Simply Approved Mortgages
HUD data

Qualified Census Tracts in New York (2026)

HUD's New York QCT map — the tracts that qualify for LIHTC's 30% basis boost and concentrate Housing Choice Voucher demand, county by county.
Start My ApprovalSee Today's Rates
Total QCTs
1,026
Counties with a QCT
48
Data year
2026

QCTs by county in New York

CountyFIPSQCTsSample tract GEOIDs
Kings County3604724136047018501, 36047008200, 36047025500, 36047025901, 36047028502
Bronx County3600521236005037600, 36005023502, 36005006400, 36005039100, 36005038000
Queens County3608110036081004300, 36081023800, 36081085700, 36081094203, 36081040102
New York County360617736061025300, 36061017000, 36061003002, 36061002800, 36061017200
Erie County360295836029003600, 36029016600, 36029012300, 36029001404, 36029003800
Monroe County360555636055002300, 36055008500, 36055001900, 36055008200, 36055008801
Onondaga County360673536067005300, 36067000800, 36067004302, 36067004000, 36067004500
Westchester County361192836119003200, 36119001200, 36119000601, 36119002800, 36119003100
Oneida County360651836065026300, 36065021104, 36065021201, 36065020102, 36065020803
Albany County360011836001000100, 36001000301, 36001013200, 36001002200, 36001000600
Rockland County360871736087012113, 36087012204, 36087011506, 36087012110, 36087011505
Broome County360071636007001200, 36007014000, 36007000500, 36007001100, 36007013500
Richmond County360851536085017300, 36085000700, 36085007400, 36085002900, 36085013301
Orange County360711436071000501, 36071002200, 36071015007, 36071000100, 36071015003
Niagara County360631336063020500, 36063020600, 36063020700, 36063021300, 36063020200
Schenectady County360931236093021400, 36093032300, 36093021002, 36093020102, 36093020800
Rensselaer County360831036083040200, 36083040900, 36083040400, 36083051500, 36083041102
Chautauqua County36013836013035400, 36013030600, 36013030500, 36013030200, 36013030100
Ulster County36111736111952000, 36111950200, 36111953400, 36111953500, 36111951800
Dutchess County36027736027220901, 36027220700, 36027140301, 36027070201, 36027221100
Tompkins County36109636109000201, 36109000100, 36109000800, 36109001301, 36109000202
St. Lawrence County36089636089492900, 36089492800, 36089490900, 36089490800, 36089490300
Chemung County36015536015000100, 36015001000, 36015000600, 36015000700, 36015000400
Oswego County36075536075021602, 36075021601, 36075021101, 36075021605, 36075021102
Nassau County36059436059406801, 36059407201, 36059517201, 36059406802
Montgomery County36057336057070600, 36057070800, 36057070900
Steuben County36101336101960700, 36101960900, 36101961100
Fulton County36035336035970800, 36035970900, 36035970700
Sullivan County36105236105950900, 36105951500
Clinton County36019236019102200, 36019103100
Cayuga County36011236011041300, 36011042100
Cortland County36023236023970500, 36023970600
Jefferson County36045236045061200, 36045062100
Columbia County36021236021001200, 36021001300
Herkimer County36043236043010702, 36043011100
Suffolk County36103236103158708, 36103122406
Cattaraugus County36009236009961700, 36009940301
Saratoga County36091136091062200
Chenango County36017136017970400
Orleans County36073136073040702
Wayne County36117136117021400
Otsego County36077136077591100
Livingston County36051136051030201
Franklin County36033136033950501
Putnam County36079136079010202
Delaware County36025136025970602
Madison County36053136053030102
Ontario County36069136069051700

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

All states →Fair Market Rents in New YorkSection 8 DSCR loans in New York

New York Qualified Census Tracts — FAQs

What is a Qualified Census Tract in New York?

