Texas Homebuyer Income & Purchase Price Limits (2026)

Trying to figure out if you earn too much for Texas down payment assistance is frustrating when two different state agencies publish multiple sets of rules for the exact same county.

This guide breaks down the current 2026 Texas homebuyer income limits and purchase price caps for both the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) and the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC).

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You will see the exact county lookup tables, learn whose paychecks actually get counted on your application, and find out which program fits your income and target home price.

Start here: how Texas income and price limits work

Before you look up your county in the tables below, confirm four details about your purchase. A small change in how your loan is structured can shift your maximum income by tens of thousands of dollars.

1. Property county: Always use the county where the home you are buying is located, not the county where you currently rent or work.
2. Agency and program: Texas runs statewide assistance through two separate agencies—TDHCA and TSAHC—and each offers bond and non-bond options with different caps. You can compare the full lineup in our Texas First-Time Homebuyer Grants & Programs (2026) guide.
3. Household size: TDHCA My First Texas Home and Mortgage Credit Certificates (MCCs) split limits between households of 1 to 2 people and households of 3 or more. TDHCA My Choice Texas Home government loans and TSAHC Non-Bond DPA or No DPA use a single limit regardless of family size.
4. Targeted area status: Specific census tracts qualify for higher income and purchase price limits and waive the first-time buyer rule, but the exact property address must be verified.

Because income and purchase price limits are updated yearly, treat the figures below as the current published numbers as of October 2026 and confirm your exact scenario with a participating lender before making an offer.

Which program table should you check?

The fastest way to avoid checking the wrong column is to match your situation to the program rules. TDHCA's current limits took effect July 13, 2026 (with its Lender Guide effective August 26, 2026). TSAHC's current program guidelines were revised September 9, 2026, and its online County Income Limits tool does not state an effective date.

Whose income counts: household income vs qualifying income

One of the biggest surprises for Texas buyers is that two programs can look at the exact same family and calculate two completely different incomes.

TDHCA income counting rules

In TDHCA's My First Texas Home (MFTH) and Texas Mortgage Credit Certificate (TXMCC) programs, the lender must count household income. According to the TDHCA Lender Guide, this includes all borrowers on the loan, any non-purchasing spouse, and anyone else who will both live in the home and be liable on the Deed of Trust. Co-signers who do not live in the home and are not on title are not counted in household size or income.

In TDHCA's My Choice Texas Home (MCTH) program, only the income of the borrowers listed on the loan application (Form 1003) counts toward the program limit. A non-purchasing spouse's income is excluded. If you use a non-occupying co-signer on MCTH, their income counts toward the limit only on conventional loans, not on FHA loans in Texas, VA loans in Texas, or USDA loans.

TSAHC income counting rules

TSAHC splits its rules based on which option you use:

• Non-Bond DPA or No DPA (without an MCC): Only the mortgagors' qualifying income from the Form 1003 loan application is counted. A non-purchasing spouse's income is not included.
• Bond DPA or any loan paired with an MCC: Total household income of everyone on the Deed of Trust is counted, including a non-purchasing spouse.
• Co-signers: Allowed on all loan types if they do not sign the Deed of Trust or take ownership, and their income counts toward the program cap on conventional loans only.

That difference matters in real life. If you earn $115,000 and your spouse earns $50,000, your combined $165,000 household income would put a two-person household over the non-targeted My First Texas Home cap in Harris County ($104,000). However, if you apply in your name alone using My Choice Texas Home or TSAHC Non-Bond DPA, the lender only looks at your $115,000 qualifying income—keeping you under the Harris County government-loan limits for both ($176,800 for My Choice Texas Home and $156,000 for Home Sweet Texas).

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TDHCA 2026 income and purchase price limits by county

TDHCA groups Texas counties by HUD metropolitan areas, and any county not individually listed uses the Balance of State figures. All TDHCA limits below took effect July 13, 2026.

