyer Program during its pilot phase and is no longer taking applications. If additional funding becomes available, the City will resume application intakes." We show its limits only as background. They are 120% of area median income (the middle income for the area). By household size, they were: 1 person $89,450; 2 people $102,250; 3 people $115,000; 4 people $127,800.

Riverside County: First-Time Home Buyer programs (HOME and PLHA). These are for homes in Riverside County. Riverside County Housing and Workforce Solutions runs them.

• How it works: the county says the programs give first-time buyers "down payment support," and its lender page says "the Agency's assistance is structured as a silent second mortgage for down payment." On the amount: "Generally, assistance is limited to the amount necessary, up to 20% of the sales price." It also says: "Closing cost assistance is not available at this time under current funding sources."
• How to apply: you apply through one of the county's participating lenders. Ask the county for its current participating lender list.
• 2026-27 income limits (effective July 1, 2026), by household size. HOME is for 80% of area median income, PLHA for 120%:

• Maximum purchase price, 2026-27:
  • $607,050 for a single-family home (new or existing)
  • $470,250 for a condominium or townhouse
  • $201,400 for a manufactured home
• Where it applies: both programs cover unincorporated areas and cooperating cities, but not every city.
  • The county's HOME list excludes these cities: Cathedral City, Corona, Hemet, Indian Wells, Indio, Jurupa Valley, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Perris, Riverside and Temecula.
  • The county's PLHA list excludes these cities: Calimesa, Corona, Menifee, Palm Desert, Perris, Rancho Mirage and Riverside.
  • The county links a map (its TLMA mapping system) on its page to check an address.
• Funds: the county posts funds updates for its lenders through the year, so ask a participating lender or the county before you plan around it.

What the income limit does not tell you

An income limit is one test among several. CalHFA programs also require first-time buyer status, and GSFA Platinum does not (see GSFA Platinum). Credit and debts follow the first mortgage. And CalHFA and GSFA help is a loan, so ask when and how it is repaid. MyHome is deferred, and GSFA Platinum's standard option has monthly payments.

How to check your own numbers

1. Find the county where the home is.
2. Add up the gross income (before taxes) of the people who will be on the loan. Rough numbers are fine.
3. Compare it with the limit on the agency's own page, linked in Sources.
4. Tell us early if you are close. A raise or bonus can move you across a line. Call before you change jobs.

The bottom line

For a buyer in Ontario, California, CalHFA's limit is $210,000 in San Bernardino County in 2026, and one number covers every household size. Two incomes of about $95,000 each fall under it, if both people are on the loan. Dream For All has a lower limit and is closed. GSFA Platinum has no GSFA income limit on FHA, VA or USDA loans. Limits are only one part of qualifying, so bring your numbers and we will go through the rest with you. We will give you straight answers, including "not yet."

Questions buyers ask