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HUD data

Difficult Development Areas in Texas (2026)

HUD's Texas DDA designations — metro SDDA ZIP codes and non-metro counties where costs run high against local incomes. Each qualifies for LIHTC's 30% basis boost.
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Total DDAs
217
Metro SDDA ZIPs
197
Non-Metro county DDAs
20

Non-metro county DDAs

CountyDDA code
Lee CountyNCNTY48287N48287
Kleberg CountyNCNTY48273N48273
Walker CountyNCNTY48471N48471
Ward CountyNCNTY48475N48475
Bee CountyNCNTY48025N48025
Angelina CountyNCNTY48005N48005
Andrews CountyNCNTY48003N48003
Uvalde CountyNCNTY48463N48463
Anderson CountyNCNTY48001N48001
DeWitt CountyNCNTY48123N48123
Matagorda CountyNCNTY48321N48321
Montague CountyNCNTY48337N48337
Sterling CountyNCNTY48431N48431
Runnels CountyNCNTY48399N48399
Hood CountyNCNTY48221N48221
Moore CountyNCNTY48341N48341
Concho CountyNCNTY48095N48095
Franklin CountyNCNTY48159N48159
Real CountyNCNTY48385N48385
Karnes CountyNCNTY48255N48255

Metro SDDA ZIP codes

ZIPMetro area
75001Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75002Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75009Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75013Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75019Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75022Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75022Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75024Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75025Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75028Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75028Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75032Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75033Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75034Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75035Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75036Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75039Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75048Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75052Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75054Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75054Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75063Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75068Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75070Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75071Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75072Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75077Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75078Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75082Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75088Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75089Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75093Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75094Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75098Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75104Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75126Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75132Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75166Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75167Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75181Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75189Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75201Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75202Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75204Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75205Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75206Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75207Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75209Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75214Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75219Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75225Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75244Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75248Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75249Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75251Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75409Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
75454Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76001Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76002Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76008Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76016Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76018Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76034Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76036Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76039Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76051Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76052Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76052Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76052Wise County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76063Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76092Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76102Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76123Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76127Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76131Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76137Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76148Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76177Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76179Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76182Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76210Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76226Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76227Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76244Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76247Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76248Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76262Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76311Wichita Falls, TX MSA
76487Fort Worth-Arlington, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76487Wise County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76524Falls County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76638Waco, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76643Waco, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76655Waco, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76655Falls County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76711Waco, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
76905San Angelo, TX MSA
77002Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77003Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77005Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77006Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77007Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77010Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77019Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77024Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77027Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77030Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77041Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77044Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77046Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77056Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77059Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77077Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77094Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77098Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77345Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77346Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77362Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77373Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77377Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77380Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77381Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77382Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77385Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77386Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77388Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77389Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77401Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77406Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77407Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77433Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77441Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77449Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77450Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77459Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77478Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77479Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77489Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77493Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77494Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77498Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77507Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77545Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77545Brazoria County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77546Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
77573Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78006San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78015San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78023San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78023Medina County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78045Laredo, TX MSA
78108San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78109San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78154San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78215San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78234San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78236San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78244San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78249San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78252San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78254San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78255San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78256San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78257San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78258San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78260San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78261San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78266San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78373Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78374Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78406Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78412Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78414Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78419Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78633Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA
78652Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA
78670San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
78701Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA
78703Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA
78725Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA
78733Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA
78734Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA
78737Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA
78739Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA
79703Midland, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
79758Odessa, TX MSA
79762Odessa, TX MSA
79765Odessa, TX MSA
79906El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
79908El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
79911El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
79916El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
79918El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
79922El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
79934El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
79938El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
79938Hudspeth County, TX HUD Metro FMR Area

What is a Difficult Development Area?

HUD designates a metro ZIP code (SDDA) or non-metro county as a DDA when its Fair Market Rent or construction costs are high relative to area median income. New LIHTC construction in a DDA qualifies for a 130% qualified basis — the same 30% boost QCTs receive. For Texas investors, DDA and QCT overlays together map where affordable-housing capital is flowing hardest.

