USDA loans are 0% down payment mortgage options available for low- to moderate-income families. To qualify, you must find a property in a USDA-eligible rural or suburban area, and your total household cannot make more than the local USDA income limit.
For non-specific areas, the income limits are $112,450 for a 1-4 member household and $148,450 for a 5-8 member household.
*If a household exceeds 8 members, each additional member receives 8% of the 4-person income limit for their area towards the total.
Income limits are a key eligibility factor for USDA loans. The loan program promotes housing for rural homebuyers with low to medium incomes. To achieve this, the USDA limits how much money your household can make. This limit varies depending on the county you’re buying in to account for more expensive areas. The USDA also typically increases these limits every year to account for inflation.
in 2025, the USDA income limits in most areas are:
Higher income limits apply in areas with higher costs of living. For example, a homebuyer applying for a USDA loan in Santa Rosa, California could not have a combined total household income greater than $151,000 in a household of 1-4 or $199,300 in a household of 5-8.
For home sizes with 8+ members, the allowable income limit increases by 8% of the 4-person income limit in that area for each additional member.For example, if the 4-person income limit for a certain area is $112,450 per year, and a household has nine members:
USDA loans have no universal fixed maximum income limit. However, to account for local variances in affordability, the limit depends on where you live. For example, the 1 to 4-person limit in Fort Worth, TX, is $117,150 in 2025 compared to the $135,550 in Elk Grove, California.
When considering a borrower’s USDA income limit eligibility, lenders must consider income from each adult earner in the household, regardless of whether they’re applying for the loan.
Exclusions exist to account for senior household members and full-time students; otherwise, anyone 18 or older who is planning to occupy the new home will have their income considered when calculating the household income limit.
To check your USDA income limit eligibility, follow the steps below or get started here.
Lenders will first check the income limit in the area for which you’re applying. They will determine whether or not the area is eligible for USDA financing, and then they will check the income limit.
The USDA looks at the total gross income for all adult household members, not just the loan applicants. This includes:
You can find your gross, or pre-tax, income by checking your pay stub or tax return. If your pay is hourly, you can calculate your annual income using the following formula:
(Hourly Rate x Number of Hours per Week) x 52 = Total Annual Income
Check out this article to learn about how USDA lenders calculate variable employment income.
The USDA allows certain adjustments when determining a household’s income. For income considerations, the USDA allows adjustments for full-time students and elderly household members. Here’s how it works:
If a full-time student is a dependent household member (meaning they are not directly applying for the loan or are the applicant's spouse), then the USDA will allow a cap on their income of $480. Only $480 of their gross annual income will be counted and then $480 is applied as a deduction. For elderly or disabled household dependents, their income will still be considered, however, only $400 of their gross annual income will be considered and applied as a deduction.
For example, say you and your spouse make a combined $60,000 a year, and you have one elderly household member who makes $2,000 a month in disability (or $24,000 yearly). The USDA will deduct $400 of their income as a deduction and count the rest. So $60,000 - $400 = $83,600.
The USDA also allows deductions for:
Here are some other forms of income excluded from your household’s income limit:
The household is eligible if the adjusted income falls below the USDA limit for the area.
After verifying your income and eligibility, USDA lenders review these additional financial factors to determine how much loan you can afford:
Unlike FHA and conventional loans, USDA loans do not have set loan limits. Instead, the maximum loan amount a borrower can qualify for is based on their ability to repay the loan, which is determined by their income, debts, and the USDA's debt-to-income (DTI) guidelines.
In other words, if you meet the USDA eligibility requirements, you can likely borrow as much as a lender will give you.
Neighbors Bank is one of the Top Five USDA Lenders in the United States. We believe in making homebuying simple and accessible for families across the country. If you're considering a USDA loan, start your prequalification today to check your USDA eligibility and see how much home you can afford.