# Houston AMI Income Limits & Who Qualifies | Income Restricted Apartments

> Houston-area AMI income limits by household size with worked examples so you know if you qualify in Houston.

URL: https://incomerestrictedapartments.com/guide/houston-ami-income-limits-who-qualifies/
Last-Modified: 2026-07-02

![Houston garden-style apartment exterior with humid daylight and mature trees](/images/misc/houston-garden-style-apartment-exterior-humid-dayl.webp)

## The Houston-Sugar Land MSA

Houston uses the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land MSA. It covers Harris County plus Fort Bend, Montgomery, Brazoria, Galveston, and neighboring counties. Every income restricted community in the metro uses the same base AMI figure.

## AMI Tiers in Houston

-   **30% AMI**: deepest affordability
-   **50% AMI**: common LIHTC tier
-   **60% AMI**: most common LIHTC tier
-   **80% AMI**: workforce band

Houston’s AMI is typically between San Antonio (lower) and Austin (higher). It usually tracks closely with DFW.

## Household-Size Scale

Same everywhere. 1 person is ~70% of the 4-person figure; 5-person is ~108%; etc. Apply the scale to Houston’s current base number.

![Houston AMI income limit table by household size](/images/misc/houston-ami-income-limit-table-by-household-size-b.webp)

## What Makes Houston Different

Houston has one of the largest income restricted inventories in Texas, with more than 294 communities across the metro. That’s more choice, more open lists, and more likelihood of finding a same-week opening.

The tradeoff: voucher acceptance varies widely, source-of-income context is mixed, and the metro is geographically huge. Knowing which properties actually process applications is where local matching helps.

## We Don’t Post Specific Dollar Figures Here

Numbers move each spring. At intake we run your metro, household, and income against current HUD/TDHCA published limits.

## Related Reading

-   Houston Income Restricted Apartments Hub
    
    [/houston/ →](/houston/)
    
-   Houston Housing Authority & Voucher-Accepting Communities
    
    [/guide/houston-housing-authority-voucher-accepting-communities/ →](/guide/houston-housing-authority-voucher-accepting-communities/)
    

Start the free intake

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## Frequently Asked Questions

What income qualifies for income restricted apartments in Houston? +

Below the current Houston-MSA AMI for your household size, typically 50-60% AMI for most LIHTC units. We check your exact numbers at intake.

Does Harris County have its own limits? +

Limits follow the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land MSA, which covers Harris and surrounding counties. The Houston MSA figure applies across the metro.

How often do limits change? +

Annually. HUD publishes updated numbers each spring; TDHCA and property compliance offices update within weeks.

## Related Guides

### Houston Waitlists: Which Are Open and How Long

Which Houston waitlists open and how long is the wait? HHA notes and a multi-property strategy so you're not stuck on one closed list.

[Houston Waitlists: Which Are Open and How Long →](/guide/houston-affordable-housing-waitlists-open/)

### Which Houston Communities Are Accepting Applications Now

We track open vs. closed and lease-ups across Houston's many communities and send you current matches, free.

[Which Houston Communities Are Accepting Applications Now →](/guide/houston-communities-accepting-applications-now/)

### Houston Housing Authority & Voucher-Accepting Communities

How HHA works, how to find voucher-friendly communities, and how we filter for properties that actually accept vouchers in Houston.

[Houston Housing Authority & Voucher-Accepting Communities →](/guide/houston-housing-authority-voucher-accepting-communities/)

![](/images/misc/texas-income-restricted-apartment-community-family.webp)

Free · No Application Fees Wasted

## Want a Match, Not Just Info?

Start the free 5-minute intake. Licensed Texas team, matches within 24-48 hours, application fee rebate on approval.

See If I Qualify

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Back to Houston

[/houston/ →](/houston/)