Homestead Exemption from Creditors by State (2026)
How much home equity each state protects from judgment creditors.
| State | Homestead exemption |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $18,800 for exemptions claimed on or after April 1, 2024 (statutory base $15,000, adjusted for inflation every 3 years), covering a home of up to 160 acres, including a mobile home used as a principal residence. A 2026 amendment sets a higher figure of $56,400 for a resident who is 62 or older or has a disability. Joint owners may each claim the exemption. Ala. Code §§ 6-10-2 (as amended by Act 2026-203), 6-10-12; U.S. Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Ala., Alabama exemption amounts |
| Alaska | Up to $72,900 of equity in property used as the principal residence of the debtor or the debtor's dependents (the statute's base figure is $54,000, adjusted for inflation). Co-owners share a single cap for one living unit. If a homestead is sold on execution, the owner has 60 days before court confirmation to repurchase it. AS 09.38.010; AS 09.38.115; 8 AAC 95.030; Alaska Court System Judgment Debtor Booklet, CIV-511 (8/26) |
| Arizona | Up to $400,000 of equity in a home the debtor lives in (house, condominium or cooperative, or a mobile or manufactured home and the land under it). Only one homestead per person or married couple. The amount is adjusted every January 1 for inflation, beginning in 2024. The exemption also protects identifiable cash proceeds from the sale of the home for up to 18 months. A.R.S. § 33-1101(A)-(D) |
| Arkansas | Rural homestead: up to 160 acres with improvements, up to $2,500 in value, but never less than 80 acres regardless of value. Urban homestead: up to 1 acre with improvements, up to $2,500 in value, but never less than one-quarter acre regardless of value. A widow's or surviving dependent children's homestead is also protected. Ark. Const. art. 9, §§ 4-6 (as listed in Ark. Code Ann. § 16-66-218(b)(3)-(5)) |
| California | The greater of $300,000 or the countywide median sale price for a single-family home in the prior year, capped at $600,000. Both figures are adjusted every January 1 for inflation (California CPI), beginning in 2022. Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 704.730 |
| Colorado | $250,000 of equity in a home occupied by the owner or the owner's family, or $350,000 if the owner, the owner's spouse or a dependent living there is elderly (60 or older) or disabled. C.R.S. § 38-41-201 |
| Connecticut | $250,000 in equity (fair market value minus liens) in the debtor's homestead. The limit is $75,000 for judgments arising from sexual abuse or exploitation of a minor, sexual assault, or other willful, wanton or reckless misconduct. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-352b(21) |
| Delaware | Outside bankruptcy, Delaware's execution statutes provide no homestead exemption. In a bankruptcy or state insolvency case, a debtor may exempt up to $200,000 of equity in a principal residence (real property or a manufactured home), with some exceptions for certain debts. 10 Del. C. § 4914(c)(1), (e) |
| District of Columbia | The debtor's interest in real property used as the residence of the debtor or a dependent (including a cooperative interest) is exempt, with no dollar cap in the statute. The exemption does not defeat a mortgage, deed of trust, mechanic's lien or tax lien. It applies to a head of family or householder who lives or mainly earns a living in D.C. D.C. Code § 15-501(a)(14) |
| Florida | No dollar limit. A homestead is protected from forced sale based on size: up to 160 contiguous acres outside a city, or up to one-half acre inside a city. The protection does not apply to taxes, the mortgage or other debts to buy or improve the home, or labor performed on it. Fla. Const. art. X, § 4(a)(1) |
| Georgia | Outside bankruptcy, up to $21,500 in real or personal property that is the debtor's primary residence (otherwise $5,000 in any property). In bankruptcy, up to $21,500 in a residence, or $43,000 if title is in one spouse who is a debtor. O.C.G.A. § 44-13-1; § 44-13-100(a)(1) |
| Hawaii | An interest in one parcel of real property in Hawaii worth up to $30,000 (over prior recorded liens) if the owner is head of a family or 65 or older; $20,000 for other owners. Only one exemption per parcel. HRS § 651-92(a) |
| Idaho | Up to $175,000, with no limit on land area. Idaho Code § 55-1003 |
| Illinois | $50,000 in value of the debtor's interest in a home (house, condominium, cooperative or mobile home) they live in. If two or more people own the home, the total exemption is $100,000. 735 ILCS 5/12-901; 735 ILCS 5/2-1402 (citation notice) |
| Indiana | Up to $22,750 in real or personal property used as the personal or family residence of the debtor or a dependent (effective March 1, 2022). Joint debtors who own property as tenants by the entirety may each claim it, and entireties property may be exempt from debts owed by only one spouse. IC 34-55-10-2(c)(1), (c)(5); 750 IAC 1-1-1(c) |
| Iowa | No dollar limit. The homestead is exempt from judicial sale, limited by size: up to one-half acre within a city plat, or up to 40 acres elsewhere. One homestead per household. Iowa Code §§ 561.16, 561.2 |
