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USDA Income Eligibility Calculator
A great payment means nothing if you earn too much. USDA guaranteed loans are capped at 115% of the median household income for your area, adjusted for household size. Enter your county’s median income to see where you stand.
FY2027 fee schedule (1% upfront, 0.35% annual, 1 Oct 2026 – 30 Sep 2027), checked against USDA Rural Development program terms, November 2026. Last updated 13 November 2026. Estimates only — not a lender, and not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Check your USDA income eligibility
Income is only half of qualifying — the home itself must sit in an eligible rural area. See the property eligibility rules, or test your ratios in the affordability checker.
How the 115% Income Limit Works
USDA income limit = area median income (AMI) × 115%
Adjusted income = annual income − ($480 × dependents under 18) − childcare costs − $525 (if an elderly or disabled household member)
- 115% of AMI. Your household’s adjusted income generally cannot exceed 115% of the median income for the area where the home is located.
- Household size matters. USDA publishes separate limits for 1–4 person households and for 5–8 person households, so a larger household gets a higher dollar limit in the same county.
- Adjusted, not gross. The number that counts is adjusted income — $480 per dependent under 18, reasonable childcare costs, and $525 once for an elderly (62+) or disabled household member are subtracted first (7 CFR 3555.152(c); HUD 24 CFR 5.611). Use the deduction inputs in the calculator above to see your adjusted income.
- County-specific. The dollar limit changes by county, so the same income can qualify in one county and fail in the next. Always confirm the exact limit for the property’s county on the official USDA eligibility site.
Sources. USDA Rural Development Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program income limits — FY2026 standard limits $122,800 (1–4 people) / $162,100 (5–8 people), effective 13 July 2026 (HB-1-3555, Appendix 5). Deduction figures: 7 CFR 3555.152(c), which points to HUD 24 CFR 5.611 ($480 per dependent; $525 for an elderly or disabled family; reasonable childcare expenses). Program rules change; the official USDA figures control.
Sources
Official sources for the figures on this page. If a number here ever disagrees with one of these pages, the official source is correct.
- USDA Rural Development — Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program (program rules, guarantee fees, income limits).
- USDA Income and Property Eligibility Site — the official eligibility map: enter an address to check the property, and a state and county to check income limits.
- USDA income limits tool — look up the income limit for your state and county (cited in HB-1-3555, Chapter 9).
- USDA Handbook HB-1-3555 — the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program handbook for lenders (PDF).
- 7 CFR 3555.107 — guarantee fee — the regulation behind the upfront and annual fees.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — How to review your Loan Estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is area median income (AMI) determined?
USDA publishes income limits by county, based on the area median income for that county. The standard cap is 115% of AMI, and USDA publishes separate limits for 1–4 person households and for 5–8 person households. Check the exact limit for your county on the official USDA eligibility site, or ask a USDA-approved lender.
What deductions lower my USDA income?
USDA counts adjusted income, not gross pay. The standard deductions are $480 per dependent under 18, reasonable childcare costs, and $525 for an elderly (62+) or disabled household member (7 CFR 3555.152(c); HUD 24 CFR 5.611). Example: a family earning $128,000 gross with two dependents and $8,000 of childcare counts as $119,040 of adjusted income — try it in the calculator above.
What if my income is just over the limit?
Ask a USDA-approved lender to run the adjusted-income calculation — deductions may bring you under the cap. If you are still over, loans without an income cap, such as FHA or conventional, are the fallback; compare them in the USDA vs FHA tool.
More USDA Loan Tools
One topic, six tools — each answering a different question in the USDA loan journey.