Purchase price and loan limits, and the two counties that break the pattern
Program and regulatory figures verified October 4, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Two separate ceilings apply to a WHEDA purchase, they are set by different bodies on different dates, and only one of them varies by county.
What is the WHEDA purchase price limit?
It is a cap on what the home can cost, and it is statewide rather than per-county. These figures apply to the First-Time Home Buyer, MCC and VALOR programs, effective 6/13/2026.
| Area | 1 unit | 2–4 unit |
|---|---|---|
| Non-target | $566,364 | $725,146 |
| Target | $692,222 | $886,290 |
The target-area figure is roughly $126,000 higher on a single-family home, which in practice opens up neighbourhoods that the non-target ceiling would exclude.
How is the loan limit different from the price limit?
The price limit caps the purchase price. The loan limit caps the mortgage amount, and it comes from FHFA for conventional loans and HUD for FHA. A home can sit under the price limit and still produce a loan above the loan limit, or the reverse, so both have to be checked.
| Limit | Amount | Effective |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional, 1 unit | $832,750 | 12/15/2025 |
| FHA 1 unit — Pierce, St. Croix | $552,000 | 1/1/2026 |
| FHA 1 unit — all other counties | $541,287 | 1/1/2026 |
| FHA 2 unit — Pierce, St. Croix | $706,650 | 1/1/2026 |
| FHA 2 unit — all other counties | $693,050 | 1/1/2026 |
Why are Pierce and St. Croix different?
Because they sit inside the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area, and FHA sets its limits by metro rather than by state. Both counties are on Wisconsin's western edge across the river from the Twin Cities, and their housing costs track that market rather than the rest of Wisconsin.
The gap is $10,713 on a one-unit home. It is small in percentage terms and occasionally decisive on a specific file. More on buying in those two counties.
Is any Wisconsin county above the conventional baseline?
No. All 72 counties sit at the national baseline of $832,750 for one unit, with none designated high-cost. That makes the conventional side simple: one number, statewide, no lookup required. It also means the binding constraint on a WHEDA purchase is almost always the purchase price limit rather than the loan limit, since $566,364 is well below $832,750.
Frequently asked questions
What is the WHEDA purchase price limit in Wisconsin?
Effective 6/13/2026, $566,364 for a one-unit home in a non-target area and $692,222 in a target area. Two-to-four unit properties are capped at $725,146 non-target and $886,290 target. These apply to the First-Time Home Buyer, MCC and VALOR programs.What is the conforming loan limit in Wisconsin?
$832,750 for one unit, effective 12/15/2025. Every one of Wisconsin's 72 counties sits at that national baseline and none is designated high-cost, so the figure is the same statewide.Why do Pierce and St. Croix counties have higher FHA loan limits?
Because both fall inside the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area and FHA sets limits by metro rather than by state. Their one-unit FHA limit is $552,000 against $541,287 in every other Wisconsin county, effective 1/1/2026.Which limit actually stops most Wisconsin buyers?
The purchase price limit. At $566,364 for a one-unit home in a non-target area it sits well below the $832,750 conventional loan limit, so the price ceiling binds first on nearly every WHEDA file.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.