| Kansas | No dollar limit. A homestead the owner or family lives in is exempt from forced sale up to 160 acres of farmland or 1 acre within a city or town, or a manufactured or mobile home. It is not protected from taxes, the purchase-money debt, or debts for improvements on it. K.S.A. 60-2301 |
| Kentucky | Up to $5,000 in value in real or personal property the debtor or a dependent uses as a permanent residence (or a burial plot). It does not apply against a mortgage or purchase-money debt on the home, or if the debt existed before the property was bought or improved. KRS 427.060 |
| Louisiana | Up to $35,000 in value of an owner-occupied homestead (up to 5 acres in a municipality or 200 acres outside one). The exemption covers the full value of the home when the debt arises directly from a catastrophic or terminal illness or injury. It does not apply to mortgages, the purchase price, taxes, and certain other debts. La. R.S. 20:1; La. Const. art. XII, § 9 |
| Maine | $94,300 in a residence the debtor or a dependent lives in; $188,550 if minor dependents live with the debtor, or if the debtor or a dependent is 60 or older or disabled and unable to work. Joint owners are capped by their fractional share. A debtor's principal residence is fully exempt from attachment and execution for medical debt. 14 M.R.S. § 4422(1); SJC Administrative Order JB-24-02 |
| Maryland | No homestead exemption outside bankruptcy. In bankruptcy only, a debtor may exempt an owner-occupied home up to the federal homestead amount in 11 U.S.C. 522(d)(1) (as adjusted for inflation), unless the debtor or a close relative claimed it on the same property within the past 8 years. Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 11-504(f) |
| Massachusetts | An automatic homestead exemption of $125,000 protects an owner's principal residence without any filing. A larger declared homestead exemption, created by recording a written homestead declaration at the registry of deeds, is $1,000,000 under the current statute text. It does not protect against taxes, earlier liens, mortgages or support orders. Renters may instead protect up to $2,500 a month needed for rent. M.G.L. c. 188, §§ 1, 3; c. 235, § 34 (Fourteenth) |
| Michigan | Outside bankruptcy, only $3,500 in value of a homestead (up to 40 acres, or one lot in a city or village) is exempt from execution. In bankruptcy, the Michigan homestead exemption is $51,150, or $76,725 if the debtor or a dependent is 65 or older or disabled, for cases filed on or after April 1, 2026. Property owned by a married couple as tenants by the entirety is exempt from a judgment against only one spouse. MCL 600.6023(1)(g); MCL 600.6023a; MCL 600.5451(1)(m); Treasury notice Jan. 30, 2026 |
| Minnesota | $540,000 for a homestead (up to 160 acres), or $1,350,000 if used primarily for agriculture, effective July 1, 2026. Minn. Stat. § 510.02; Department of Commerce adjustment under § 550.37, subd. 4a |
| Mississippi | Up to $75,000 in equity (value minus mortgages, taxes and other liens) in land and buildings owned and lived in as a residence by a householder, up to 160 acres. A mobile home used as a primary residence can instead be exempt up to $30,000 in equity. Miss. Code Ann. § 85-3-21; § 85-3-1(d) |
| Missouri | $15,000 in a dwelling and land used as a homestead, through December 31, 2026. Starting January 1, 2027, the homestead exemption rises to $40,000. Co-owners share one exemption. RSMo 513.475 (as amended by 2026 H.B. 1870 / S.B. 835 & 1111) |
| Montana | The homestead value limit was $350,000 in 2021 and increases by 4% every calendar year after 2021; the Department of Revenue sets the current figure by administrative rule. Co-owners are limited to their proportional share. Mont. Code Ann. § 70-32-104 |
| Nebraska | Up to $120,000 in value for the home the debtor lives in, with up to 160 acres outside a city or village, or up to two lots inside one. It protects against judgment liens and forced sale, with exceptions listed in the homestead statutes. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 40-101 |
| Nevada | Up to $605,000 in equity in a homestead. The exemption does not apply to debts for the purchase price or improvements, mortgages, or taxes. It covers all equity if allodial title has been established. NRS 115.010; NRS 21.090(1)(l)-(m) |
| New Hampshire | $400,000 in a homestead used as the primary residence for the previous 12 months; up to $550,000 total when claimed by more than one person (such as a married couple). It includes manufactured housing, cooperatives and condominiums used as a home. RSA 480:1 |
| New Mexico | $150,000 in the person's primary residence, or $300,000 if the person's spouse died within the past two years and could have claimed it. NMSA 1978, § 42-10-9 |
| New York | Depends on the county: $204,825 in Kings, Queens, New York, Bronx, Richmond, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Westchester and Putnam; $170,700 in Dutchess, Albany, Columbia, Orange, Saratoga and Ulster; $102,400 in all other counties (amounts effective April 1, 2024). N.Y. CPLR 5206(a); NYDFS adjustment effective April 1, 2024 |
| North Carolina | Up to $35,000 in a residence (or burial plot) used by the debtor or a dependent. An unmarried debtor 65 or older may protect up to $60,000 if the home was previously owned with a now-deceased spouse or joint owner with survivorship rights. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1C-1601(a)(1) |
