Connecticut Section 538 income limits for FY2026
A Section 538 tenant can earn up to 115% of area median income at move-in. In Connecticut that limit for a family of four runs from $129,150 in Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT to $207,600 in Darien town, CT. Limits took effect July 13, 2026.
| Area | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT metro area | 126,200 | 144,250 | 162,250 | 180,300 | 194,700 | 209,150 | 223,550 | 238,000 |
| Bridgeport town, CT | 113,500 | 129,700 | 145,950 | 162,150 | 175,150 | 188,150 | 201,100 | 214,050 |
| Bridgewater town, CT | 110,900 | 126,700 | 142,600 | 158,450 | 171,100 | 183,800 | 196,450 | 209,150 |
| Darien town, CT | 145,300 | 166,100 | 186,850 | 207,600 | 224,200 | 240,800 | 257,400 | 274,050 |
| Easton town, CT | 113,500 | 129,700 | 145,950 | 162,150 | 175,150 | 188,150 | 201,100 | 214,050 |
| Fairfield town, CT | 113,500 | 129,700 | 145,950 | 162,150 | 175,150 | 188,150 | 201,100 | 214,050 |
| Greenwich town, CT | 145,300 | 166,100 | 186,850 | 207,600 | 224,200 | 240,800 | 257,400 | 274,050 |
| Monroe town, CT | 113,500 | 129,700 | 145,950 | 162,150 | 175,150 | 188,150 | 201,100 | 214,050 |
| New Canaan town, CT | 145,300 | 166,100 | 186,850 | 207,600 | 224,200 | 240,800 | 257,400 | 274,050 |
| New Milford town, CT | 110,900 | 126,700 | 142,600 | 158,450 | 171,100 | 183,800 | 196,450 | 209,150 |
| Norwalk town, CT | 145,300 | 166,100 | 186,850 | 207,600 | 224,200 | 240,800 | 257,400 | 274,050 |
| Stamford town, CT | 145,300 | 166,100 | 186,850 | 207,600 | 224,200 | 240,800 | 257,400 | 274,050 |
| Stratford town, CT | 113,500 | 129,700 | 145,950 | 162,150 | 175,150 | 188,150 | 201,100 | 214,050 |
| Trumbull town, CT | 113,500 | 129,700 | 145,950 | 162,150 | 175,150 | 188,150 | 201,100 | 214,050 |
| Weston town, CT | 145,300 | 166,100 | 186,850 | 207,600 | 224,200 | 240,800 | 257,400 | 274,050 |
| Westport town, CT | 145,300 | 166,100 | 186,850 | 207,600 | 224,200 | 240,800 | 257,400 | 274,050 |
| Wilton town, CT | 145,300 | 166,100 | 186,850 | 207,600 | 224,200 | 240,800 | 257,400 | 274,050 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT metro area | 104,000 | 118,900 | 133,750 | 148,600 | 160,500 | 172,400 | 184,250 | 196,150 |
| Clinton town, CT | 119,900 | 137,000 | 154,150 | 171,250 | 184,950 | 198,650 | 212,350 | 226,050 |
| Deep River town, CT | 119,900 | 137,000 | 154,150 | 171,250 | 184,950 | 198,650 | 212,350 | 226,050 |
| Essex town, CT | 119,900 | 137,000 | 154,150 | 171,250 | 184,950 | 198,650 | 212,350 | 226,050 |
| Killingworth town, CT | 119,900 | 137,000 | 154,150 | 171,250 | 184,950 | 198,650 | 212,350 | 226,050 |
| Old Saybrook town, CT | 119,900 | 137,000 | 154,150 | 171,250 | 184,950 | 198,650 | 212,350 | 226,050 |
| Westbrook town, CT | 119,900 | 137,000 | 154,150 | 171,250 | 184,950 | 198,650 | 212,350 | 226,050 |
| Bethany town, CT | 99,200 | 113,350 | 127,550 | 141,700 | 153,050 | 164,350 | 175,700 | 187,050 |
