Arkansas Section 538 income limits for FY2026
A Section 538 tenant can earn up to 115% of area median income at move-in. In Arkansas that limit for a family of four runs from $61,050 in Desha County, AR to $122,950 in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR. Limits took effect July 13, 2026.
| Area | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR metro area | 86,050 | 98,350 | 110,650 | 122,950 | 132,800 | 142,600 | 152,450 | 162,300 |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area | 61,800 | 70,650 | 79,450 | 88,300 | 95,350 | 102,450 | 109,500 | 116,550 |
| Hot Springs, AR metro area | 64,700 | 73,950 | 83,200 | 92,450 | 99,800 | 107,250 | 114,600 | 122,000 |
| Jonesboro, AR metro area | 67,950 | 77,700 | 87,350 | 97,100 | 104,850 | 112,650 | 120,450 | 128,200 |
| Poinsett County, AR part of the Jonesboro, AR metro area | 52,900 | 60,450 | 68,000 | 75,550 | 81,600 | 87,650 | 93,700 | 99,750 |
| Grant County, AR part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area | 79,950 | 91,350 | 102,750 | 114,200 | 123,300 | 132,450 | 141,600 | 150,700 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area | 75,450 | 86,200 | 97,000 | 107,750 | 116,350 | 125,000 | 133,600 | 142,250 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area | 74,600 | 85,300 | 95,950 | 106,600 | 115,150 | 123,650 | 132,200 | 140,700 |
| Little River County, AR part of the Texarkana, TX-AR metro area | 65,650 | 75,000 | 84,400 | 93,750 | 101,250 | 108,750 | 116,250 | 123,750 |
| Texarkana, TX-Texarkana, AR part of the Texarkana, TX-AR metro area | 63,050 | 72,050 | 81,050 | 90,050 | 97,250 | 104,450 | 111,650 | 118,850 |
| Arkansas County, AR | 63,050 | 72,050 | 81,050 | 90,050 | 97,250 | 104,450 | 111,650 | 118,850 |
| Ashley County, AR | 52,400 | 59,900 | 67,350 | 74,850 | 80,850 | 86,850 | 92,800 | 98,800 |
| Baxter County, AR | 55,550 | 63,500 | 71,400 | 79,350 | 85,700 | 92,050 | 98,400 | 104,750 |
| Boone County, AR | 60,400 | 69,000 | 77,650 | 86,250 | 93,150 | 100,050 | 106,950 | 113,850 |
| Bradley County, AR | 57,150 | 65,300 | 73,500 | 81,650 | 88,200 | 94,700 | 101,250 | 107,800 |
| Calhoun County, AR | 68,050 | 77,750 | 87,500 | 97,200 | 105,000 | 112,750 | 120,550 | 128,300 |
| Carroll County, AR | 64,250 | 73,400 | 82,600 | 91,750 | 99,100 | 106,450 | 113,750 | 121,100 |
| Chicot County, AR | 48,150 | 54,950 | 61,900 | 68,750 | 74,250 | 79,700 | 85,300 | 90,750 |
| Clark County, AR | 61,500 | 70,300 | 79,050 | 87,850 | 94,900 | 101,900 | 108,950 | 115,950 |
| Clay County, AR | 51,600 | 58,950 | 66,350 | 73,700 | 79,600 | 85,500 | 91,400 | 97,300 |
| Cleburne County, AR | 59,750 | 68,300 | 76,800 | 85,350 | 92,200 | 99,000 | 105,850 | 112,650 |
| Cleveland County, AR | 63,550 | 72,600 | 81,700 | 90,750 | 98,000 | 105,250 | 112,550 | 119,800 |
| Columbia County, AR | 55,250 | 63,100 | 71,000 | 78,900 | 85,200 | 91,500 | 97,850 | 104,150 |
| Conway County, AR | 54,900 | 62,750 | 70,600 | 78,450 | 84,750 | 91,000 | 97,300 | 103,550 |
| Cross County, AR | 55,800 | 63,750 | 71,750 | 79,700 | 86,100 | 92,450 | 98,850 | 105,200 |
| Dallas County, AR | 61,500 | 70,300 | 79,050 | 87,850 | 94,900 | 101,900 | 108,950 | 115,950 |
| Desha County, AR | 42,750 | 48,850 | 54,950 | 61,050 | 65,950 | 70,800 | 75,700 | 80,600 |
| Drew County, AR | 54,000 | 61,700 | 69,450 | 77,150 | 83,300 | 89,500 | 95,650 | 101,850 |
| Franklin County, AR | 60,600 | 69,300 | 77,950 | 86,600 | 93,550 | 100,450 | 107,400 | 114,300 |
| Fulton County, AR | 46,600 | 53,300 | 59,950 | 66,600 | 71,950 | 77,250 | 82,600 | 87,900 |
| Greene County, AR | 58,150 | 66,450 | 74,750 | 83,050 | 89,700 | 96,350 | 103,000 | 109,650 |
| Hempstead County, AR | 56,400 | 64,500 | 72,550 | 80,600 | 87,050 | 93,500 | 99,950 | 106,400 |
| Hot Spring County, AR | 59,900 | 68,450 | 77,000 | 85,550 | 92,400 | 99,250 | 106,100 | 112,950 |
