Down payment assistance in Madison and Dane County
Program and regulatory figures verified October 4, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Dane County is where the gap between the two WHEDA income tables is widest, and where the purchase price ceiling actually starts to matter.
Why is the program gap widest here?
Because Dane County sits at the top of the Advantage compliance table and the Capital Access table does not rise proportionally. A three-or-more person household can earn $155,595 and use Easy Close. A four-person household must be at or under $106,800 for Capital Access. That is a $48,795 difference on the same county and the same family.
In practice most Madison professional households are Easy Close borrowers whether they intended to be or not.
How tight is the price ceiling in Madison?
Tighter than anywhere else in Wisconsin. Madison's typical home value was $448,708 in August 2026, the highest in the state, against a non-target purchase price limit of $566,364. That leaves roughly $117,000 of headroom above the typical home, which sounds comfortable until you are shopping above the median in a market that rose 3.0% over the year.
Target areas raise the ceiling to $692,222, which is why checking target status matters more in Dane County than in most of the state.
Which program fits a Madison buyer?
Usually Easy Close, for two reasons that reinforce each other. Incomes commonly exceed the Capital Access table, and the 6% maximum scales with Madison prices where a flat $7,500 does not go far against a $448,708 typical value.
The trade-off is the payment. Easy Close is amortized over ten years and counts in the debt ratio, which in an expensive market is exactly where borrowing power is tightest. Taking the minimum that closes the gap is usually the better play here. Why the payment matters before closing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the WHEDA income limit in Dane County?
Dane County carries Wisconsin's highest WHEDA Advantage compliance limits at $135,300 for a one-to-two person household and $155,595 for three or more. The city of Madison carries its own target row at $162,360 and $189,420.Why do I not qualify for Capital Access in Madison?
Because Capital Access uses a separate and much lower income table. A four-person Dane County household must be at or under $106,800 for Capital Access, against $155,595 on the Easy Close side, a difference of $48,795 for the same household in the same county.Is Madison over the WHEDA purchase price limit?
Not typically. Madison's typical home value was $448,708 in August 2026 against a non-target ceiling of $566,364. Madison has the least headroom of any Wisconsin metro, and target-area status raises the ceiling to $692,222.Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content about financing, not a loan commitment and not legal or tax advice. WHEDA program terms, income limits and purchase price limits are set by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority and change; figures here carry the date we verified them against WHEDA's published documents. Easy Close down payment assistance is an amortizing second mortgage with a monthly payment, not a grant. Capital Access is a deferred second mortgage repayable when the first mortgage is paid off or refinanced. Loans are subject to borrower and property qualification.