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Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName T. Rowe Price Tax-Free High Yield Fund, Inc.
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Jul. 01, 2013
Investor Class Shares | T. Rowe Price Tax-Free High Yield Fund, Inc.
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading SUMMARY

T. Rowe Price Tax-Free High Yield Fund
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock The fund seeks to provide a high level of income exempt from federal income taxes by investing primarily in long-term low- to upper-medium-grade municipal securities.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and Expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption Fees and Expenses of the Fund

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a
percentage of the value of your investment)
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 11.6% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 11.60%
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Investments, Risks, and Performance

Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock The fund invests primarily in long-term municipal securities (securities with maturities of more than 10 years) and its weighted average maturity is expected to normally exceed 10 years. The fund normally invests a substantial portion of its assets in municipal bonds that are rated noninvestment-grade (BB and lower, or an equivalent rating) by a major credit rating agency or by T. Rowe Price, known as “junk” bonds in the taxable bond market, and may buy bonds in default as long as they do not exceed 10% of the fund’s total assets.

Investment decisions reflect the portfolio manager’s outlook for interest rates and the economy, as well as the prices, yields, and credit quality of various securities in which the fund may invest. For example, if interest rates are expected to fall, the fund may purchase longer-term securities (to the extent consistent with the fund’s investment program) in an attempt to seek higher yields and/or capital appreciation. Conversely, if interest rates are expected to rise, the fund may seek securities with shorter maturities.

Normally, at least 80% of the fund’s income will be exempt from federal income taxes. However, up to 20% of the fund’s income could be derived from securities subject to the alternative minimum tax.

From time to time, the fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in sectors with special risks, such as health care, transportation, utilities, or private activity bonds. The fund may sell holdings for a variety of reasons, such as to adjust the portfolio’s average maturity, duration, or overall credit quality, or to shift assets into and out of higher-yielding or lower-yielding securities or certain sectors.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock As with any mutual fund, there is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective. The fund’s share price fluctuates, which means you could lose money by investing in the fund. The principal risks of investing in this fund are summarized as follows:

Active management risk The fund is subject to the risk that the investment adviser’s judgments about the attractiveness, value, or potential appreciation of the fund’s investments may prove to be incorrect. If the securities selected and strategies employed by the fund fail to produce the intended results, the fund could underperform other funds with similar objectives and investment strategies.

Market risk This is the risk that the value of securities owned by the fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unexpectedly, due to factors affecting securities markets generally or particular industries.

Credit risk This is the risk that an issuer of a debt security could suffer an adverse change in financial condition that results in a payment default, security downgrade, or inability to meet a financial obligation. Economic downturns often result in reduced levels of taxes collected and revenues earned for municipalities and a municipal government’s pension or health care related obligations to its employees may exceed its available assets or income. This, in turn, lessens the financial strength of a municipality and increases the credit risk of the securities it issues.

The fund is exposed to much greater credit risk than most other municipal bond funds because of its focus on below investment-grade “junk” bonds. Municipalities issuing “junk” bonds are usually not as strong financially and are more likely to suffer an adverse change in financial condition. As a result, “junk” bonds carry a higher risk of default and should be considered speculative.

Interest rate risk This is the risk that a rise in interest rates will cause the price of a fixed rate debt security to fall. Generally, securities with longer maturities and funds with longer weighted average maturities carry greater interest rate risk.

Municipal securities risk The fund will be highly impacted by events tied to the overall municipal securities markets, which can be very volatile and significantly affected by unfavorable legislative or political developments and adverse changes in the financial conditions of municipal securities issuers and the economy. Income from municipal securities held by the fund could be declared taxable because of changes in tax laws or interpretations by taxing authorities, or noncompliant conduct of a municipal security issuer. In addition, a portion of the fund’s otherwise tax-exempt dividends may be taxable to those shareholders subject to the alternative minimum tax.

Certain sectors of the municipal bond market have special risks that can impact such sectors more significantly than the market as a whole. For example, health care can be hurt by rising expenses and dependency on third party reimbursements, transportation can be impacted by declining revenues or unexpectedly high construction costs, utilities are subject to governmental rate regulation, and private activity bonds rely on project revenues and the creditworthiness of the corporate user as opposed to governmental support.

