Alabama Section 538 income limits for FY2026
A Section 538 tenant can earn up to 115% of area median income at move-in. In Alabama that limit for a family of four runs from $51,050 in Perry County, AL to $132,850 in Huntsville, AL. Limits took effect July 13, 2026.
| Area | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anniston-Oxford, AL metro area | 59,650 | 68,150 | 76,700 | 85,200 | 92,000 | 98,850 | 105,650 | 112,450 |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area | 84,350 | 96,450 | 108,500 | 120,550 | 130,150 | 139,850 | 149,450 | 159,100 |
| Macon County, AL part of the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area | 47,450 | 54,200 | 61,000 | 67,750 | 73,150 | 78,600 | 84,000 | 89,450 |
| Birmingham-Hoover, AL part of the Birmingham, AL metro area | 83,800 | 95,750 | 107,750 | 119,700 | 129,300 | 138,850 | 148,450 | 158,000 |
| Chilton County, AL part of the Birmingham, AL metro area | 68,500 | 78,300 | 88,050 | 97,850 | 105,700 | 113,500 | 121,350 | 129,150 |
| Walker County, AL part of the Birmingham, AL metro area | 62,850 | 71,850 | 80,800 | 89,800 | 97,000 | 104,150 | 111,350 | 118,550 |
| Columbus, GA-AL metro area | 69,050 | 78,900 | 88,800 | 98,650 | 106,550 | 114,450 | 122,350 | 130,200 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL metro area | 82,300 | 94,100 | 105,850 | 117,600 | 127,050 | 136,450 | 145,850 | 155,250 |
| Decatur, AL metro area | 75,900 | 86,700 | 97,550 | 108,400 | 117,050 | 125,750 | 134,400 | 143,050 |
| Dothan, AL metro area | 63,850 | 72,950 | 82,100 | 91,200 | 98,500 | 105,800 | 113,100 | 120,400 |
| Henry County, AL part of the Dothan, AL metro area | 68,850 | 78,700 | 88,500 | 98,350 | 106,200 | 114,100 | 121,950 | 129,800 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL metro area | 72,950 | 83,350 | 93,800 | 104,200 | 112,550 | 120,850 | 129,250 | 137,550 |
| Gadsden, AL metro area | 62,500 | 71,400 | 80,400 | 89,300 | 96,450 | 103,600 | 110,750 | 117,900 |
| Huntsville, AL metro area | 93,000 | 106,300 | 119,550 | 132,850 | 143,500 | 154,100 | 164,750 | 175,350 |
| Mobile, AL metro area | 67,050 | 76,650 | 86,200 | 95,800 | 103,450 | 111,150 | 118,800 | 126,450 |
| Montgomery, AL metro area | 71,450 | 81,700 | 91,900 | 102,100 | 110,250 | 118,450 | 126,600 | 134,750 |
| Greene County, AL part of the Tuscaloosa, AL metro area | 45,350 | 51,800 | 58,300 | 64,750 | 69,950 | 75,100 | 80,300 | 85,450 |
| Pickens County, AL part of the Tuscaloosa, AL metro area | 53,950 | 61,650 | 69,350 | 77,050 | 83,200 | 89,400 | 95,550 | 101,700 |
| Tuscaloosa, AL metro area | 74,850 | 85,550 | 96,250 | 106,950 | 115,500 | 124,050 | 132,600 | 141,150 |
| Barbour County, AL | 56,300 | 64,300 | 72,350 | 80,400 | 86,850 | 93,250 | 99,700 | 106,150 |
| Bullock County, AL | 42,050 | 48,050 | 54,050 | 60,050 | 64,850 | 69,650 | 74,450 | 79,250 |
| Butler County, AL | 56,650 | 64,750 | 72,850 | 80,950 | 87,450 | 93,900 | 100,400 | 106,850 |
| Chambers County, AL | 55,050 | 62,900 | 70,800 | 78,650 | 84,950 | 91,250 | 97,550 | 103,800 |
| Cherokee County, AL | 59,250 | 67,700 | 76,200 | 84,650 | 91,400 | 98,200 | 104,950 | 111,750 |
| Choctaw County, AL | 60,300 | 68,900 | 77,550 | 86,150 | 93,050 | 99,950 | 106,850 | 113,700 |
| Clarke County, AL | 60,850 | 69,550 | 78,250 | 86,950 | 93,900 | 100,850 | 107,800 | 114,750 |
| Clay County, AL | 59,050 | 67,450 | 75,950 | 84,350 | 91,100 | 97,800 | 104,600 | 111,350 |
| Cleburne County, AL | 66,750 | 76,300 | 85,800 | 95,350 | 103,000 | 110,600 | 118,250 | 125,850 |
| Coffee County, AL | 70,100 | 80,100 | 90,150 | 100,150 | 108,150 | 116,150 | 124,200 | 132,200 |