| Howard County, AR | 51,500 | 58,900 | 66,250 | 73,600 | 79,500 | 85,400 | 91,250 | 97,150 |
| Independence County, AR | 57,250 | 65,400 | 73,600 | 81,750 | 88,300 | 94,850 | 101,350 | 107,900 |
| Izard County, AR | 51,500 | 58,900 | 66,250 | 73,600 | 79,500 | 85,400 | 91,250 | 97,150 |
| Jackson County, AR | 49,050 | 56,050 | 63,050 | 70,050 | 75,650 | 81,250 | 86,850 | 92,450 |
| Jefferson County, AR | 58,850 | 67,250 | 75,650 | 84,050 | 90,750 | 97,500 | 104,200 | 110,950 |
| Johnson County, AR | 52,150 | 59,600 | 67,050 | 74,500 | 80,450 | 86,400 | 92,400 | 98,350 |
| Lafayette County, AR | 52,500 | 60,000 | 67,500 | 75,000 | 81,000 | 87,000 | 93,000 | 99,000 |
| Lawrence County, AR | 53,600 | 61,300 | 68,950 | 76,600 | 82,750 | 88,850 | 95,000 | 101,100 |
| Lee County, AR | 43,000 | 49,100 | 55,250 | 61,400 | 66,300 | 71,200 | 76,150 | 81,050 |
| Lincoln County, AR | 58,850 | 67,250 | 75,650 | 84,050 | 90,750 | 97,500 | 104,200 | 110,950 |
| Logan County, AR | 63,050 | 72,050 | 81,050 | 90,050 | 97,250 | 104,450 | 111,650 | 118,850 |
| Marion County, AR | 51,450 | 58,800 | 66,150 | 73,500 | 79,400 | 85,250 | 91,150 | 97,000 |
| Mississippi County, AR | 54,650 | 62,500 | 70,300 | 78,100 | 84,350 | 90,600 | 96,850 | 103,100 |
| Monroe County, AR | 59,750 | 68,300 | 76,800 | 85,350 | 92,200 | 99,000 | 105,850 | 112,650 |
| Montgomery County, AR | 51,750 | 59,150 | 66,550 | 73,950 | 79,850 | 85,800 | 91,700 | 97,600 |
| Nevada County, AR | 47,300 | 54,000 | 60,750 | 67,500 | 72,900 | 78,300 | 83,750 | 89,150 |
| Newton County, AR | 56,900 | 65,050 | 73,150 | 81,300 | 87,800 | 94,300 | 100,800 | 107,300 |
| Ouachita County, AR | 55,600 | 63,550 | 71,500 | 79,450 | 85,800 | 92,150 | 98,500 | 104,850 |
| Phillips County, AR | 44,900 | 51,300 | 57,750 | 64,150 | 69,300 | 74,400 | 79,550 | 84,700 |
| Pike County, AR | 58,750 | 67,150 | 75,550 | 83,950 | 90,650 | 97,400 | 104,100 | 110,800 |
| Polk County, AR | 53,950 | 61,650 | 69,350 | 77,050 | 83,200 | 89,400 | 95,550 | 101,700 |
| Pope County, AR | 60,450 | 69,100 | 77,700 | 86,350 | 93,250 | 100,150 | 107,050 | 114,000 |
| Prairie County, AR | 73,250 | 83,700 | 94,200 | 104,650 | 113,000 | 121,400 | 129,750 | 138,150 |
| Randolph County, AR | 55,950 | 63,950 | 71,950 | 79,950 | 86,350 | 92,750 | 99,150 | 105,550 |
| Scott County, AR | 52,350 | 59,800 | 67,300 | 74,750 | 80,750 | 86,700 | 92,700 | 98,650 |
| Searcy County, AR | 47,250 | 54,000 | 60,750 | 67,500 | 72,900 | 78,300 | 83,700 | 89,100 |
| Sevier County, AR | 56,400 | 64,500 | 72,550 | 80,600 | 87,050 | 93,500 | 99,950 | 106,400 |
| Sharp County, AR | 51,850 | 59,250 | 66,650 | 74,050 | 79,950 | 85,900 | 91,800 | 97,750 |
| St. Francis County, AR | 44,750 | 51,150 | 57,550 | 63,950 | 69,050 | 74,200 | 79,300 | 84,400 |
| Stone County, AR | 48,950 | 55,900 | 62,900 | 69,900 | 75,500 | 81,100 | 86,700 | 92,250 |
| Union County, AR | 61,100 | 69,850 | 78,550 | 87,300 | 94,300 | 101,250 | 108,250 | 115,250 |
| Van Buren County, AR | 53,850 | 61,550 | 69,250 | 76,950 | 83,100 | 89,250 | 95,400 | 101,550 |
| White County, AR | 61,650 | 70,500 | 79,300 | 88,100 | 95,150 | 102,200 | 109,250 | 116,300 |
| Woodruff County, AR | 61,250 | 70,000 | 78,750 | 87,500 | 94,500 | 101,500 | 108,500 | 115,500 |
| Yell County, AR | 60,200 | 68,850 | 77,400 | 86,050 | 92,950 | 99,800 | 106,700 | 113,600 |
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 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR: the four-person limit is $122,950, so the per-unit cap for a unit sized for four people is $3,073 a month including utilities. The project-average cap uses 100% of median instead of 115%, roughly $2,672 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 68 Arkansas areas and every other state in one file: 538 income limits download.