All states →QCTs in TexasFair Market Rents in TexasSection 8 DSCR loans in Texas

Texas Difficult Development Areas — FAQs

What is a Difficult Development Area in Texas?

A Difficult Development Area (DDA) is a HUD-designated metro ZIP code or non-metro county where land, construction, and utility costs are high relative to Area Median Income. HUD republishes the Texas list annually.

What is the LIHTC basis boost for a DDA?

A LIHTC project in a designated DDA may qualify for a 30% increase in eligible basis — the same boost available in a Qualified Census Tract — which raises the credit amount the project can claim.

What is the difference between an SDDA and a non-metro DDA?

Small Area DDAs (SDDAs) are designated at the ZIP-code level inside metro areas, so one Texas metro can contain both designated and undesignated ZIPs. Non-metro DDAs are designated at the county level.

How do DDAs affect an investor buying a rental?

DDA status signals a high-cost submarket relative to local incomes, which usually means higher purchase prices and construction budgets. It does not change loan eligibility on its own; business-purpose financing is underwritten on the property's economics and lender guidelines.

Local market news & updates

What the latest published data says about Texas

Every update below is a published figure from a named federal source, shown with the exact period that source covers. Where a dataset is only produced at county or state level, it is labelled that way rather than presented as city data. These are market statistics for informational purposes only — they are not rates, loan terms, or an offer of credit.

  • State dataData through ACS estimates, ACS 5-Year 2023

    Texas housing costs — ACS estimates, ACS 5-Year 2023

    The most recent published Census reading for Texas shows a median owner-occupied home value of $260,400, a median gross rent of $1,339 per month. These are survey estimates for the period shown, not live listing prices, and they are the starting point investors use to sanity-check a rent assumption before underwriting a DSCR file.

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey

  • State dataData through ACS estimates, ACS 5-Year 2023

    Texas renter demand indicators — ACS estimates, ACS 5-Year 2023

    Census reports a population of 29,640,343, a median household income of $76,292, a rental vacancy estimate of 9.6% for Texas. Income and vacancy set the practical ceiling on achievable rent, which is what a DSCR calculation is ultimately built on.

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey

Source periods represented above: ACS estimates, ACS 5-Year 2023. Each figure updates only when its publisher releases a new period — we never restamp an older reading with a newer date.

Informational market data only. Nothing in this section is a rate, an annual percentage rate, a payment, a loan term, an approval, or an offer or commitment to lend. Citing a federal dataset does not imply the agency endorses, sponsors or is affiliated with Simply Approved Mortgages LLC (NMLS #2620881). Financing referenced on this page is business-purpose investment property financing.

DDA project in Texas?

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How We Evaluate This Scenario

A DSCR file is judged on the property, not your tax returns: qualifying rent divided by PITIA — principal, interest, taxes, insurance, plus HOA and flood where they apply. Most programs use the lesser of the in-place lease rent and the appraiser's market rent, so a lease signed below market usually caps the ratio no matter how strong the comps look.

Three inputs move the outcome more than anything else: rent support on the appraiser's rent schedule (Form 1007 or 1025), the LTV tier, and the credit tier. Dropping leverage by five points or moving up a FICO band frequently changes pricing more than shopping a different lender does.

Before you write an offer, price taxes and insurance at post-sale levels rather than the seller's current bill. In reassess-on-transfer states and in coastal insurance markets, that single adjustment is the most common reason a deal that penciled at contract fails the ratio at underwriting.

Reviewed by Simply Approved Mortgages · NMLS #2620881. Business-purpose investor lending only.

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Your deal — the basics

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Down payment (%)20%
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Monthly rent ($)$2,800
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HUD Fair Market Rent for your ZIP — ballpark only. Get a precise market rent after you submit.
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