Liquidity risk This is the risk that the fund may not be able to sell a holding in a timely manner at a desired price. The secondary market for certain municipal bonds tends to be less developed and liquid than many other securities markets, which may adversely affect the fund’s ability to sell such municipal bonds at attractive prices.
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney The fund’s share price fluctuates, which means you could lose money by investing in the fund.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock The bar chart showing calendar year returns and the average annual total returns table indicate risk by illustrating how much returns can differ from one year to the next and how fund performance compares with that of a comparable market index. The fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of future performance.

The fund can also experience short-term performance swings, as shown by the best and worst calendar quarter returns during the years depicted.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The bar chart showing calendar year returns and the average annual total returns table indicate risk by illustrating how much returns can differ from one year to the next and how fund performance compares with that of a comparable market index.
Performance Availability Phone [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone 1-800-225-5132
Performance Availability Website Address [Text] rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress troweprice.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of future performance.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading Tax-Free High Yield Fund
Calendar Year Returns
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock
  Quarter
 Ended		  Total
Return
Best Quarter   9/30/09  13.13%
Worst Quarter 12/31/08 -15.99%

The fund’s return for the three months ended 3/31/13 was 1.27%.
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading Average Annual Total Returns

Periods ended
December 31, 2012
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as a 401(k) account or individual retirement account.
Performance Table Narrative rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock In addition, the average annual total returns table shows hypothetical after-tax returns to suggest how taxes paid by a shareholder may influence returns. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as a 401(k) account or individual retirement account.
Performance Table Closing [Text Block] rr_PerformanceTableClosingTextBlock Updated performance information is available through troweprice.com or may be obtained by calling 1-800-225-5132.
Investor Class Shares | T. Rowe Price Tax-Free High Yield Fund, Inc. | T. Rowe Price Tax-Free High Yield Fund, Inc.
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice none
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther none
Redemption fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed on shares held for 90 days or less) rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption 2.00%
Maximum account fee rr_MaximumAccountFee $ 20 [1]
Management fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.60%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.07%
Total annual fund operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.67%
1 year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 68
3 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 214
5 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 373
10 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 835
2003 rr_AnnualReturn2003 7.10%
2004 rr_AnnualReturn2004 6.64%
2005 rr_AnnualReturn2005 6.26%
2006 rr_AnnualReturn2006 6.88%
2007 rr_AnnualReturn2007 (1.15%)
2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 (21.49%)
2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 31.41%
2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 3.91%
2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 10.97%
2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 13.65%
Year to Date Return, Label rr_YearToDateReturnLabel The fund’s return for the three months ended
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate Mar. 31, 2013
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn 1.27%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Best Quarter
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 13.13%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Worst Quarter
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (15.99%)
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 13.65%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 6.22%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 5.65%
Investor Class Shares | T. Rowe Price Tax-Free High Yield Fund, Inc. | Returns after taxes on distributions | T. Rowe Price Tax-Free High Yield Fund, Inc.
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 13.64%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 6.21%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 5.65%
Investor Class Shares | T. Rowe Price Tax-Free High Yield Fund, Inc. | Returns after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares | T. Rowe Price Tax-Free High Yield Fund, Inc.
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 10.53%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 6.02%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 5.56%
Investor Class Shares | T. Rowe Price Tax-Free High Yield Fund, Inc. | Barclays 65% High-Grade/35% High-Yield Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 10.63% [2]
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 6.07% [2]
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 5.84% [2]
Investor Class Shares | T. Rowe Price Tax-Free High Yield Fund, Inc. | Barclays Municipal Revenue Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 7.76%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 6.10%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 5.35%
Investor Class Shares | T. Rowe Price Tax-Free High Yield Fund, Inc. | Lipper High Yield Municipal Debt Funds Average
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 14.13%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 4.79%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 4.83%
[1] Subject to certain exceptions, accounts with a balance of less than $10,000 are charged an annual $20 fee.
[2] The fund’s investment adviser believes the Barclays 65% High Grade/35% High-Yield Index is more representative of the fund’s investment program.