HUD data

Qualified Census Tracts in Alabama (2026)

HUD's Alabama QCT map — the tracts that qualify for LIHTC's 30% basis boost and concentrate Housing Choice Voucher demand, county by county.
Total QCTs
300
Counties with a QCT
52
Data year
2026

QCTs by county in Alabama

CountyFIPSQCTsSample tract GEOIDs
Jefferson County010735901073000400, 01073003100, 01073005101, 01073004901, 01073001400
Mobile County010973701097004000, 01097005000, 01097002700, 01097003602, 01097007700
Madison County010892301089002200, 01089001302, 01089010403, 01089001404, 01089010625
Montgomery County011012001101002201, 01101003000, 01101002300, 01101005902, 01101001100
Tuscaloosa County011251401125011800, 01125011401, 01125011701, 01125012408, 01125012800
Lee County010811101081040802, 01081040300, 01081040201, 01081040700, 01081040606
Etowah County010551001055011200, 01055000700, 01055000800, 01055001300, 01055000500
Calhoun County01015801015000500, 01015000800, 01015000400, 01015001202, 01015000300
Lauderdale County01077701077010700, 01077010902, 01077010300, 01077010800, 01077010100
Houston County01069701069041200, 01069040600, 01069041000, 01069041400, 01069040700
Dallas County01047701047956900, 01047957301, 01047956600, 01047956400, 01047956300
Talladega County01121601121010600, 01121011800, 01121011600, 01121011301, 01121010500
Limestone County01083501083021000, 01083021101, 01083020600, 01083020500, 01083020700
Morgan County01103401103000600, 01103000700, 01103000100, 01103005405
Monroe County01099401099075800, 01099075600, 01099076000, 01099075902
Jackson County01071401071950800, 01071950200, 01071950302, 01071950602
Wilcox County01131401131034700, 01131034801, 01131035100, 01131034802
Coffee County01031401031011100, 01031010900, 01031011300, 01031011000
Dale County01045401045020700, 01045021400, 01045020500, 01045020801
Barbour County01005401005950400, 01005950800, 01005950600, 01005950900
Russell County01113401113030300, 01113030200, 01113030700, 01113030800
Greene County01063301063060102, 01063060000, 01063060101
Marengo County01091301091973002, 01091972902, 01091973100
Hale County01065301065040300, 01065040402, 01065040401
Sumter County01119301119011400, 01119011500, 01119011301
Lowndes County01085301085780800, 01085781100, 01085781200
Pike County01109301109189101, 01109189200, 01109189102
Macon County01087301087231700, 01087231602, 01087231900
Escambia County01053201053969802, 01053970600
Clarke County01025201025957700, 01025958003
Autauga County01001201001021100, 01001021000
Perry County01105201105687100, 01105687002
Cullman County01043201043965401, 01043965002
Bibb County01007201007010009, 01007010001
Covington County01039201039961800, 01039962700
Shelby County01117201117030406, 01117030102
Franklin County01059201059973701, 01059973600
Butler County01013101013953100
Pickens County01107101107050401
Marshall County01095101095031002
Lawrence County01079101079979400
Baldwin County01003101003010600
Geneva County01061101061050500
Henry County01067101067030200
Lamar County01075101075030102
Bullock County01011101011952202
Colbert County01033101033020300
St. Clair County01115101115040302
Elmore County01051101051031200
DeKalb County01049101049961300
Blount County01009101009050702
Clay County01027101027959000

What is a Qualified Census Tract (QCT)?

HUD designates a census tract as a QCT when either at least 50% of households have income below 60% AMI, OR the tract has a poverty rate of 25% or higher. QCT-designated projects qualify for a 130% qualified basis under LIHTC (the "30% basis boost"). For DSCR / Section 8 investors, QCTs also identify Alabamaneighborhoods with the highest concentration of Housing Choice Voucher tenants — the same census tracts that consistently rent at or above FMR under HAP contracts.

Alabama Qualified Census Tracts — FAQs

What is a Qualified Census Tract in Alabama?

A Qualified Census Tract (QCT) is a HUD-designated census tract where at least half of households earn below 60% of Area Median Income, or where the poverty rate is 25% or higher. HUD publishes the Alabama designations each year.

Why does QCT status matter to investors?

A LIHTC development located in a QCT is eligible for a 30% basis boost, which increases the credits available for the project. QCTs also tend to concentrate voucher-holding households, which is why Section 8 investors watch them.

Is a QCT the same as a Difficult Development Area?

No. A QCT is based on income and poverty concentration, while a Difficult Development Area (DDA) is based on high construction, land, and utility costs relative to area incomes. Both can qualify a LIHTC project for the same 30% basis boost.

Can you finance a rental inside a Alabama QCT?

Yes — business-purpose loans on non-owner-occupied property are underwritten on the property and the borrower's experience, not on tract designation. Property condition, rent documentation, and market liquidity still drive the terms available, subject to lender approval.

Local market news & updates

What the latest published data says about Alabama

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

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

    The most recent published Census reading for Alabama shows a median owner-occupied home value of $195,100, a median gross rent of $963 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

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

    Census reports a population of 5,054,253, a median household income of $62,027, a rental vacancy estimate of 15.0% for Alabama. 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.

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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.

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