My First Texas Home (MFTH) and TXMCC limits (1-unit)

Under My First Texas Home and the TXMCC, non-targeted income limits are set at 100% of Area Median Family Income (AMFI) for 1 to 2 person households and 115% AMFI for 3 or more persons. Targeted census tracts allow 120% AMFI for 1 to 2 persons and 140% AMFI for 3 or more persons.

Note: Targeted figures apply only when the home is located inside a TDHCA-verified Qualified Targeted Census Tract.

TDHCA 2-unit (duplex) purchase price limits

TDHCA also allows duplexes under MFTH and MCTH if you occupy one unit as your primary residence and the property has been residential for at least 5 years (that 5-year rule is waived in targeted tracts). Effective July 13, 2026, the MFTH/MCC 2-unit purchase price limits are:

• Balance of State and Houston HMFA: $725,146 non-targeted / $886,289 targeted
• Dallas HMFA and Fort Worth-Arlington HMFA: $754,809 non-targeted / $922,544 targeted
• San Antonio MSA: $747,066 non-targeted / $913,081 targeted
• Austin-Round Rock MSA: $765,585 non-targeted / $935,716 targeted

My Choice Texas Home (MCTH) income limits

If your income or home price exceeds the My First Texas Home caps—or if you have owned a home in the last three years—check My Choice Texas Home. MCTH has no purchase price limit, and household size does not change the cap.

For government loans (FHA, VA, and USDA), the limit is set at 170% AMFI. For conventional loans (Fannie Mae HFA Preferred and Freddie Mac HFA Advantage), TDHCA publishes two income tiers: one for borrowers at or below 80% Area Median Income (AMI) and one for borrowers above 80% AMI.

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TSAHC 2026 income and purchase price limits by county

TSAHC runs two statewide programs: Home Sweet Texas (for low- and moderate-income buyers who meet the county income cap, with no profession requirement) and Homes for Texas Heroes (for full-time public K-12 teachers, teacher aides, school librarians, school counselors, school nurses, peace officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, county jailers, TDCJ/TJJD corrections officers, public security officers, nursing and allied health faculty, and qualifying veterans, including certain active-duty service members stationed in Texas). You can review the exact job rules in our Homes for Texas Heroes Eligible Professions guide and dive deeper into the Heroes numbers in Homes for Texas Heroes Income Limits.

The figures below come directly from TSAHC's County Income Limits tool (accessed October 26, 2026, rounded to the nearest dollar). The tool does not state an effective date, so confirm current figures with a participating lender.

TSAHC Table A: Non-targeted areas without an MCC

When you use TSAHC's Non-Bond DPA (a 2% to 5% grant on government loans or a 2% to 5% 3-year deferred forgivable second lien on government or conventional loans) or the No DPA option without an MCC:

• Household size does not matter—a single buyer gets the same limit as a family of five.
• No purchase price limit applies.
• Homes for Texas Heroes gives you a higher income ceiling than Home Sweet Texas on government loans and conventional loans above 80% AMFI.

If you use Bond DPA (a 4% or 5% 30-year deferred repayable second lien, when available, on FHA, VA, or USDA loans for first-time buyers at or below 80% AMFI, with the first-time rule waived in Targeted Areas and for qualified veterans), both a lower income limit and a purchase price cap apply.

TSAHC Table B: Loans paired with a TSAHC MCC

TSAHC's Mortgage Credit Certificate provides a federal tax credit equal to 15% of the annual mortgage interest paid, with no $2,000 annual cap. It can be combined with Non-Bond DPA or No DPA (and the $400 issuance fee is waived for Heroes borrowers using Non-Bond DPA plus an MCC).

Adding an MCC switches your file to household-size income limits (100% AMFI for 1 to 2 people and 115% AMFI for 3 or more in non-targeted areas) and adds a purchase price limit. Both Home Sweet Texas and Homes for Texas Heroes share the exact same MCC limits below.

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What are Targeted Areas and how do they help you?

