Check a site address against USDA's rural map
Section 538 only guarantees loans on property in an eligible rural area. Type the site's address and this checks it against USDA's own map of ineligible areas, the same map USDA's eligibility site draws, plus the proposed map based on the 2020 census.
How USDA draws the line
The statute defines rural by population and character, not by a map. Section 520 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490) counts open country and places of up to 2,500 people, places up to 10,000 that are rural in character, and places up to 20,000 outside a metropolitan area with a serious lack of mortgage credit for lower and moderate income families. Areas that were rural before and lost the status on later census counts stay eligible until 2030 census data arrives, if they have no more than 35,000 people and still meet the character and credit tests.
USDA's state offices turn those rules into ineligible-area polygons. A point outside every polygon is eligible on the map. The polygons in the current layer were last edited July 25, 2023, so this check reflects that version.
What the result doesn't settle
The map is the first screen. USDA still makes the final eligibility call when it reviews a complete application, and its disclaimer says so. The rest of the deal has to fit too: at least five units, new construction or rehab of at least $6,500 a unit (USDA does not guarantee acquisition-only deals), tenants at or under 115% of area median income at move-in, and rents within the 538 caps. Check the income limits for the area next, or size the loan in the 538 loan sizer.
Common questions
Can a town of 30,000 be eligible?
Yes, if it was rural before and lost the status on a later census count, still has 35,000 people or fewer, is rural in character and has a serious lack of mortgage credit. Section 520 keeps those places rural until 2030 census data arrives.
Is USDA eligibility the same for 538 and single family loans?
USDA's map service uses one ineligible-area layer for its single family and multifamily housing programs, and that is the layer this check reads. Final eligibility is USDA's call when it reviews a complete application.
What is the proposed map?
USDA has published proposed ineligible areas based on 2020 census data. The check shows that map too, so you can see whether a site that is eligible today could lose eligibility when the new map takes effect. Grandfathering doesn't cover every place: a town that has grown past 35,000, or no longer meets the character or credit tests, can drop off the new map.