Illinois Section 538 income limits for FY2026
A Section 538 tenant can earn up to 115% of area median income at move-in. In Illinois that limit for a family of four runs from $81,200 in Pulaski County, IL to $156,150 in Kendall County, IL. Limits took effect July 13, 2026.
| Area | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IL metro area | 95,600 | 109,300 | 122,950 | 136,600 | 147,550 | 158,450 | 169,400 | 180,300 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area | 74,650 | 85,300 | 96,000 | 106,650 | 115,150 | 123,700 | 132,250 | 140,750 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL metro area | 92,000 | 105,150 | 118,300 | 131,450 | 141,950 | 152,500 | 163,000 | 173,500 |
| Ford County, IL part of the Champaign-Urbana, IL metro area | 74,500 | 85,100 | 95,750 | 106,400 | 114,900 | 123,400 | 131,950 | 140,450 |
| Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area | 97,850 | 111,800 | 125,800 | 139,750 | 150,950 | 162,100 | 173,300 | 184,450 |
| DeKalb County, IL part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area | 89,500 | 102,350 | 115,100 | 127,900 | 138,150 | 148,400 | 158,600 | 168,900 |
| Grundy County, IL part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area | 95,600 | 109,300 | 122,950 | 136,600 | 147,550 | 158,450 | 169,400 | 180,300 |
| Kendall County, IL metro area | 109,300 | 124,900 | 140,550 | 156,150 | 168,650 | 181,150 | 193,650 | 206,100 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metro area | 78,700 | 89,950 | 101,200 | 112,450 | 121,450 | 130,400 | 139,400 | 148,400 |
| Decatur, IL metro area | 76,550 | 87,500 | 98,400 | 109,350 | 118,100 | 126,850 | 135,600 | 144,350 |
| Kankakee, IL metro area | 80,750 | 92,250 | 103,800 | 115,350 | 124,600 | 133,850 | 143,100 | 152,250 |
| Massac County, IL part of the Paducah, KY-IL metro area | 67,950 | 77,650 | 87,350 | 97,050 | 104,800 | 112,600 | 120,350 | 128,100 |
| Peoria, IL metro area | 85,400 | 97,600 | 109,800 | 122,000 | 131,750 | 141,500 | 151,300 | 161,050 |
| Rockford, IL metro area | 71,950 | 82,250 | 92,500 | 102,800 | 111,000 | 119,250 | 127,450 | 135,700 |
| Springfield, IL metro area | 92,500 | 105,700 | 118,950 | 132,150 | 142,700 | 153,300 | 163,850 | 174,450 |
| Bond County, IL part of the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area | 81,700 | 93,400 | 105,150 | 116,800 | 126,250 | 135,550 | 144,900 | 154,250 |
| Macoupin County, IL part of the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area | 77,450 | 88,500 | 99,600 | 110,650 | 119,500 | 128,350 | 137,200 | 146,050 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL metro area | 91,400 | 104,450 | 117,500 | 130,550 | 141,000 | 151,450 | 161,900 | 172,350 |
| Adams County, IL | 74,950 | 85,650 | 96,350 | 107,050 | 115,600 | 124,200 | 132,750 | 141,300 |
| Brown County, IL | 74,500 | 85,100 | 95,750 | 106,400 | 114,900 | 123,400 | 131,950 | 140,450 |
| Bureau County, IL | 74,000 | 84,550 | 95,150 | 105,700 | 114,150 | 122,600 | 131,050 | 139,500 |
| Carroll County, IL | 67,600 | 77,300 | 86,950 | 96,600 | 104,350 | 112,050 | 119,800 | 127,500 |
| Cass County, IL | 67,150 | 76,700 | 86,300 | 95,900 | 103,550 | 111,250 | 118,900 | 126,600 |