| North Dakota | $150,000 in value over liens and encumbrances, covering the land the owner lives on and the dwelling. A resident who does not claim the homestead may instead claim up to $25,000 in lieu of the homestead exemption. N.D.C.C. 47-18-01; 28-22-02(7); 28-22-03.1(1) |
| Ohio | $182,625 in one parcel or item of real or personal property that the debtor or a dependent uses as a residence, for April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2028. Ohio Rev. Code 2329.66(A)(1)(b), (B); Ohio Judicial Conference adjustment table |
| Oklahoma | No dollar cap on a principal residence used only as a home: up to 1 acre inside a city or town, or up to 160 acres outside a city or town. If more than 25% of the home's square footage is used for business, the exemption is limited to $5,000. 31 O.S. 1(A)(1); 31 O.S. 2 |
| Oregon | $158,300 for one judgment debtor, or $316,700 combined for two or more debtors in the same household, for garnishments issued or in effect from July 1, 2026 to before July 1, 2027. The home must be the actual residence of the owner or the owner's spouse, parent or child. For child support, spousal support or restitution debts the exemption remains $40,000 ($50,000 combined). ORS 18.395(1); Oregon Judicial Department, Homestead Exemption Annual Adjustment table |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania's list of exemptions from execution does not include a homestead exemption. The $300 general exemption may be applied to any property, including real estate. Pa.R.C.P. 3123.1, Official Note (list of Pennsylvania exemptions); 42 Pa.C.S. 8123(a) |
| Rhode Island | $500,000 in a home (land and buildings, or personal property used as a residence) occupied or intended as the principal residence. It applies automatically without filing, but not to debts contracted before the homestead was acquired, the purchase-money mortgage, taxes and certain other liens, or debts owed to banks and other institutions regulated under Title 19. Since January 1, 2026, no attachment may be filed against a principal residence for a judgment based on medical debt. R.I. Gen. Laws 9-26-4.1; 10-5-2(a) (eff. Jan. 1, 2026) |
| South Carolina | Up to $76,125 in a residence used by the debtor or a dependent (up to $152,250 total for multiple owners of one home), as adjusted effective July 1, 2024. The statute's base amounts are $50,000 and $100,000. S.C. Code 15-41-30(A)(1), (B); U.S. Bankruptcy Court D.S.C. notice of July 1, 2024 adjustment |
| South Dakota | The homestead (one dwelling and appurtenant buildings, up to 1 acre in a town plat or 160 acres outside) is absolutely exempt with no general dollar cap. If the homestead is sold, up to $100,000 of the proceeds stays exempt for one year. For an owner 70 or older (or the unremarried surviving spouse), the exemption is limited to $170,000. SDCL 43-31-1, 43-31-2, 43-31-4; 43-45-3 |
| Tennessee | Up to $35,000 in real property used as the principal residence of the debtor, spouse or dependent; joint owners together up to $52,500. The exemption does not apply against property taxes, purchase-money debt for the home, or a debt secured by the home where the exemption was waived in writing. T.C.A. 26-2-301(a), (c) |
| Texas | No dollar limit. The homestead is exempt from creditors' claims (except purchase money, property taxes, certain improvement contracts and other permitted liens). Area limits: up to 10 acres for an urban home; up to 200 acres for a rural family home or 100 acres for a single adult. Tex. Prop. Code 41.001, 41.002 |
| Utah | For 2026: up to $53,700 in a primary personal residence (dwelling or mobile home with up to 1 acre), or $6,400 for other real property; jointly owned property is capped at $107,500 per household for a primary residence ($12,800 otherwise). Amounts are inflation-adjusted every January by the State Auditor. Utah Code 78B-5-503(2); Office of the State Auditor, Homestead Exemption 2026 |
| Vermont | $125,000 in value for a homestead (dwelling house, outbuildings and the land used with them) owned and used by the debtor as a homestead. 27 V.S.A. 101 |
| Virginia | Up to $50,000 in real or personal property used as the principal residence of the householder or dependents, in addition to the $5,000 ($10,000 if 65 or older) wildcard and $500 per dependent. Va. Code 34-4 |
| Washington | The greater of $125,000 or the county median sale price of a single-family home in the preceding calendar year (using Washington Center for Real Estate Research data). RCW 6.13.030 |
| West Virginia | Outside bankruptcy, a head of household who owns a homestead has a $5,000 homestead exemption. In bankruptcy, a debtor may exempt up to $35,000 in a residence. W. Va. Code 38-9-1; 38-10-4(a) |
| Wisconsin | $75,000 in a homestead occupied by the owner; each spouse may claim up to $75,000 in a jointly owned homestead. Sale proceeds stay exempt up to $75,000 for 2 years if held to buy another home. Wis. Stat. 815.20(1) |
| Wyoming | $100,000 in value for a homestead occupied by the owner or the owner's family (a house and land, or a mobile home). When two or more people jointly own and live in the home, each is entitled to the exemption. Wyo. Stat. 1-20-101, 1-20-102, 1-20-104 |
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.