HUD data

Qualified Census Tracts in Georgia (2026)

HUD's Georgia QCT map — the tracts that qualify for LIHTC's 30% basis boost and concentrate Housing Choice Voucher demand, county by county.
Total QCTs
480
Counties with a QCT
101
Data year
2026

QCTs by county in Georgia

CountyFIPSQCTsSample tract GEOIDs
Fulton County131216913121010601, 13121008302, 13121002300, 13121011000, 13121011307
DeKalb County130894313089021813, 13089023410, 13089023603, 13089021308, 13089023317
Clayton County130633313063040521, 13063040633, 13063040518, 13063040617, 13063040310
Gwinnett County131352913135050542, 13135050561, 13135050448, 13135050449, 13135050456
Chatham County130512513051011300, 13051003301, 13051011700, 13051001200, 13051010502
Richmond County132451913245010511, 13245010512, 13245001400, 13245011000, 13245010513
Muscogee County132151713215011100, 13215002800, 13215001800, 13215002700, 13215003200
Bibb County130211713021010100, 13021012800, 13021014000, 13021012200, 13021013101
Cobb County130671113067030412, 13067030414, 13067030411, 13067031417, 13067031321
Clarke County130591113059000402, 13059000600, 13059002100, 13059030101, 13059030200
Dougherty County13095913095001100, 13095011400, 13095010701, 13095001000, 13095000102
Carroll County13045713045910705, 13045910502, 13045911201, 13045911101, 13045910106
Lowndes County13185713185010802, 13185011000, 13185010500, 13185010900, 13185011402
Spalding County13255713255160102, 13255160800, 13255160101, 13255160300, 13255160401
Hall County13139513139001101, 13139001007, 13139001008, 13139001202, 13139000800
Ware County13299513299950700, 13299950802, 13299950300, 13299950400, 13299950900
Bulloch County13031513031110406, 13031110405, 13031110408, 13031110602, 13031110401
Glynn County13127513127000501, 13127000503, 13127000702, 13127000800, 13127000900
Sumter County13261513261950800, 13261950200, 13261950700, 13261950400, 13261950600
Douglas County13097513097080303, 13097080304, 13097080106, 13097080104, 13097080107
Floyd County13115513115000600, 13115001600, 13115001100, 13115000500, 13115002100
Walker County13295513295020902, 13295020200, 13295020301, 13295020102, 13295020702
Troup County13285413285960800, 13285960901, 13285960600, 13285960503
Laurens County13175413175950900, 13175950400, 13175950500, 13175950800
Baldwin County13009413009970501, 13009970702, 13009970201, 13009970701
Houston County13153413153020301, 13153020400, 13153020700, 13153020302
Mitchell County13205413205090300, 13205090200, 13205090402, 13205090501
Coffee County13069413069010802, 13069010702, 13069010701, 13069010801
Emanuel County13107413107970300, 13107970401, 13107970102, 13107970601
Thomas County13275313275960100, 13275960702, 13275960701
Whitfield County13313313313001000, 13313000502, 13313001200
Newton County13217313217100701, 13217100400, 13217100702
Chattooga County13055313055010402, 13055010502, 13055010202
Appling County13001313001950302, 13001950500, 13001950202
Bartow County13015313015960403, 13015960805, 13015960802
Henry County13151313151070113, 13151070324, 13151070323
Rockdale County13247313247060316, 13247060305, 13247060201
Lanier County13173213173950100, 13173950201
Wilcox County13315213315960100, 13315960400
Decatur County13087213087970400, 13087970302
Randolph County13243213243790200, 13243790100
Liberty County13179213179010202, 13179010204
Elbert County13105213105000400, 13105000502
Macon County13193213193000300, 13193000200
Walton County13297213297110400, 13297110302
Burke County13033213033950900, 13033950400
Jasper County13159213159010502, 13159010501
Miller County13201213201950200, 13201950100
Atkinson County13003213003960100, 13003960200
Peach County13225213225040200, 13225040302
Meriwether County13199213199970600, 13199970801
Franklin County13119213119890402, 13119890101
Coweta County13077213077170307, 13077170605
McDuffie County13189213189950402, 13189950200
Taylor County13269213269950301, 13269950200
Toombs County13279213279970400, 13279970101
Colquitt County13071213071970301, 13071970702
Crisp County13081113081010100
Hancock County13141113141480400
Ben Hill County13017113017960400
Barrow County13013113013180203
Bleckley County13023113023790301
Tift County13277113277960602
Pulaski County13235113235950201
Terrell County13273113273120300
Cook County13075113075960301
Jeff Davis County13161113161960201
Lumpkin County13187113187960204
Stephens County13257113257970101
Brooks County13027113027960500
Polk County13233113233010400
Wilkinson County13319113319960300
Jenkins County13165113165960100
Early County13099113099090400
Clay County13061113061960300
Camden County13039113039010604
Webster County13307113307960200
Tattnall County13267113267950202
Bacon County13005113005970202
Cherokee County13057113057090401
Habersham County13137113137000604
Catoosa County13047113047030702
Haralson County13143113143010303
Grady County13131113131950402
Charlton County13049113049010102
Wayne County13305113305970202
Dade County13083113083040102
Turner County13287113287970201
Heard County13149113149970100
Warren County13301113301970400
Wilkes County13317113317010102
Upson County13293113293010500
Butts County13035113035150201
Paulding County13223113223120305
Candler County13043113043950100
Wheeler County13309113309780200
Treutlen County13283113283960200
Pickens County13227113227050602
Berrien County13019113019970200
Johnson County13167113167960202
Telfair County13271113271950101

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 Georgianeighborhoods with the highest concentration of Housing Choice Voucher tenants — the same census tracts that consistently rent at or above FMR under HAP contracts.

Georgia Qualified Census Tracts — FAQs

What is a Qualified Census Tract in Georgia?

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 Georgia 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 Georgia 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 Georgia

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

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

    The most recent published Census reading for Georgia shows a median owner-occupied home value of $272,900, a median gross rent of $1,306 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

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

    Census reports a population of 10,822,590, a median household income of $74,664, a rental vacancy estimate of 10.6% for Georgia. 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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