58 Texas DPA programs
The calculator runs on a structured Texas assistance database covering statewide TDHCA and TSAHC options alongside regional and municipal programs.
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Texas Down Payment Assistance Calculator
Find Texas down payment assistance programs—from statewide TDHCA and TSAHC options to local city and county funds—that may help cover your down payment or closing costs based on county, income, buyer status, and loan type.
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Texas DPA Finder
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How the Texas DPA calculator works
A Texas DPA calculator with a verified database behind it.
Most down payment assistance pages are broad articles, stale lists, or simple lead forms. When you pick a Texas county and enter your household size, income, credit tier, and purchase price, this Texas DPA calculator checks statewide TDHCA and TSAHC programs alongside city, county, and regional housing finance corporation programs that serve that specific county.
Database size
58
Texas assistance programs mapped into calculator-ready records.
Statewide TDHCA, TSAHC, SETH, and VLB options plus city and county programs are modeled so the tool can rank realistic matches instead of dumping an unfiltered list.
What a good Texas DPA calculator accounts for
County & household income limits
Purchase price caps & waivers
First-time buyer & veteran rules
Credit minimums & loan types
Forgivable vs. repayable seconds
Education & stacking rules
When a local program is paused, restricted, or missing verified guidelines, the calculator does not guess. It flags the program for manual review with a participating lender so your results stay accurate without overstating eligibility.
County, city, and statewide coverage
Pick a Texas county and enter your household and purchase details to see statewide TDHCA and TSAHC options plus city and county programs that serve that area.
Forgivable vs. repayable seconds
Records distinguish between outright grants, 3-year or 5- to 20-year forgivable second liens, 30-year deferred repayable seconds, and Mortgage Credit Certificates.
Real-time status & confidence
When a local program is paused (like Houston HAP), restricted (like Harris County DAP), or has unconfirmed funding (like San Antonio HIP), the tool flags it clearly.
What this calculator checks
What a Texas down payment assistance calculator has to account for.
Comparing down payment assistance in Texas requires more than picking a county. Statewide programs from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) and the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC) use different rules than city or county HOME and CDBG programs.
First, eligibility depends on whether you are a first-time home buyer (no primary residence ownership in the past 3 years). Programs like TDHCA's My First Texas Home, TXMCC, and TSAHC Bond DPA require first-time status, though they waive that rule for qualified veterans and buyers purchasing in IRS Qualified Targeted Census Tracts. By contrast, TDHCA's My Choice Texas Home, TSAHC's Non-Bond DPA, SETH 5 Star Texas Advantage, and Travis County's Hill Country Home DPA allow repeat buyers.
Second, the calculator weighs credit minimums, loan types, and second-lien structures. Buyers often compare FHA loan options and VA loans in Texas with HFA conventional mortgages (Fannie Mae HFA Preferred and Freddie Mac HFA Advantage). Minimum middle credit scores are typically 620 for TDHCA and TSAHC government loans, 640 for TSAHC conventional and SETH 5 Star loans, and 580 for select local programs like NHSSA in San Antonio or Harris County DAP. Every statewide and local program also requires a pre-purchase, HUD-certified homebuyer education course before closing.
- Income limits by county & household size
- Purchase price caps & targeted area rules
- First-time buyer rules & veteran exemptions
- Credit score minimums (580, 620, or 640+)
- Forgivable vs. 30-year deferred repayable seconds
- HUD-approved homebuyer education & stacking rules
Income and purchase price limits
TDHCA My First Texas Home and MCC limits vary by county, targeted tract status, and whether your household has 1–2 people or 3+ people (for example, $104,000 to $119,600 in Harris County non-targeted areas, or $134,400 to $154,560 in Travis County, with purchase price caps from $566,354 to $598,019). Meanwhile, TDHCA My Choice Texas Home and TSAHC Non-Bond DPA have no purchase price cap at all, and local city programs usually cap income at 80% AMI by household size.
Review Texas income & price limitsForgivable vs. repayable & stacking rules
Statewide assistance typically ranges from 2% to 5% of the loan amount as a 0% interest 3-year forgivable second lien, a 30-year deferred repayable second lien (due on sale, refinance, or payoff), or a TSAHC government-loan grant. Some options can be stacked: a 15% Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) can pair with TDHCA My First Texas Home or TSAHC Non-Bond DPA, and TDHCA loans can layer extra gift funds in select areas ($7,500 or $2,500 via Capital Area HFC, $5,000 in McKinney, or $1,000 in eligible parts of Harris County).
Compare Texas home loan optionsParticipating lender & funding checks
Buyers apply for TDHCA, TSAHC, and city DPA programs through an approved participating lender, and program rates and available DPA tiers are set daily. Because local funding can pause or exhaust without warning, our team helps you check eligibility, compare options, and get connected to verify current funds.