| Christian County, IL | 72,950 | 83,350 | 93,800 | 104,200 | 112,550 | 120,850 | 129,200 | 137,550 |
| Clark County, IL | 75,050 | 85,750 | 96,500 | 107,200 | 115,800 | 124,350 | 132,950 | 141,500 |
| Clay County, IL | 64,700 | 73,950 | 83,200 | 92,450 | 99,850 | 107,250 | 114,650 | 122,050 |
| Coles County, IL | 64,100 | 73,250 | 82,400 | 91,550 | 98,850 | 106,200 | 113,500 | 120,850 |
| Crawford County, IL | 79,700 | 91,100 | 102,450 | 113,850 | 122,950 | 132,050 | 141,150 | 150,300 |
| Cumberland County, IL | 81,800 | 93,500 | 105,150 | 116,850 | 126,200 | 135,550 | 144,900 | 154,250 |
| De Witt County, IL | 83,800 | 95,750 | 107,750 | 119,700 | 129,300 | 138,850 | 148,450 | 158,000 |
| Douglas County, IL | 78,800 | 90,100 | 101,350 | 112,600 | 121,600 | 130,600 | 139,600 | 148,650 |
| Edgar County, IL | 64,650 | 73,900 | 83,100 | 92,350 | 99,750 | 107,150 | 114,500 | 121,900 |
| Edwards County, IL | 64,450 | 73,700 | 82,900 | 92,100 | 99,450 | 106,850 | 114,200 | 121,550 |
| Effingham County, IL | 84,450 | 96,500 | 108,600 | 120,650 | 130,300 | 139,950 | 149,600 | 159,250 |
| Fayette County, IL | 66,450 | 75,900 | 85,400 | 94,900 | 102,500 | 110,100 | 117,700 | 125,250 |
| Franklin County, IL | 60,450 | 69,100 | 77,700 | 86,350 | 93,250 | 100,150 | 107,050 | 114,000 |
| Fulton County, IL | 68,350 | 78,100 | 87,900 | 97,650 | 105,450 | 113,250 | 121,100 | 128,900 |
| Gallatin County, IL | 64,000 | 73,150 | 82,300 | 91,450 | 98,750 | 106,100 | 113,400 | 120,700 |
| Greene County, IL | 69,000 | 78,850 | 88,700 | 98,550 | 106,450 | 114,300 | 122,200 | 130,100 |
| Hamilton County, IL | 72,250 | 82,600 | 92,850 | 103,200 | 111,450 | 119,700 | 127,950 | 136,250 |
| Hancock County, IL | 74,000 | 84,550 | 95,150 | 105,700 | 114,150 | 122,600 | 131,050 | 139,500 |
| Hardin County, IL | 59,200 | 67,650 | 76,100 | 84,550 | 91,300 | 98,100 | 104,850 | 111,600 |
| Henderson County, IL | 68,900 | 78,750 | 88,600 | 98,450 | 106,350 | 114,200 | 122,100 | 129,950 |
| Iroquois County, IL | 73,350 | 83,800 | 94,300 | 104,750 | 113,150 | 121,500 | 129,900 | 138,250 |
| Jackson County, IL | 68,600 | 78,400 | 88,200 | 98,000 | 105,850 | 113,700 | 121,500 | 129,350 |
| Jasper County, IL | 79,500 | 90,900 | 102,250 | 113,600 | 122,700 | 131,800 | 140,850 | 149,950 |
| Jefferson County, IL | 67,050 | 76,650 | 86,200 | 95,800 | 103,450 | 111,150 | 118,800 | 126,450 |
| Jo Daviess County, IL | 81,100 | 92,650 | 104,250 | 115,800 | 125,100 | 134,350 | 143,600 | 152,900 |
| Johnson County, IL | 67,450 | 77,100 | 86,700 | 96,350 | 104,050 | 111,750 | 119,450 | 127,200 |
| Knox County, IL | 69,950 | 79,950 | 89,950 | 99,950 | 107,950 | 115,950 | 123,950 | 131,950 |
| La Salle County, IL | 83,400 | 95,350 | 107,250 | 119,150 | 128,700 | 138,250 | 147,750 | 157,300 |
| Lawrence County, IL | 65,500 | 74,900 | 84,250 | 93,600 | 101,100 | 108,600 | 116,050 | 123,550 |
| Lee County, IL | 74,950 | 85,650 | 96,350 | 107,050 | 115,600 | 124,200 | 132,750 | 141,300 |
| Livingston County, IL | 77,900 | 89,050 | 100,150 | 111,300 | 120,200 | 129,100 | 138,000 | 146,900 |
| Logan County, IL | 74,850 | 85,550 | 96,250 | 106,950 | 115,500 | 124,050 | 132,600 | 141,150 |
