Georgia down payment assistance with Georgia Dream
Pick your Georgia county, income and price: the Georgia Dream amount, the area limits that apply, and the cash you still need at closing.
Help you may get in Fulton County
$10,000
Georgia Dream Homeownership Program: deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance. 0 programs likely fit, 1 to check.
| Your income vs. area median for 3 people | 90% |
| HUD 80% income limit, 3 people | $84,850 |
| Down payment at 3.5% | $12,250 |
| Cash still needed with the help | $2,250 |
| Monthly payment, no help | $2,339 |
| Monthly payment, with the help | $2,339 |
| FHA limit · conforming limit | $718,750 · $832,750 |
Programs read on the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA), Georgia Dream pages; HUD FY 2026 limits; payment = principal and interest over 30 years at 7.4% (Freddie Mac, October 15, 2026). The approved lender confirms eligibility.
| Program | Fit | Amount | Form | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Dream Homeownership Program | Check with the agency | $10,000 | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | county income limit not transcribed: see the agency table; price limit by county: see the agency table |
Prepared by Radif Partners · Method · updated: HUD 2026 limits effective May 1, 2026 · Freddie Mac rate of October 15, 2026 · programs read on October 21, 2026
Georgia's statewide help is the Georgia Dream Homeownership Program of the Department of Community Affairs (DCA). It lends up to $10,000 for the down payment and closing costs as a second loan at 0% interest with no monthly payment, due when you sell, refinance or stop living in the home. It is for first-time buyers, with a 640 credit score, and asks for $1,000 of your own money or a documented gift. Instead of 159 county tables, Georgia uses three areas: the Atlanta metro, with income limits of $120,439 for one or two people and $138,505 for three or more, and a $425,000 price cap; the Athens area; and every other county at $92,000, $105,800 and $360,000. DCA's table is dated July 8, 2024 and is the latest it shows. In Fulton County, a household of three earning $95,000 buying at $350,000 would get $10,000, leaving $2,250 of the down payment to bring.
Georgia Dream, in DCA's words
| Program | Amount | Repayment (agency wording) | First-time only | Min. credit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Dream Homeownership Program | up to $10,000 (Peach Plus announcement: the lesser of 3.5% of the purchase price or $10,000; loan program page: the lesser of 5% or $10,000) | 0% interest, no monthly payment, second lien due when you sell, refinance or no longer occupy the home as your primary residence | yes | 640 | open |
Georgia is simpler than most states because the help is a flat cap rather than a share of the loan: up to $10,000, whatever the price. On a modest home it covers the whole FHA minimum, on a larger one only part. We could not open the DCA site from our network; the terms above come from the indexed text of its official pages.
The three Georgia Dream areas
| Area | Income limit, 1-2 people | Income limit, 3+ people | Price limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta metro | $120,439 | $138,505 | $425,000 |
| Athens area | $101,429 | $116,644 | $375,000 |
| All other counties | $92,000 | $105,800 | $360,000 |
The Atlanta figures apply to the counties of the Atlanta HUD metro, the Athens figures to Clarke and its neighbors, and the last row everywhere else, including Savannah, Augusta, Macon and Columbus. The calculator still marks the limits to confirm because DCA dates its table to 2024 and has not posted a newer one we could read.
Your Georgia county
Help you may get in Chatham County
$10,000
| Your income vs. area median for 3 people | 88% |
| HUD 80% income limit, 3 people | $77,300 |
| Down payment at 3.5% | $10,500 |
| Cash still needed with the help | $500 |
Fulton County, worked through
| Program | Result | Amount | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Dream Homeownership Program | Check with the agency | $10,000 | county income limit not transcribed: see the agency table; price limit by county: see the agency table |
The FHA minimum here is $12,250, so $2,250 of it and the closing costs remain. In Chatham County, at $85,000 and $300,000, the minimum is $10,500 and the gap after the loan is $500, but the $1,000 own contribution is required anyway.
HUD and FHA figures
| County | HUD median (4 people) | HUD 80% limit (3 people) | FHA limit | Conforming limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton County | $117,800 | $84,850 | $718,750 | $832,750 |
| Gwinnett County | $117,800 | $84,850 | $718,750 | $832,750 |
| Cobb County | $117,800 | $84,850 | $718,750 | $832,750 |
| DeKalb County | $117,800 | $84,850 | $718,750 | $832,750 |
| Clayton County | $117,800 | $84,850 | $718,750 | $832,750 |
| Cherokee County | $117,800 | $84,850 | $718,750 | $832,750 |
| Chatham County | $107,300 | $77,300 | $541,287 | $832,750 |
| Clarke County | $100,100 | $72,100 | $616,400 | $832,750 |
| Richmond County | $90,400 | $65,100 | $541,287 | $832,750 |
| Bibb County | $74,400 | $55,450 | $541,287 | $832,750 |
| Muscogee County | $85,800 | $60,950 | $541,287 | $832,750 |
The metro counties share a HUD median of $117,800 and an FHA limit of $718,750; Clarke County, home to Athens, sits at $100,100; Chatham at $107,300. The Georgia Dream price caps are well under the FHA limits everywhere, so in the Atlanta metro the price cap is often the rule that decides.
Applying in Georgia
Georgia Dream goes through DCA-approved lenders and requires a homebuyer education course. Ask the lender for the current limits table at the first meeting and whether Peach Plus applies to you. Atlanta, DeKalb and other local governments run their own programs that some lenders combine with Georgia Dream.
Two points deserve attention before an offer. The loan is due when you stop living in the home, not only when you sell, so turning it into a rental means repaying the $10,000. And because the help is a flat amount, a higher price does not bring more of it: on a $425,000 home at the Atlanta cap, the FHA minimum is $14,875, and Georgia Dream pays less than a third of it.