Florida Section 538 income limits for FY2026
A Section 538 tenant can earn up to 115% of area median income at move-in. In Florida that limit for a family of four runs from $67,300 in Glades County, FL to $139,150 in Naples-Marco Island, FL. Limits took effect July 13, 2026.
| Area | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL metro area | 81,950 | 93,600 | 105,300 | 117,000 | 126,350 | 135,700 | 145,100 | 154,450 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area | 85,900 | 98,150 | 110,450 | 122,700 | 132,500 | 142,350 | 152,150 | 161,950 |
| Walton County, FL part of the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area | 80,100 | 91,550 | 103,000 | 114,450 | 123,600 | 132,750 | 141,900 | 151,050 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL metro area | 73,100 | 83,500 | 93,950 | 104,400 | 112,750 | 121,100 | 129,450 | 137,800 |
| Palm Coast, FL part of the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL metro area | 82,150 | 93,850 | 105,650 | 117,350 | 126,750 | 136,100 | 145,500 | 154,900 |
| Gainesville, FL metro area | 85,000 | 97,150 | 109,300 | 121,450 | 131,150 | 140,900 | 150,600 | 160,350 |
| Levy County, FL part of the Gainesville, FL metro area | 55,350 | 63,300 | 71,200 | 79,100 | 85,450 | 91,750 | 98,100 | 104,400 |
| Homosassa Springs, FL metro area | 64,200 | 73,350 | 82,550 | 91,700 | 99,050 | 106,400 | 113,700 | 121,100 |
| Baker County, FL part of the Jacksonville, FL metro area | 81,050 | 92,600 | 104,200 | 115,750 | 125,000 | 134,300 | 143,550 | 152,800 |
| Jacksonville, FL metro area | 87,500 | 100,000 | 112,500 | 125,000 | 135,000 | 145,000 | 155,000 | 165,000 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro area | 67,550 | 77,200 | 86,850 | 96,500 | 104,200 | 111,950 | 119,650 | 127,400 |
| Fort Lauderdale, FL part of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metro area | 82,550 | 94,300 | 106,100 | 117,900 | 127,350 | 136,750 | 146,200 | 155,650 |
| Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL part of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metro area | 72,300 | 82,600 | 92,950 | 103,250 | 111,500 | 119,750 | 128,050 | 136,300 |
| West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL part of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL metro area | 90,000 | 102,850 | 115,700 | 128,550 | 138,850 | 149,100 | 159,400 | 169,700 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL metro area | 97,400 | 111,300 | 125,250 | 139,150 | 150,300 | 161,400 | 172,550 | 183,700 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL metro area | 88,300 | 100,900 | 113,550 | 126,150 | 136,250 | 146,350 | 156,450 | 166,500 |
| Ocala, FL metro area | 67,450 | 77,100 | 86,750 | 96,400 | 104,100 | 111,800 | 119,550 | 127,250 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area | 78,950 | 90,250 | 101,500 | 112,800 | 121,800 | 130,850 | 139,850 | 148,900 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metro area | 80,450 | 91,900 | 103,400 | 114,900 | 124,100 | 133,300 | 142,500 | 151,650 |
| Panama City, FL part of the Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL metro area | 79,650 | 91,000 | 102,400 | 113,750 | 122,850 | 131,950 | 141,050 | 150,150 |
| Washington County, FL part of the Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL metro area | 59,650 | 68,150 | 76,700 | 85,200 | 92,000 | 98,850 | 105,650 | 112,450 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL metro area | 80,700 | 92,200 | 103,750 | 115,250 | 124,450 | 133,700 | 142,900 | 152,150 |