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 New York 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 New York 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 New York

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

    New York housing costs — ACS estimates, ACS 5-Year 2023

    The most recent published Census reading for New York shows a median owner-occupied home value of $403,000, a median gross rent of $1,576 per month, a two-bedroom median rent of $1,574, a three-bedroom median rent of $1,767. 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

    New York renter demand indicators — ACS estimates, ACS 5-Year 2023

    Census reports a population of 19,872,319, a median household income of $84,578, a rental vacancy estimate of 10.2% for New York. 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.

Buying in a New York QCT?

Send the address and we'll pull the FMR, confirm QCT status, and reply with DSCR pricing feedback.

Get Your Personalized Rate Quote
Simply Approved Mortgages Expert Insight
Last reviewed

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.

Investor pre-approval

Get your personalized investor loan quote

Pick the loan type that fits your deal and complete a short, tailored pre-qualification. A licensed loan officer follows up with an initial scenario review once we have your credit authorization and supporting documents — usually the same business day. Formal pricing and terms follow underwriting.

Pick a loan type

You can change this any time.

Tell us about your scenario

The form below is tailored to DSCR rental loan — only the questions your program needs.

1
Your info
2
Your deal
Your deal — the basics

Purchase or refinance a rental. The property's rent qualifies the loan.

What's your goal?
Purchase price ($)$450,000
$
Down payment (%)20%
%
Monthly rent ($)$2,800
$
HUD Fair Market Rent for your ZIP — ballpark only. Get a precise market rent after you submit.
Estimated credit rating

A soft self-estimate — no credit pull happens here.

This is a pre-qualification request — not a loan application under TILA/RESPA and not a loan approval, rate lock, offer, or commitment to lend. It does not trigger a Loan Estimate. If your loan requires one, the Loan Estimate is issued inside our loan origination system after you submit a complete application and your loan officer has reviewed your scenario.

Encrypted and never sold. Takes about 60 seconds.

Your answers save as you go. A licensed loan officer typically follows up the same business day · Simply Approved Mortgages LLC, NMLS #2620881.

Credit & pre-approval

Why we pull credit for your investor loan pre-approval

Every DSCR / business-purpose loan file needs a tri-merge credit report so we can verify identity, price your rate tier accurately, and confirm reserves and payment history for the underwriter. Cleaner credit typically unlocks a better rate and higher leverage.

Pay for your credit report — SmartPay

Simply Approved Mortgages uses MeridianLink SmartPay to securely collect the credit report fee for your investor pre-approval. Payment goes directly to the credit vendor — not to us — and unlocks your tri-merge report (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) so your loan officer can price your file.

  • Secure, PCI-compliant checkout hosted by MeridianLink
  • Required for a formal investor pre-approval decision
  • Soft-touch process — your loan officer will guide you through it
Pay for credit report securely

You'll be redirected to cic.cra.xedalink.net (SmartPay).

Check your credit first — $1 trial at MyITINCredit

Before you apply, it's smart to know exactly where your credit stands. MyITINCredit offers a $1 trial for 15 days that includes all three credit reports and scores (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion), plus ongoing credit monitoring so you can catch errors, dispute inaccuracies, and watch for identity theft.

  • See all 3 bureau reports & scores before your lender does
  • Ongoing monitoring alerts you to new accounts or score changes
  • Fix errors early — cleaner credit can widen your investor loan options
Start $1 / 15-day trial

You'll be redirected to myitincredit.com. Third-party service — terms apply.

Credit report fees are paid directly to the credit vendor. Simply Approved Mortgages does not profit from the credit pull. MyITINCredit is an independent third-party service; pricing, terms, and features are set by that provider.

Investor newsletter

Rates, market shifts, and program changes — in your inbox.

Periodic investor updates: rate movement, guideline and program changes, and market data refreshes. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

  • DSCR rate snapshots
  • Program & guideline updates
  • Illustrative investor scenarios
  • Market data notes
Get the investor update
Investor newsletter

Periodic DSCR rate updates, market data refreshes, and program changes. No spam, and we never sell your address.

I agree to receive periodic investor market and program update emails from Simply Approved Mortgages LLC. I can unsubscribe at any time. Submitting this form records your consent and the page you signed up from. It is not a loan inquiry and does not start an application.

Start My ApprovalCall (877) 813-7219