| Marion County, IL | 67,700 | 77,350 | 87,050 | 96,700 | 104,450 | 112,150 | 119,900 | 127,650 |
| Mason County, IL | 69,950 | 79,950 | 89,950 | 99,950 | 107,950 | 115,950 | 123,950 | 131,950 |
| McDonough County, IL | 68,350 | 78,100 | 87,900 | 97,650 | 105,450 | 113,250 | 121,100 | 128,900 |
| Montgomery County, IL | 75,350 | 86,100 | 96,900 | 107,650 | 116,250 | 124,850 | 133,500 | 142,100 |
| Morgan County, IL | 75,950 | 86,800 | 97,650 | 108,500 | 117,200 | 125,850 | 134,550 | 143,250 |
| Moultrie County, IL | 80,000 | 91,450 | 102,850 | 114,300 | 123,450 | 132,600 | 141,750 | 150,900 |
| Ogle County, IL | 81,850 | 93,550 | 105,250 | 116,950 | 126,300 | 135,650 | 145,000 | 154,350 |
| Perry County, IL | 66,750 | 76,300 | 85,800 | 95,350 | 103,000 | 110,600 | 118,250 | 125,850 |
| Pike County, IL | 69,700 | 79,700 | 89,650 | 99,600 | 107,550 | 115,550 | 123,500 | 131,450 |
| Pope County, IL | 67,900 | 77,600 | 87,300 | 96,950 | 104,750 | 112,500 | 120,300 | 128,050 |
| Pulaski County, IL | 56,850 | 64,950 | 73,100 | 81,200 | 87,700 | 94,200 | 100,700 | 107,200 |
| Putnam County, IL | 81,150 | 92,700 | 104,300 | 115,900 | 125,150 | 134,450 | 143,700 | 153,000 |
| Randolph County, IL | 75,800 | 86,600 | 97,450 | 108,300 | 116,950 | 125,600 | 134,250 | 142,950 |
| Richland County, IL | 68,350 | 78,100 | 87,900 | 97,650 | 105,450 | 113,250 | 121,100 | 128,900 |
| Saline County, IL | 63,050 | 72,050 | 81,050 | 90,050 | 97,250 | 104,450 | 111,650 | 118,850 |
| Schuyler County, IL | 74,300 | 84,900 | 95,550 | 106,150 | 114,650 | 123,150 | 131,650 | 140,100 |
| Scott County, IL | 79,400 | 90,700 | 102,000 | 113,350 | 122,400 | 131,550 | 140,600 | 149,700 |
| Shelby County, IL | 73,550 | 84,100 | 94,600 | 105,100 | 113,500 | 121,900 | 130,300 | 138,750 |
| Stephenson County, IL | 69,500 | 79,400 | 89,350 | 99,250 | 107,200 | 115,150 | 123,050 | 131,000 |
| Union County, IL | 72,300 | 82,600 | 92,950 | 103,250 | 111,500 | 119,800 | 128,050 | 136,300 |
| Vermilion County, IL | 66,750 | 76,300 | 85,800 | 95,350 | 103,000 | 110,600 | 118,250 | 125,850 |
| Wabash County, IL | 72,850 | 83,300 | 93,700 | 104,100 | 112,450 | 120,750 | 129,100 | 137,400 |
| Warren County, IL | 71,900 | 82,150 | 92,450 | 102,700 | 110,900 | 119,150 | 127,350 | 135,550 |
| Washington County, IL | 82,200 | 93,900 | 105,650 | 117,400 | 126,800 | 136,200 | 145,600 | 154,950 |
| Wayne County, IL | 65,750 | 75,150 | 84,500 | 93,900 | 101,450 | 108,950 | 116,450 | 123,950 |
| White County, IL | 62,250 | 71,100 | 80,000 | 88,900 | 96,000 | 103,100 | 110,250 | 117,350 |
| Whiteside County, IL | 74,250 | 84,850 | 95,450 | 106,050 | 114,550 | 123,000 | 131,500 | 140,000 |
| Williamson County, IL | 76,500 | 87,400 | 98,350 | 109,250 | 118,000 | 126,750 | 135,450 | 144,200 |
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 Bloomington, IL: the four-person limit is $136,600, so the per-unit cap for a unit sized for four people is $3,415 a month including utilities. The project-average cap uses 100% of median instead of 115%, roughly $2,969 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 83 Illinois areas and every other state in one file: 538 income limits download.