| Port St. Lucie, FL metro area | 79,050 | 90,350 | 101,650 | 112,950 | 121,950 | 131,050 | 140,050 | 149,100 |
| Punta Gorda, FL metro area | 75,250 | 86,100 | 96,850 | 107,600 | 116,200 | 124,850 | 133,450 | 142,050 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL metro area | 80,050 | 91,450 | 102,950 | 114,300 | 123,450 | 132,650 | 141,750 | 150,900 |
| Sebring, FL metro area | 60,850 | 69,550 | 78,250 | 86,950 | 93,900 | 100,850 | 107,800 | 114,750 |
| Tallahassee, FL metro area | 80,100 | 91,550 | 103,000 | 114,450 | 123,600 | 132,750 | 141,900 | 151,050 |
| Wakulla County, FL part of the Tallahassee, FL metro area | 80,800 | 92,350 | 103,900 | 115,450 | 124,700 | 133,900 | 143,150 | 152,400 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area | 84,300 | 96,300 | 108,350 | 120,400 | 130,050 | 139,650 | 149,300 | 158,950 |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL metro area | 83,800 | 95,750 | 107,750 | 119,700 | 129,300 | 138,850 | 148,450 | 158,000 |
| Bradford County, FL | 65,300 | 74,600 | 83,950 | 93,250 | 100,700 | 108,150 | 115,650 | 123,100 |
| Calhoun County, FL | 56,200 | 64,200 | 72,250 | 80,250 | 86,650 | 93,100 | 99,500 | 105,950 |
| Columbia County, FL | 66,800 | 76,350 | 85,900 | 95,450 | 103,100 | 110,700 | 118,350 | 126,000 |
| DeSoto County, FL | 52,950 | 60,500 | 68,100 | 75,650 | 81,700 | 87,750 | 93,800 | 99,850 |
| Dixie County, FL | 50,250 | 57,400 | 64,600 | 71,750 | 77,500 | 83,250 | 88,950 | 94,700 |
| Franklin County, FL | 65,600 | 74,950 | 84,350 | 93,700 | 101,200 | 108,700 | 116,200 | 123,650 |
| Glades County, FL | 47,100 | 53,850 | 60,550 | 67,300 | 72,700 | 78,050 | 83,450 | 88,850 |
| Gulf County, FL | 68,450 | 78,200 | 88,000 | 97,750 | 105,550 | 113,400 | 121,200 | 129,050 |
| Hamilton County, FL | 47,500 | 54,300 | 61,050 | 67,850 | 73,300 | 78,700 | 84,150 | 89,550 |
| Hardee County, FL | 56,400 | 64,500 | 72,600 | 80,600 | 87,050 | 93,550 | 99,950 | 106,450 |
| Hendry County, FL | 50,750 | 58,000 | 65,250 | 72,500 | 78,350 | 84,200 | 90,000 | 95,850 |
| Holmes County, FL | 51,300 | 58,600 | 65,950 | 73,250 | 79,100 | 84,950 | 90,850 | 96,700 |
| Jackson County, FL | 52,350 | 59,800 | 67,300 | 74,750 | 80,750 | 86,700 | 92,700 | 98,650 |
| Lafayette County, FL | 60,550 | 69,200 | 77,850 | 86,500 | 93,400 | 100,350 | 107,250 | 114,200 |
| Liberty County, FL | 58,750 | 67,200 | 75,550 | 83,950 | 90,650 | 97,400 | 104,100 | 110,850 |
| Madison County, FL | 52,800 | 60,400 | 67,900 | 75,450 | 81,500 | 87,500 | 93,600 | 99,600 |
| Monroe County, FL | 94,250 | 107,700 | 121,250 | 134,750 | 145,450 | 156,300 | 167,000 | 177,850 |
| Okeechobee County, FL | 57,900 | 66,150 | 74,450 | 82,700 | 89,300 | 95,950 | 102,550 | 109,150 |
| Putnam County, FL | 53,750 | 61,450 | 69,150 | 76,850 | 82,950 | 89,200 | 95,300 | 101,400 |
| Suwannee County, FL | 55,650 | 63,600 | 71,500 | 79,500 | 85,850 | 92,200 | 98,550 | 104,950 |
| Taylor County, FL | 49,350 | 56,400 | 63,450 | 70,500 | 76,150 | 81,800 | 87,400 | 93,050 |
| Union County, FL | 65,150 | 74,450 | 83,750 | 93,050 | 100,500 | 107,950 | 115,400 | 122,850 |
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 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL: the four-person limit is $117,000, so the per-unit cap for a unit sized for four people is $2,925 a month including utilities. The project-average cap uses 100% of median instead of 115%, roughly $2,543 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 52 Florida areas and every other state in one file: 538 income limits download.