Check your home purchase eligibilityNotable local programs & county breakdown
Texas down payment assistance by county and city
County counts below include statewide programs (TDHCA, TSAHC, SETH, and VLB) plus local city, county, and regional programs in our database. Because municipal funding opens and pauses throughout the year, knowing the real status of major local programs is just as important as knowing the dollar amounts.
In the Houston metro, the City of Houston Homebuyer Assistance Program (HAP) (up to $75,000 as a 0% forgivable loan over 5 or 8 years for buyers at or below 80% AMI) is currently paused because funds are exhausted, though Houston's Affordable Home Development Program (AHDP) remains open in designated new-build developments up to 120% AMI. Meanwhile, the Harris County Down Payment Assistance Program (up to $40,000 in unincorporated Harris County) is currently restricted to households affected by Hurricane Beryl or the May 2024 derecho.
In North and Central Texas, the Dallas Homebuyer Assistance Program (DHAP) — now administered by BCL of Texas — is open for Readiness Checks, offering up to $60,000 in High Opportunity Areas and $50,000 elsewhere in Dallas city limits (0% deferred second lien forgiven over 5, 10, or 15 years at or below 80% AMI, with a $342,000 price cap), alongside a $50,000 Anti-Displacement track for 10-year Dallas residents up to 120% AMI. In Tarrant County, Fort Worth HAP offers up to $25,000 (forgiven over 5 years up to $14,999, or 10 years up to $25,000, 620+ credit score), while the Tarrant County Homebuyer Assistance Program (via Housing Channel) offers up to $50,000 forgiven over 10 to 20 years outside Fort Worth, Arlington, and Grand Prairie. Read our guides to Austin down payment assistance (City of Austin DPA up to $40,000 forgiven over 5 or 10 years under a $440,000 price cap, plus Travis County HFC's Hill Country Home 4%–6% 10-year forgivable second up to $138,460 income) and San Antonio homebuyer assistance programs (where City of San Antonio HIP 80 up to $30,000 and HIP 120 up to $15,000 had an FY2026 funding pause and current FY2027 intake status is unconfirmed, while NHSSA offers up to $12,000 in Bexar and surrounding counties).
Dallas19
Collin16
Harris16
Denton15
Bexar14
Comal14
Medina14
Tarrant14
Kaufman13
Rockwall13
Travis13
Hays12
Why county and city boundaries matter for Texas DPA
City and county programs in Texas are strictly tied to tax and municipal boundaries. For example, City of Austin DPA requires a home inside Austin's full-purpose city limits, Tarrant County HAP excludes homes inside Fort Worth, Arlington, and Grand Prairie city limits, and SETH 5 Star works across Texas except inside the city limits of El Paso, McKinney, and Grand Prairie.
The calculator starts with your Texas county because county sets both your TDHCA and TSAHC income caps and your regional program pool. Adding your target city surfaces municipal second liens and flags programs where address-level verification or current funding confirmation is needed before you make an offer.
Major statewide & regional Texas DPA programs
The calculator checks TDHCA, TSAHC, and local assistance together.
Texas buyers often hear about one state program and assume it is their only option. In reality, TDHCA's My First Texas Home and My Choice Texas Home, TSAHC's Homes for Texas Heroes and Home Sweet Texas, the 15% Mortgage Credit Certificate, SETH 5 Star, and the Texas Veterans Land Board all work differently depending on your profession, income, first-time buyer status, and loan type.
Statewide (Texas)
My First Texas Home (MFTH)
2%–5% of the total loan amount
TDHCA's first-time homebuyer program pairs a 30-year fixed FHA, VA, or USDA first mortgage with 2% to 5% of the loan amount as a 0% second lien for down payment and closing costs. Qualified veterans and buyers in targeted census tracts are exempt from the first-time buyer rule.
Statewide (Texas)
My Choice Texas Home (MCTH)
2%–5% of the total loan amount
TDHCA's program for first-time and repeat buyers offers 2% to 5% of the loan amount as a 0% second lien with an FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie Mae HFA Preferred, or Freddie Mac HFA Advantage first mortgage. It has income limits but no purchase price limit.
Statewide (Texas)
Homes for Texas Heroes
2%–5% of the total loan amount
TSAHC's program for full-time teachers, first responders, corrections officers, nursing and allied health faculty, and veterans offers 2% to 5% of the loan amount as a grant or second lien. Heroes buyers get higher Non-Bond income limits than Home Sweet Texas and a waived MCC issuance fee.