| Conecuh County, AL | 48,350 | 55,300 | 62,200 | 69,100 | 74,650 | 80,150 | 85,700 | 91,200 |
| Coosa County, AL | 59,500 | 68,000 | 76,500 | 85,000 | 91,800 | 98,600 | 105,400 | 112,200 |
| Covington County, AL | 59,500 | 68,000 | 76,500 | 85,000 | 91,800 | 98,600 | 105,400 | 112,200 |
| Crenshaw County, AL | 59,500 | 68,000 | 76,500 | 85,000 | 91,800 | 98,600 | 105,400 | 112,200 |
| Cullman County, AL | 67,250 | 76,850 | 86,450 | 96,050 | 103,750 | 111,400 | 119,100 | 126,800 |
| Dale County, AL | 61,600 | 70,400 | 79,200 | 88,000 | 95,050 | 102,100 | 109,100 | 116,150 |
| Dallas County, AL | 48,000 | 54,850 | 61,700 | 68,550 | 74,050 | 79,500 | 85,000 | 90,500 |
| DeKalb County, AL | 53,650 | 61,300 | 69,000 | 76,650 | 82,800 | 88,900 | 95,050 | 101,200 |
| Escambia County, AL | 57,800 | 66,100 | 74,350 | 82,600 | 89,200 | 95,800 | 102,400 | 109,050 |
| Fayette County, AL | 58,300 | 66,600 | 74,950 | 83,250 | 89,950 | 96,600 | 103,250 | 109,900 |
| Franklin County, AL | 57,400 | 65,600 | 73,800 | 82,000 | 88,550 | 95,100 | 101,700 | 108,250 |
| Jackson County, AL | 56,100 | 64,100 | 72,150 | 80,150 | 86,550 | 92,950 | 99,400 | 105,800 |
| Lamar County, AL | 55,300 | 63,200 | 71,100 | 79,000 | 85,300 | 91,650 | 97,950 | 104,300 |
| Marengo County, AL | 67,550 | 77,200 | 86,850 | 96,500 | 104,200 | 111,950 | 119,650 | 127,400 |
| Marion County, AL | 58,150 | 66,450 | 74,750 | 83,050 | 89,700 | 96,350 | 103,000 | 109,650 |
| Marshall County, AL | 68,100 | 77,900 | 87,650 | 97,400 | 105,200 | 113,000 | 120,750 | 128,550 |
| Monroe County, AL | 52,950 | 60,500 | 68,100 | 75,650 | 81,700 | 87,750 | 93,800 | 99,850 |
| Perry County, AL | 35,750 | 40,850 | 45,950 | 51,050 | 55,150 | 59,200 | 63,300 | 67,400 |
| Pike County, AL | 62,550 | 71,500 | 80,400 | 89,350 | 96,500 | 103,650 | 110,800 | 117,950 |
| Randolph County, AL | 59,400 | 67,900 | 76,350 | 84,850 | 91,650 | 98,450 | 105,200 | 112,000 |
| Sumter County, AL | 42,400 | 48,500 | 54,550 | 60,600 | 65,450 | 70,300 | 75,150 | 80,000 |
| Talladega County, AL | 61,250 | 70,000 | 78,750 | 87,500 | 94,500 | 101,500 | 108,500 | 115,500 |
| Tallapoosa County, AL | 62,500 | 71,400 | 80,350 | 89,250 | 96,400 | 103,550 | 110,650 | 117,800 |
| Washington County, AL | 72,150 | 82,450 | 92,750 | 103,050 | 111,300 | 119,550 | 127,800 | 136,050 |
| Wilcox County, AL | 46,450 | 53,100 | 59,700 | 66,350 | 71,650 | 76,950 | 82,250 | 87,600 |
| Winston County, AL | 58,200 | 66,500 | 74,850 | 83,150 | 89,800 | 96,450 | 103,100 | 109,750 |
From income limit to rent cap
Two rent rules apply under 7 CFR 3565.203. Each unit's rent, counting tenant-paid utilities, can't exceed 30% of 115% of area median income adjusted for family size, which is 30% of the figure in the table for the household size you assume, divided by 12. And across the whole project, the average rent can't exceed 30% of 100% of area median income each year.
Worked example for Anniston-Oxford, AL: the four-person limit is $85,200, so the per-unit cap for a unit sized for four people is $2,130 a month including utilities. The project-average cap uses 100% of median instead of 115%, roughly $1,852 a month at the four-person size. Which household size applies to each bedroom count is set in USDA's program handbook; confirm it with your lender.
Income is tested only at move-in. A tenant whose income later rises above the limit can stay (7 CFR 3565.202(a)). Want to see what those rents support in debt? Run them through the 538 loan sizer.
All 55 Alabama areas and every other state in one file: 538 income limits download.