The number that surprises most Houston buyers
Most people assume down payment assistance is only for very low incomes. It is not. As of the limits effective June 13, 2026, the TSAHC income cap for the Home Sweet Texas program in Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, Galveston, Chambers, and Waller counties is $156,000. In Brazoria County it is $189,000.
Read that again. A household earning up to $156,000 in the Houston area can still qualify for down payment assistance. The myth that you make too much to get help is the single biggest reason eligible buyers never apply.
These figures come straight from TSAHC's published Income and Purchase Price Limits chart. They change periodically, so the smart move is to confirm your exact eligibility before you assume anything either way.
TSAHC income limits 2026, Houston metro, county by county
Here are the 2026 maximum household income limits for the Home Sweet Texas program (the standard down payment assistance program), effective June 13, 2026:
Harris County: $156,000. Fort Bend County: $156,000. Montgomery County: $156,000. Galveston County: $156,000. Chambers County: $156,000. Waller County: $156,000. Brazoria County: $189,000.
The Homes for Texas Heroes program (for teachers, first responders, peace officers, EMS, corrections officers, nurses, veterans, and similar roles) uses a higher cap once its 2026 update takes effect on July 9, 2026: $176,800 for most Houston counties and $214,200 in Brazoria. Until that date, the Home Sweet Texas figure applies to both programs.
These limits apply in both targeted and non-targeted areas, so you do not have to live in a special zone to use them.
How TSAHC income is counted (this trips people up)
TSAHC looks at qualifying income, which is generally the income used to approve your mortgage, not necessarily your entire household's gross income. For many buyers the number that matters is lower than they feared.
What counts is the borrower and co-borrower income on the loan. If your spouse is not on the loan, their income may be treated differently. This is exactly the kind of detail where a quick conversation can change whether you qualify, so it is worth checking rather than guessing.
The Mortgage Credit Certificate has its own, lower limits
TSAHC also offers a Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC), a separate program that gives you a federal tax credit on part of the mortgage interest you pay every year for the life of the loan. The MCC has its own, lower income limits based on household size, roughly $104,000 to $145,600 across the Houston counties, plus a purchase price cap near $566,354 in non-targeted areas.
You can often pair an MCC with down payment assistance. The point is simple: the down payment grant and the tax credit are two different tools with two different rule sets, and you do not have to choose blindly.
What the assistance actually covers
TSAHC's down payment assistance comes as a grant or a forgivable second lien, typically worth a percentage of the loan amount, and it can be used toward your down payment and closing costs. Paired with an FHA loan, which allows a 3.5% down payment for credit scores of 580 and up, the assistance can cover most or all of your cash to close.
For a buyer with fair credit and a modest income, that combination, FHA plus TSAHC, is frequently the difference between renting and owning. The income, in other words, is rarely the wall. The down payment is, and that is the exact gap this program closes.
A quick example
Say you earn $50,000, have a credit score in the 620s, and want to buy a $130,000 home in Harris County. Your income is far under the $156,000 cap, your score clears FHA's minimum, and TSAHC assistance can cover the down payment and a chunk of closing costs. On paper, you are a buyer, not a renter.
The only way to know your real numbers is to run them. Our free home affordability analyzer shows what you qualify for, what your payment would look like, and which program fits, in a couple of minutes and with no credit pull to start.
Who does not qualify
There are real limits. If your qualifying income is above the cap for your county, you will not be eligible for that program, though the higher Homes for Texas Heroes thresholds may still apply if you work in a qualifying field. There are also credit, debt-to-income, and homebuyer-education requirements, and the home has to be your primary residence.
None of these are exotic. Most are the same boxes any mortgage requires you to check. The takeaway is that the income limit is generous enough that, for most Houston first-time buyers, eligibility comes down to credit and down payment, not how much you earn.
How to check your eligibility today
Start by confirming your county's current limit against TSAHC's published chart, then look at your own numbers: qualifying income, credit score, and the price range you are shopping. If the income limit is the only thing you were worried about, this is usually good news.
The fastest way to see where you stand is to run your scenario through our analyzer. It maps your income, credit, and target price to the right loan and assistance combination, so you walk into the process knowing your options instead of guessing. If it looks workable, a quick call confirms the details and gets you a plan.