| Branford town, CT | 99,200 | 113,350 | 127,550 | 141,700 | 153,050 | 164,350 | 175,700 | 187,050 |
| East Haven town, CT | 99,200 | 113,350 | 127,550 | 141,700 | 153,050 | 164,350 | 175,700 | 187,050 |
| Guilford town, CT | 99,200 | 113,350 | 127,550 | 141,700 | 153,050 | 164,350 | 175,700 | 187,050 |
| Hamden town, CT | 99,200 | 113,350 | 127,550 | 141,700 | 153,050 | 164,350 | 175,700 | 187,050 |
| Madison town, CT | 99,200 | 113,350 | 127,550 | 141,700 | 153,050 | 164,350 | 175,700 | 187,050 |
| Meriden town, CT | 99,200 | 113,350 | 127,550 | 141,700 | 153,050 | 164,350 | 175,700 | 187,050 |
| Milford town, CT | 104,900 | 119,900 | 134,850 | 149,850 | 161,850 | 173,850 | 185,800 | 197,800 |
| New Haven town, CT | 99,200 | 113,350 | 127,550 | 141,700 | 153,050 | 164,350 | 175,700 | 187,050 |
| North Branford town, CT | 99,200 | 113,350 | 127,550 | 141,700 | 153,050 | 164,350 | 175,700 | 187,050 |
| North Haven town, CT | 99,200 | 113,350 | 127,550 | 141,700 | 153,050 | 164,350 | 175,700 | 187,050 |
| Orange town, CT | 99,200 | 113,350 | 127,550 | 141,700 | 153,050 | 164,350 | 175,700 | 187,050 |
| Wallingford town, CT | 99,200 | 113,350 | 127,550 | 141,700 | 153,050 | 164,350 | 175,700 | 187,050 |
| West Haven town, CT | 99,200 | 113,350 | 127,550 | 141,700 | 153,050 | 164,350 | 175,700 | 187,050 |
| Woodbridge town, CT | 99,200 | 113,350 | 127,550 | 141,700 | 153,050 | 164,350 | 175,700 | 187,050 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT metro area | 90,400 | 103,300 | 116,250 | 129,150 | 139,500 | 149,800 | 160,150 | 170,500 |
| Colchester town, CT | 119,550 | 136,650 | 153,700 | 170,800 | 184,450 | 198,150 | 211,800 | 225,450 |
| Lebanon town, CT | 119,550 | 136,650 | 153,700 | 170,800 | 184,450 | 198,150 | 211,800 | 225,450 |
| Ansonia town, CT | 104,900 | 119,900 | 134,850 | 149,850 | 161,850 | 173,850 | 185,800 | 197,800 |
| Beacon Falls town, CT | 104,900 | 119,900 | 134,850 | 149,850 | 161,850 | 173,850 | 185,800 | 197,800 |
| Bethlehem town, CT | 92,350 | 105,500 | 118,700 | 131,900 | 142,450 | 153,000 | 163,550 | 174,100 |
| Bristol town, CT | 98,050 | 112,050 | 126,050 | 140,050 | 151,250 | 162,450 | 173,650 | 184,850 |
| Cheshire town, CT | 93,450 | 106,800 | 120,150 | 133,500 | 144,200 | 154,850 | 165,550 | 176,200 |
| Derby town, CT | 104,900 | 119,900 | 134,850 | 149,850 | 161,850 | 173,850 | 185,800 | 197,800 |
| Middlebury town, CT | 91,750 | 104,900 | 118,000 | 131,100 | 141,600 | 152,100 | 162,550 | 173,050 |
| Naugatuck town, CT | 91,750 | 104,900 | 118,000 | 131,100 | 141,600 | 152,100 | 162,550 | 173,050 |
| Oxford town, CT | 104,900 | 119,900 | 134,850 | 149,850 | 161,850 | 173,850 | 185,800 | 197,800 |
| Plymouth town, CT | 92,350 | 105,500 | 118,700 | 131,900 | 142,450 | 153,000 | 163,550 | 174,100 |
| Prospect town, CT | 91,750 | 104,900 | 118,000 | 131,100 | 141,600 | 152,100 | 162,550 | 173,050 |
