TDHCA Income Limits 2026

TDHCA’s income limits table is a dense, multi-page PDF, and it’s written for lenders, not for you. Two programs, a tax credit, targeted tracts, conventional tiers, and a page of county footnotes. It’s no surprise buyers skim it, guess wrong, and walk away. But the rules underneath are fairly simple once you know which program you’re looking at. This guide breaks down the current TDHCA income limits for My First Texas Home, the Mortgage Credit Certificate, and My Choice Texas Home, with the figures for the major Texas metros.

What Buyers Often Get Wrong About TDHCA Income Limits

• “There’s one TDHCA income limit.” There are really two sets. My First Texas Home uses a lower, household-size-based limit, while My Choice Texas Home runs up to 170% of area median. In the Dallas area, that’s the difference between $121,100 and $205,870 for a couple.
• “If I’m over the My First Texas Home limit, TDHCA is out.” Not if you look at My Choice Texas Home. It has a higher limit, no first-time buyer rule, and no purchase price limit, according to TDHCA’s limits table.
• “Only my income counts.” That depends on the program. My First Texas Home counts everyone who signs the deed of trust, including a spouse who isn’t on the loan. My Choice Texas Home uses the qualifying income on your loan application.

Knowing which program’s limit to check first can save you from ruling yourself out too early.

My First Texas Home and MCC Income Limits

My First Texas Home and the Texas Mortgage Credit Certificate share one table. The limit depends on your household size and whether the home is in a targeted area, and a purchase price limit applies. These figures are from TDHCA’s combined income and purchase price limits table, effective July 13, 2026:

For the 2026 purchase price limits by area, and when they apply, see our Texas purchase price limits guide.

A handful of smaller counties have their own rows in the table, so if your county isn’t listed above, check the PDF before assuming the balance-of-state figures apply. The Mortgage Credit Certificate uses these same limits, whether you pair it with a TDHCA loan or get it on its own.

Targeted Area Limits

Targeted areas are census tracts TDHCA identifies as areas of economic distress, marked with an asterisk in the limits table. Buying in one raises the income limit to 120% of AMFI for 1-2 people and 140% for 3 or more, and raises the purchase price limit. It can also waive the first-time buyer rule, according to the My First Texas Home program matrix.

My Choice Texas Home Income Limits

My Choice Texas Home has no first-time buyer requirement and no purchase price limit. Its limits depend on your loan type, not your household size:

• FHA, VA, and USDA loans: up to 170% of AMFI, at any household size.
• Conventional loans (Fannie Mae HFA Preferred or Freddie Mac HFA Advantage): two tiers. The “80% and below” tier covers lower incomes, and the “over 80%” tier runs up to 170% of the Fannie Mae area median. The higher figure is your ceiling on a conventional loan.

Notice that the government and conventional ceilings don’t always match. In the Dallas area, an FHA loan allows a bit more income than a conventional loan. In Midland County, it’s the other way around. If you’re close to a limit, ask your lender to check both loan types. The My Choice Texas Home guide covers the rest of the program’s rules.

How TDHCA Counts Your Income

The two programs measure income differently, and it can change your answer:

The non-purchasing spouse rule is the one that catches people. If you’re buying alone but your spouse will sign the deed of trust, their income counts toward the My First Texas Home limit even though they aren’t on the loan. What to do: Before you apply, add up the income of everyone who will sign, and compare it to the right column for your household size.

What Changed in TDHCA’s 2026 Limits

TDHCA’s limits follow HUD’s area median incomes, and the new table took effect July 13, 2026. Unlike TSAHC, which raised the percentages behind its limits this year, TDHCA’s percentages stayed the same, so most areas saw modest increases. The Dallas-area My First Texas Home limit for 1-2 people rose from $117,300 to $121,100, and the balance-of-state limit from $98,800 to $101,500. A few areas, including Kendall and Midland counties, went slightly down. Our article on the 2026 Texas income limit increase compares both agencies side by side.

TDHCA vs. TSAHC Income Limits

Texas’s other state agency, TSAHC, now allows 150% of AMFI for Home Sweet Texas and 170% for Homes for Texas Heroes, at any household size. That’s often higher than the My First Texas Home limit, and about the same as My Choice Texas Home. See the county figures on our TSAHC income limits page, and our TSAHC vs. TDHCA comparison for the other differences. Rates matter too, so compare TDHCA’s current rates with TSAHC’s.

How to Check Your TDHCA Eligibility

1. Pick the program to check first. First-time buyers usually start with My First Texas Home. Repeat buyers, or anyone over its limit, can go straight to My Choice Texas Home.
2. Find your area. Use the tables above or the full TDHCA limits PDF.
3. Count the right income. For My First Texas Home, include everyone who will sign the deed of trust.
4. Talk to a participating lender. Only lenders on TDHCA’s participating lender list can confirm your eligibility and originate the loan.

If you’d rather not work through the tables alone, you can see what you may qualify for and get connected with a licensed mortgage professional in our Texas partner network. Our overview of TDHCA’s homebuyer programs is a good next read.

TDHCA’s limits look intimidating because two programs share one PDF. Once you know which program you’re checking and whose income counts, most buyers can find their number in a couple of minutes. And if the first program doesn’t fit, the second one often does.

TDHCA Income Limits: Frequently Asked Questions

TDHCA income limits: frequently asked questions

† ShopDPA is The Texas Down Payment Assistance Marketplace, a home loan and down payment assistance referral service. We are not a mortgage lender, mortgage broker, or loan officer, and we do not originate, fund, or service loans. We connect Texas homebuyers with licensed mortgage professionals and with down payment assistance programs. We are not affiliated with TDHCA, TSAHC, HUD, the IRS, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or any government agency. Income limits, purchase price limits, program terms, and eligibility are set by TDHCA and change periodically; figures on this page are based on TDHCA’s published limits table effective July 13, 2026 and may lag the official source. Assistance is subject to funding availability and lender approval. The MCC is a non-refundable federal tax credit that depends on your tax liability; consult a tax professional. My First Texas Home loans may be subject to federal recapture tax if you sell within nine years and other conditions apply. Confirm your eligibility with a participating licensed lender. Equal Housing Opportunity.