HUD data

Qualified Census Tracts in Louisiana (2026)

HUD's Louisiana QCT map — the tracts that qualify for LIHTC's 30% basis boost and concentrate Housing Choice Voucher demand, county by county.
Total QCTs
276
Counties with a QCT
50
Data year
2026

QCTs by county in Louisiana

CountyFIPSQCTsSample tract GEOIDs
Orleans Parish220715822071001720, 22071003500, 22071001736, 22071004401, 22071001744
East Baton Rouge Parish220333822033000900, 22033003912, 22033004028, 22033003604, 22033002500
Jefferson Parish220511922051023700, 22051025500, 22051025201, 22051027803, 22051025202
Caddo Parish220171722017024601, 22017023701, 22017022400, 22017025200, 22017023402
Calcasieu Parish220191122019000400, 22019000800, 22019000200, 22019001202, 22019003602
Lafayette Parish220551122055000603, 22055001201, 22055001302, 22055000900, 22055001903
Rapides Parish22079722079012700, 22079012000, 22079012600, 22079011000, 22079013900
Ouachita Parish22073722073010800, 22073011100, 22073001100, 22073011000, 22073000500
Tangipahoa Parish22105622105954200, 22105954001, 22105953901, 22105954400, 22105953602
St. Landry Parish22097622097961602, 22097960902, 22097961301, 22097961000, 22097961501
Bossier Parish22015622015010400, 22015010601, 22015010801, 22015011111, 22015011300
Lincoln Parish22061522061960401, 22061960300, 22061961000, 22061960900, 22061960800
Terrebonne Parish22109522109000701, 22109000104, 22109000902, 22109000501, 22109000702
Webster Parish22119522119031900, 22119031300, 22119031200, 22119031700, 22119031800
Acadia Parish22001422001961000, 22001960902, 22001960700, 22001960801
St. Martin Parish22099422099020502, 22099020602, 22099020504, 22099020503
St. Bernard Parish22087422087030603, 22087030700, 22087030204, 22087030800
Concordia Parish22029322029000201, 22029000300, 22029000202
Jefferson Davis Parish22053322053000600, 22053000401, 22053000700
Natchitoches Parish22069322069000700, 22069000400, 22069000601
Madison Parish22065322065960500, 22065960300, 22065960400
Iberia Parish22045322045030900, 22045031000, 22045030402
Morehouse Parish22067322067950800, 22067950400, 22067950500
Avoyelles Parish22009322009030600, 22009030402, 22009030900
Evangeline Parish22039322039950500, 22039950401, 22039950600
De Soto Parish22031322031950600, 22031950400, 22031950500
St. Tammany Parish22103322103040801, 22103040900, 22103040108
Vermilion Parish22113222113950700, 22113950800
Union Parish22111222111960100, 22111960400
Pointe Coupee Parish22077222077952000, 22077952201
Bienville Parish22013222013970200, 22013970300
East Carroll Parish22035222035000100, 22035000300
Sabine Parish22085222085000300, 22085000500
Claiborne Parish22027222027950300, 22027950400
Jackson Parish22049222049970500, 22049970400
Livingston Parish22063222063040805, 22063040807
St. Helena Parish22091222091951201, 22091951100
Caldwell Parish22021122021000100
Washington Parish22117122117950900
Franklin Parish22041122041950300
Plaquemines Parish22075122075050600
Lafourche Parish22057122057020400
St. James Parish22093122093040600
Vernon Parish22115122115950400
Ascension Parish22005122005031002
Richland Parish22083122083970500
Red River Parish22081122081960300
West Baton Rouge Parish22121122121020301
Allen Parish22003122003950300
Tensas Parish22107122107000300

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

Louisiana Qualified Census Tracts — FAQs

What is a Qualified Census Tract in Louisiana?

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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana

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

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

    The most recent published Census reading for Louisiana shows a median owner-occupied home value of $208,700, a median gross rent of $1,038 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

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

    Census reports a population of 4,621,025, a median household income of $60,023, a rental vacancy estimate of 14.8% for Louisiana. 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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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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