| Seymour town, CT | 104,900 | 119,900 | 134,850 | 149,850 | 161,850 | 173,850 | 185,800 | 197,800 |
| Shelton town, CT | 94,500 | 108,000 | 121,500 | 135,000 | 145,800 | 156,600 | 167,400 | 178,200 |
| Southbury town, CT | 91,750 | 104,900 | 118,000 | 131,100 | 141,600 | 152,100 | 162,550 | 173,050 |
| Thomaston town, CT | 92,350 | 105,500 | 118,700 | 131,900 | 142,450 | 153,000 | 163,550 | 174,100 |
| Waterbury town, CT | 91,750 | 104,900 | 118,000 | 131,100 | 141,600 | 152,100 | 162,550 | 173,050 |
| Watertown town, CT | 92,350 | 105,500 | 118,700 | 131,900 | 142,450 | 153,000 | 163,550 | 174,100 |
| Wolcott town, CT | 91,750 | 104,900 | 118,000 | 131,100 | 141,600 | 152,100 | 162,550 | 173,050 |
| Woodbury town, CT | 92,350 | 105,500 | 118,700 | 131,900 | 142,450 | 153,000 | 163,550 | 174,100 |
| Ashford town, CT | 96,500 | 110,250 | 124,050 | 137,800 | 148,850 | 159,850 | 170,900 | 181,900 |
| Brooklyn town, CT | 96,500 | 110,250 | 124,050 | 137,800 | 148,850 | 159,850 | 170,900 | 181,900 |
| Canterbury town, CT | 96,500 | 110,250 | 124,050 | 137,800 | 148,850 | 159,850 | 170,900 | 181,900 |
| Chaplin town, CT | 96,500 | 110,250 | 124,050 | 137,800 | 148,850 | 159,850 | 170,900 | 181,900 |
| Eastford town, CT | 96,500 | 110,250 | 124,050 | 137,800 | 148,850 | 159,850 | 170,900 | 181,900 |
| Hampton town, CT | 96,500 | 110,250 | 124,050 | 137,800 | 148,850 | 159,850 | 170,900 | 181,900 |
| Killingly town, CT | 96,500 | 110,250 | 124,050 | 137,800 | 148,850 | 159,850 | 170,900 | 181,900 |
| Plainfield town, CT | 96,500 | 110,250 | 124,050 | 137,800 | 148,850 | 159,850 | 170,900 | 181,900 |
| Pomfret town, CT | 96,500 | 110,250 | 124,050 | 137,800 | 148,850 | 159,850 | 170,900 | 181,900 |
| Putnam town, CT | 96,500 | 110,250 | 124,050 | 137,800 | 148,850 | 159,850 | 170,900 | 181,900 |
| Scotland town, CT | 96,500 | 110,250 | 124,050 | 137,800 | 148,850 | 159,850 | 170,900 | 181,900 |
| Sterling town, CT | 96,500 | 110,250 | 124,050 | 137,800 | 148,850 | 159,850 | 170,900 | 181,900 |
| Thompson town, CT | 96,500 | 110,250 | 124,050 | 137,800 | 148,850 | 159,850 | 170,900 | 181,900 |
| Union town, CT | 101,850 | 116,400 | 130,950 | 145,500 | 157,150 | 168,800 | 180,400 | 192,050 |
| Voluntown town, CT | 99,550 | 113,700 | 127,950 | 142,150 | 153,550 | 164,900 | 176,250 | 187,650 |
| Woodstock town, CT | 96,500 | 110,250 | 124,050 | 137,800 | 148,850 | 159,850 | 170,900 | 181,900 |
| Northwest Hills Planning Region, CT | 98,850 | 112,950 | 127,100 | 141,200 | 152,500 | 163,800 | 175,100 | 186,400 |
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 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT: the four-person limit is $180,300, so the per-unit cap for a unit sized for four people is $4,507 a month including utilities. The project-average cap uses 100% of median instead of 115%, roughly $3,919 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 78 Connecticut areas and every other state in one file: 538 income limits download.