FHA Loans in Missouri: One Loan Limit From Kansas City to Springfield

Drive Interstate 70 from St. Louis to Kansas City, then take I-44 down to Springfield, and the FHA loan limit never changes along the way. Every one of Missouri's 115 counties, the City of St. Louis included, is at the lowest limit FHA sets anywhere in the country, which HUD calls the floor.

An FHA loan in Missouri can be up to $541,287 on a one-unit home in any county, under the 2026 limits HUD published in Mortgagee Letter 2025-23. Those limits cover any FHA loan that got its case number on or after January 1, 2026. The case number is FHA's file number for your loan, and your lender is the one who requests it.

The median home in Kansas City and in Springfield costs far less than that, so the limit is rarely what decides a Missouri file. The cash you bring to closing usually does, and two things about Missouri shape it: the state constitution bars new transfer taxes, and state law leaves title-service and closing fees uncapped.

I'm Jeff Moran, NMLS #483943, licensed to originate in Missouri through C2 Financial Corporation. I started in the mortgage business in 1996. The FHA explainer explains the program itself, and the Missouri page walks through how a Missouri closing works.

FHA loan limits in Missouri by number of units

Units	2026 FHA limit in every Missouri county
One	$541,287
Two	$693,050
Three	$837,700
Four	$1,041,125

The larger figures matter if you plan to live in one unit of a two- to four-unit property, because HUD's Handbook 4000.1 limits FHA's single-family programs to one- to four-family homes you will occupy as your principal residence.

The Kansas City Regional Association of REALTORS reported a median sales price of $332,000 for new and existing homes combined in September 2026, across the Heartland MLS counties on both the Missouri and Kansas sides. The Greater Springfield Board of REALTORS reported a Greater Springfield median of $289,500 for the same month. Buying at either median leaves plenty of room under the limit, and my Kansas City page and Springfield page have the details.

The cash an FHA purchase takes in Missouri

HUD's Handbook 4000.1 calls your down payment the minimum required investment, and it is 3.5 percent of the home's adjusted value. Adjusted value is the lesser of the purchase price, after any seller payments the handbook treats as a price cut, or the appraised value. With a credit score of 580 or higher you can borrow the rest, which is 96.5 percent of that value, and a score between 500 and 579 limits the loan to 90 percent. On a $300,000 purchase it works out like this:

Example: a $300,000 purchase
Minimum required investment, 3.5%	$10,500
Base loan amount	$289,500
Upfront mortgage insurance premium, 1.75% of the base loan	$5,066
Loan after financing that premium	$294,566

The upfront mortgage insurance premium is 1.75 percent of the base loan, and you can finance it into the loan or pay it in cash at closing. A monthly premium follows, and your Loan Estimate shows the actual dollars for both. Closing costs, prepaid items and other fees cannot be applied toward the minimum required investment, so the $10,500 above is on top of your closing costs.

Missouri closing costs on an FHA loan

Missouri doesn't charge a general transfer or mortgage-recording tax, and Missouri's constitution doesn't allow new taxes on the transfer of real estate, so the government's part of your closing is mostly ordinary recording charges. The title insurance premium is priced at rates filed with the state, and the title-service, closing and other fees are not capped by state law. Those uncapped fees are a part of your closing costs you can shop between providers.

A title company can close your loan in Missouri, and no attorney is required. Missouri law lets a title insurer, title agency or unaffiliated title agent act as the closing agent, and you can hire an attorney to advise you if you'd like one.

Seller credits toward your FHA closing costs

Sellers, agents, builders and other interested parties can contribute up to 6 percent of the sales price toward your closing costs, prepaid items, discount points and the upfront premium, which is $18,000 on the $300,000 example. Anything above 6 percent is what the handbook calls an inducement to purchase: FHA treats it as a price cut and lowers the value it lends against. None of these credits can go toward the minimum required investment, though a gift from someone FHA allows to give one can, with a signed gift letter and a documented transfer.

The purchase contract decides who pays for the owner's title policy in Missouri, because no state law assigns it to the buyer or the seller. That makes it one more line you can ask for in the offer.

Buying an FHA home near the Kansas City state line

All 105 Kansas counties are at the same floor, so if you buy on the Kansas side of State Line Road, the loan limit stays the same and the closing rules change. Kansas requires title agents in counties of 10,000 or more people to file their closing and escrow charges with the state, and Missouri leaves its title-service and closing fees uncapped. On two estimates from the two sides, those are the lines to compare. It helps to be sure which state the home is in before you compare them, and the Kansas page has the details.

Where to start

Whenever you're ready, you can price an FHA loan on a Missouri home, Missouri closing costs included, and choose the rate option that works best for you. If you are weighing FHA against conventional or VA, which loan fits compares the three, and how to get pre-approved walks through the documents.

None of this is a loan approval, a denial, or a commitment to lend; your approval will depend on the property, the appraisal and full underwriting. HUD changes its limits and premiums from time to time, and I'm glad to check the current figures with you.

Common questions

What is the FHA loan limit in Missouri for 2026?

Every Missouri county is at the national floor, for one-unit homes and for two- to four-unit homes, so the limit is the same in St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield and the rural counties.

How much do I need down for an FHA loan in Missouri?

At least 3.5 percent of the home's adjusted value, with a credit score of 580 or higher. Closing costs are in addition to that cash.

Can a gift or a seller credit cover my FHA down payment in Missouri?

A gift can cover it when it comes from someone FHA allows to give one, with a signed gift letter and a documented transfer. A seller credit cannot, because money from the seller, the agents, the builder or anyone else with a stake in the sale may not go toward the minimum required investment. Seller credits can pay closing costs, prepaid items, points and the upfront premium.

Do I need an attorney to close an FHA loan in Missouri?

No. Missouri law lets a title insurer, title agency or unaffiliated title agent serve as the closing agent, and you can hire an attorney to advise you if you choose.