USDA Map and Income Limit: Am I Even Eligible?

USDA guaranteed loans can be zero down, but only after two gates: the property address is on the current USDA map, and household income is under the current area limit. A suburb that “feels rural” is not a map result. Snapshot as of 2026-08 (USDA Rural Development guaranteed SFH program (confirm current RD handbook and eligibility tools)).

Step 1 — map the address

Eligibility is address-specific. A nearby city name is not enough. Run the property address on USDA’s published map tool before you write an offer as if USDA is available.

Use the official tool: USDA eligibility map. Run the exact property, not the city name. Infill on the Wasatch Front is often ineligible even when a neighboring pocket is eligible.

Step 2 — test household income

Household income, not just the borrowers on the note, is tested against the current area limit and household size. Look it up on USDA’s published income tool. Do not use a marketing-page AMI figure.

This page does not publish an AMI dollar figure. Those numbers change and differ by county and household size. If household income is over the limit, FHA or conventional is the usual next comparison — not a “USDA exception.”

Other gates that still apply

• Primary residence. Investment property is not eligible.
• Automated GUS findings and lender overlays often sit near the mid-600s. That is not a published floor that guarantees an approval.
• Guarantee fee snapshot: 1.00% of the loan amount (often financed); annual 0.35% of remaining principal (annualized; confirm current RD fee notice). USDA publishes an upfront guarantee fee and an annual fee. The percents in this module are a dated snapshot, not a quote. Confirm the current RD fee notice before anyone prices a file.

What happens next

Map the address, then talk with a loan officer before you write a USDA offer. Program page: USDA loans in Utah. If the map fails, FHA is often the fallback for low down payment — see FHA vs conventional.