Targeted Areas are specific census tracts designated under federal IRS rules (such as IRS Revenue Procedure 2024-08 for TDHCA) as Qualified Census Tracts or areas of chronic economic distress.

Buying a home located inside a verified targeted census tract unlocks three major advantages on bond and MCC programs:

• Higher income limits: In Harris County under MFTH or an MCC, a 3-person household's income limit jumps from $119,600 (non-targeted) to $145,600 (targeted).
• Higher purchase price limits: In Dallas, Collin, Denton, and Tarrant counties, the 1-unit maximum purchase price rises from $589,596 to $720,617 under TDHCA (or $720,618 under TSAHC).
• No first-time buyer requirement: Even if you currently own a home, the 3-year first-time buyer rule is waived when you purchase in a targeted tract (and for TDHCA, the Texas Residency Affidavit rule is also waived).

Never guess whether a home is in a targeted area based on the neighborhood or zip code. Have a participating lender check the exact property address against TDHCA's or TSAHC's official tract list before you rely on targeted numbers.

How to tell which Texas program fits your income

When you line up both agencies side by side, a clear roadmap emerges based on your income, your job, and the price of the home you want to buy. Beyond income limits, you will also need to meet standard credit and debt-to-income rules—minimum credit scores start at 620 for both TDHCA and TSAHC government loans (640 for TSAHC conventional loans), which we cover in detail in Requirements to Buy a House in Texas.

Use these four scenarios to pinpoint your best fit:

• Scenario 1: You are a first-time buyer (or veteran) within the 100%–115% AMFI bond limits and buying under the price cap. You can compare TDHCA My First Texas Home (which offers a 0% second lien for 2% to 5% of the loan amount and can be paired with an MCC in a Combo structure) against TSAHC Non-Bond DPA + MCC. Both let you stack down payment help with the 15% federal mortgage interest tax credit.
• Scenario 2: Your household income is above the MFTH/MCC cap but within the Home Sweet Texas county limit. Check TSAHC Home Sweet Texas (Non-Bond DPA) and TDHCA My Choice Texas Home. Neither caps the home's purchase price (when used without an MCC), neither requires you to be a first-time buyer, and both only count the income of the borrowers on the Form 1003 loan application.
• Scenario 3: Your income is above the Home Sweet Texas limit. If you work full-time as an eligible teacher, peace officer, firefighter, EMS worker, corrections officer, school nurse, nursing/allied health faculty member, or qualifying veteran, TSAHC Homes for Texas Heroes (Non-Bond DPA) offers a higher county limit. If you are not in a Heroes profession, TDHCA My Choice Texas Home (with government loans at 170% AMFI or the conventional above-80% AMI tier) reaches up to $176,800–$178,670 in Houston, $199,750–$205,870 in Dallas, and $228,480 in Austin.
• Scenario 4: Your income is at or below 80% AMFI. Ask a participating lender to compare conventional HFA loans (Fannie Mae HFA Preferred or Freddie Mac HFA Advantage) in the 80% AMI tier under both MCTH and TSAHC, as well as TSAHC Bond DPA, which provides a 4% or 5% 30-year deferred repayable second lien on FHA, VA, or USDA loans for first-time buyers (or qualifying exemptions) when bond funding is available.

Keep in mind that program interest rates are set daily (a participating lender can quote today's rate), and specific down payment assistance tiers are subject to funding availability.

Next steps to verify your eligibility

Checking the county table is a great first step, but the way a lender calculates qualifying mortgage income—factoring in base pay, overtime averages, bonuses, or excluding a non-purchasing spouse—often differs from the gross number on your W-2.

Buyers apply for TDHCA and TSAHC programs through a participating lender. Our team at Make Texas Your Home (run by Next Wave Mortgage) helps you check your income and purchase price eligibility, compare your TDHCA and TSAHC options side by side, and get connected with a participating lender who can quote today's program rates and reserve your assistance.

Check Your Texas Home Purchase Eligibility