USDA Loan Limits

USDA loan eligibility is determined by household size and geographic location, as well as the standard mortgage approval guidelines like income verification and credit scores. When evaluating which USDA loan limits apply to your circumstances, it’s important to understand there are two types of USDA home loans available today: USDA Guaranteed Loans and USDA Direct Loans.

1. USDA Guaranteed Loans (the most popular)

USDA Guaranteed Loans are the most popular rural development mortgage program because they are 100% financing mortgages that applicants with a moderate income can use to buy a home in a rural area. Guaranteed Loans don’t have a specific set of maximum loan limits. Instead, local limits are established using a combination of the area USDA maximum income limit and the borrowers debt-to-income ratio.

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This approach means that guaranteed USDA loan limits are fluid and based upon more than one factor. Generally speaking, USDA eligibility for a household with 1-4 members requires that the household’s annual income not exceed $91,900 in most parts of the country and for a household with 5-8 members, it not exceed $121,300 in most areas. You can search the approximate maximum USDA Guaranteed Loan limits, along with maximum income limits across the country below.

USDA Guaranteed Loan Program Limits

2. USDA Direct Loans (for lower income borrowers)

USDA Direct Loans are 100% financing mortgages available for low income applicants to purchase homes in rural areas. To qualify for Direct Loans, applicants must have low or very low income, as defined by the USDA.

Direct Loans are not as popular as USDA Guaranteed Loans, which accommodate a broader range of borrower qualifications.  The USDA sets specific maximum limits for Direct Loans. Links to nationwide low-income Direct Loan limits are also listed below.

USDA Direct Loan Program Limits