Federal bank regulatory agencies have published the 2025 list of distressed or underserved nonmetropolitan middle-income geographies. These areas are where certain banking activities can earn Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) credit.
The CRA requires banks to meet the credit needs of their communities, focusing on low- and moderate-income neighborhoods while maintaining safe operations. The newly released list identifies regions eligible for CRA consideration through revitalization or stabilization efforts, reflecting local economic factors like unemployment, poverty, and population changes. Previous lists and criteria are accessible for reference.
Revitalization or stabilization projects in these designated areas qualify for CRA credit under the community development definition for a year following the list’s release. A one-year lag period applies to areas included in 2024 but not in the current designation.
An updated methodology was used by the agencies to identify underserved middle-income census tracts, utilizing revised information from various sources. This update resulted in a consolidation of urban influence codes from 12 to nine categories, maintaining similar criteria as previous classifications. Further details can be found in the Source Information and Methodology section.