Statewide (Texas)
Home Sweet Texas Home Loan Program
2%–5% of the total loan amount
TSAHC's program for low- and moderate-income buyers in any profession offers 2% to 5% of the loan amount as a grant, a 3-year forgivable second lien, or a Bond 30-year deferred second lien with a 30-year fixed first mortgage. First-time buyer status is not required for the Non-Bond option.
TSAHC Homes for Texas Heroes & Home Sweet Texas
TSAHC offers 2% to 5% in down payment assistance as an outright grant (on FHA, VA, and USDA loans) or a 3-year deferred forgivable second lien (on government and HFA conventional loans), plus a 4%–5% 30-year repayable Bond option. Homes for Texas Heroes serves full-time Texas public K-12 classroom teachers, teacher aides, school librarians, school counselors, school nurses, firefighters, EMS personnel, peace officers, corrections and juvenile corrections officers, county jailers, public security officers, nursing and allied health faculty, and veterans (including free MCC issuance when paired with Non-Bond DPA). Home Sweet Texas offers the same 2%–5% DPA structures to low- and moderate-income buyers of any profession.
TDHCA My First & My Choice Texas Home + TXMCC
TDHCA's My First Texas Home pairs FHA, VA, or USDA 30-year fixed loans with 2% to 5% in 0% second-lien DPA (structured as a 30-year deferred repayable lien or, when combined with an MCC, a 3-year forgivable lien, subject to daily rate notice availability) for first-time buyers, veterans, and targeted-tract buyers with a 620+ credit score. My Choice Texas Home is open to repeat buyers, includes conventional HFA loans, has no purchase price limit, and offers 2%–5% in 3-year forgivable or 30-year deferred DPA. Eligible first-time buyers and veterans can also claim a 15% federal tax credit on annual mortgage interest via the Texas Mortgage Credit Certificate (TXMCC).
Learn about My First Texas HomeTexas DPA Calculator FAQs & Specialty Options
How much DPA can I get in Texas? Statewide TDHCA, TSAHC, and SETH 5 Star programs provide 2% to 5% of the loan amount, while active city and county programs range from $7,500 in Grand Prairie or Abilene to $20,000 in El Paso (Mi Casa Grant), $25,000 in Fort Worth, $40,000 in Austin, and $50,000 to $60,000 in Dallas (DHAP) and Tarrant County. Do I have to repay it? TSAHC grants and local grants require no repayment, and forgivable second liens are forgiven after 3 years (TDHCA, TSAHC, SETH) or 5 to 20 years (city/county programs) if you live in the home and don't sell or refinance early; 30-year deferred liens are repaid on sale, refinance, or payoff. What about Texas veterans? Beyond VA loans and first-time buyer waivers, qualifying Texas military buyers can use the Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB) VHAP home loan up to $832,750, with a discounted interest rate for veterans with a 30%+ service-connected disability.
See all requirements to buy a house in TexasTexas DPA Calculator Questions
The calculator is built to narrow your Texas options, not replace participating lender or program administrator review.
Talk to an ExpertNo. The calculator shows programs that may be worth checking based on your county, buyer profile, and loan scenario. Final eligibility depends on current published income limits, purchase price limits, funding availability, participating lender approval, and program administrator review.
It uses the site's Texas down payment assistance database, including program geography, assistance structure, buyer requirements, loan compatibility, source quality, and calculator-readiness notes.
Some statewide options, such as TDHCA's My First Texas Home, require first-time buyer status (no primary residence ownership in the last three years, with exceptions for qualified veterans and targeted census tracts). Other options, including TDHCA's My Choice Texas Home and TSAHC's Non-Bond DPA under Home Sweet Texas and Homes for Texas Heroes, are open to repeat buyers as well.
Yes. Statewide programs from TDHCA and TSAHC, along with many Texas city and county programs, allow funds to go toward your down payment, closing costs, or both. The exact rules depend on the program, participating lender, and first mortgage type.
Manual review means the program may be relevant to your county or city, but current funding status, city boundary rules, income limits, purchase price limits, or source details need to be verified with the program or a participating lender before relying on the result.
Sometimes. For example, TDHCA notes certain local Housing Finance Corporation gift funds that can stack with eligible TDHCA loans while funding lasts, and TSAHC allows layering approved subsidies that meet agency and servicer guidelines. A participating lender must confirm which combinations work for your exact loan.
Statewide programs from TDHCA and TSAHC generally provide 2% to 5% of the total loan amount as a grant, a 3-year deferred forgivable second lien, or a 30-year deferred repayable second lien, depending on the program and daily availability. Local city and county programs across Texas vary widely in dollar limits and forgiveness rules.
Yes. The calculator checks statewide, regional, county, city, and profession-based Texas assistance programs where the database supports matching. Because many municipal programs require buying inside specific city limits or unincorporated areas, address-level verification is still needed.
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