California Section 538 income limits for FY2026

A Section 538 tenant can earn up to 115% of area median income at move-in. In California that limit for a family of four runs from $85,900 in Modoc County, CA to $236,350 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA. Limits took effect July 13, 2026.

Source: USDA Rural Development, FY2026 MFH income limits, "RD 538 GUAR MOD INC" row, effective July 13, 2026. Persons in the household.
Area	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area	65,950	75,350	84,800	94,200	101,750	109,250	116,800	124,350
Chico, CA metro area	77,750	88,900	100,000	111,100	120,000	128,900	137,750	146,650
El Centro, CA metro area	60,800	69,500	78,150	86,850	93,800	100,750	107,700	114,650
Fresno, CA metro area	73,500	84,000	94,500	105,000	113,400	121,800	130,200	138,600
Madera County, CA part of the Fresno, CA metro area	70,650	80,750	90,850	100,950	109,050	117,100	125,200	133,250
Hanford-Corcoran, CA metro area	68,350	78,100	87,900	97,650	105,450	113,250	121,100	128,900
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area	87,000	99,450	111,850	124,300	134,250	144,200	154,150	164,100
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA metro area	111,600	127,500	143,450	159,400	172,150	184,900	197,650	210,400
Merced, CA metro area	65,150	74,450	83,750	93,100	100,500	107,950	115,450	122,850
Modesto, CA metro area	79,300	90,650	101,950	113,300	122,350	131,450	140,500	149,550
Napa, CA metro area	125,300	143,250	161,150	179,050	193,350	207,700	222,000	236,350
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA metro area	109,150	124,750	140,350	155,950	168,450	180,900	193,400	205,850
Redding, CA metro area	78,300	89,500	100,700	111,900	120,850	129,800	138,750	147,700
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area	85,750	98,000	110,250	122,500	132,300	142,100	151,900	161,700
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA part of the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area	USDA's PDF prints this row under its footnote; check USDA's income limit site
Yolo, CA metro area	104,350	119,250	134,150	149,050	160,950	172,900	184,800	196,750
Salinas, CA metro area	88,950	101,700	114,400	127,100	137,250	147,450	157,600	167,750
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area	105,400	120,450	135,500	150,550	162,600	174,650	186,700	198,750
Oakland-Fremont, CA part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area	131,050	149,750	168,500	187,200	202,200	217,150	232,150	247,100
San Francisco, CA part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area	161,650	184,700	207,800	230,900	249,350	267,850	286,300	304,800
San Benito County, CA part of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area	112,900	129,000	145,150	161,250	174,150	187,050	199,950	212,850
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area	165,450	189,100	212,700	236,350	255,250	274,150	293,050	312,000
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area	104,350	119,250	134,150	149,050	160,950	172,900	184,800	196,750
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area	110,450	126,250	142,000	157,800	170,400	183,050	195,650	208,300
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area	95,500	109,100	122,750	136,400	147,300	158,200	169,150	180,050
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area	107,400	122,700	138,050	153,400	165,650	177,950	190,200	202,500
Stockton-Lodi, CA metro area	87,000	99,450	111,850	124,300	134,250	144,200	154,150	164,100
Vallejo, CA metro area	99,550	113,750	128,000	142,200	153,550	164,950	176,350	187,700
Visalia, CA metro area	63,250	72,350	81,350	90,400	97,650	104,900	112,100	119,350
Yuba City, CA metro area	79,500	90,850	102,200	113,550	122,650	131,750	140,850	149,900
Alpine County, CA	104,250	119,150	134,050	148,950	160,850	172,800	184,700	196,600
Amador County, CA	88,950	101,700	114,400	127,100	137,250	147,450	157,600	167,750
Calaveras County, CA	82,600	94,400	106,200	118,000	127,450	136,900	146,300	155,750
Colusa County, CA	75,350	86,100	96,850	107,600	116,250	124,850	133,450	142,100
Del Norte County, CA	73,500	84,000	94,500	105,000	113,400	121,800	130,200	138,600
Glenn County, CA	70,600	80,700	90,750	100,850	108,900	117,000	125,050	133,100
Humboldt County, CA	69,050	78,900	88,800	98,650	106,550	114,450	122,350	130,200
Inyo County, CA	77,550	88,600	99,700	110,750	119,600	128,450	137,350	146,200
Lake County, CA	68,600	78,400	88,200	98,000	105,850	113,700	121,500	129,350
Lassen County, CA	69,400	79,300	89,250	99,150	107,100	115,000	122,950	130,900
Mariposa County, CA	73,550	84,050	94,600	105,100	113,500	121,900	130,350	138,750
Mendocino County, CA	79,750	91,150	102,550	113,950	123,050	132,200	141,300	150,400
Modoc County, CA	60,100	68,750	77,300	85,900	92,750	99,650	106,500	113,400
Mono County, CA	96,900	110,750	124,600	138,450	149,550	160,600	171,700	182,750
Nevada County, CA	108,800	124,350	139,850	155,400	167,900	180,300	192,750	205,200
Plumas County, CA	76,700	87,700	98,650	109,600	118,350	127,150	135,900	144,650
Sierra County, CA	70,850	80,950	91,100	101,200	109,300	117,400	125,500	133,600
Siskiyou County, CA	63,200	72,250	81,250	90,300	97,500	104,750	111,950	119,200
Tehama County, CA	67,950	77,700	87,350	97,100	104,850	112,650	120,450	128,200
Trinity County, CA	63,500	72,600	81,650	90,750	98,000	105,250	112,500	119,800
Tuolumne County, CA	82,300	94,050	105,800	117,550	126,950	136,350	145,750	155,150

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 Bakersfield-Delano, CA: the four-person limit is $94,200, so the per-unit cap for a unit sized for four people is $2,355 a month including utilities. The project-average cap uses 100% of median instead of 115%, roughly $2,047 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 51 California areas and every other state in one file: 538 income limits download.

California Section 538 income limits for FY2026

From income limit to rent cap

Get the FY2027 California limits when USDA posts them