Kentucky Section 538 income limits for FY2026

A Section 538 tenant can earn up to 115% of area median income at move-in. In Kentucky that limit for a family of four runs from $44,850 in Wolfe County, KY to $128,550 in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN. 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
Allen County, KY part of the Bowling Green, KY metro area	66,250	75,700	85,200	94,650	102,200	109,800	117,350	124,950
Bowling Green, KY metro area	69,000	78,850	88,700	98,550	106,450	114,300	122,200	130,100
Butler County, KY part of the Bowling Green, KY metro area	60,550	69,200	77,850	86,500	93,400	100,350	107,250	114,200
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area	90,000	102,850	115,700	128,550	138,850	149,100	159,400	169,700
Grant County, KY part of the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area	70,050	80,050	90,050	100,050	108,050	116,050	124,050	132,050
Clarksville, TN-KY metro area	75,500	86,300	97,050	107,850	116,500	125,100	133,750	142,350
Elizabethtown, KY metro area	72,600	82,950	93,300	103,700	112,000	120,300	128,600	136,950
Carter County, KY part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro area	57,600	65,800	74,050	82,250	88,850	95,400	102,000	108,550
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro area	67,050	76,650	86,200	95,800	103,450	111,150	118,800	126,450
Lawrence County, KY part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro area	55,600	63,550	71,500	79,450	85,800	92,150	98,500	104,850
Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area	82,450	94,200	106,000	117,750	127,150	136,600	146,000	155,450
Louisville, KY-IN part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area	79,700	91,100	102,450	113,850	122,950	132,050	141,150	150,300
Meade County, KY part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area	73,350	83,800	94,300	104,750	113,150	121,500	129,900	138,250
Nelson County, KY part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area	70,450	80,500	90,600	100,650	108,700	116,750	124,800	132,850
Shelby County, KY metro area	85,150	97,300	109,500	121,650	131,400	141,100	150,850	160,600
Owensboro, KY metro area	74,150	84,700	95,300	105,900	114,350	122,850	131,300	139,800
Ballard County, KY part of the Paducah, KY-IL metro area	74,400	85,000	95,700	106,350	114,800	123,350	131,800	140,350
Carlisle County, KY part of the Paducah, KY-IL metro area	64,000	73,150	82,300	91,450	98,750	106,100	113,400	120,700
Livingston County, KY part of the Paducah, KY-IL metro area	65,500	74,900	84,250	93,600	101,100	108,600	116,050	123,550
McCracken County, KY part of the Paducah, KY-IL metro area	81,200	92,750	104,350	115,950	125,250	134,550	143,800	153,150
Adair County, KY	57,700	65,950	74,200	82,450	89,050	95,650	102,250	108,850
Anderson County, KY	77,550	88,600	99,700	110,750	119,600	128,450	137,350	146,200
Barren County, KY	54,750	62,550	70,400	78,200	84,450	90,700	96,950	103,200
Bath County, KY	58,700	67,100	75,450	83,850	90,550	97,250	103,950	110,700
Bell County, KY	40,250	46,000	51,750	57,500	62,100	66,700	71,300	75,900
Boyle County, KY	66,400	75,900	85,350	94,850	102,450	110,050	117,600	125,200
Breathitt County, KY	47,800	54,650	61,450	68,300	73,750	79,250	84,700	90,150
Breckinridge County, KY	61,600	70,400	79,200	88,000	95,050	102,100	109,100	116,150
Caldwell County, KY	65,950	75,350	84,800	94,200	101,700	109,250	116,800	124,350
Calloway County, KY	67,850	77,550	87,250	96,950	104,700	112,450	120,200	127,950
Carroll County, KY	62,350	71,300	80,200	89,200	96,250	103,400	110,550	117,700
Casey County, KY	47,000	53,700	60,450	67,150	72,500	77,900	83,250	88,650
Clay County, KY	40,550	46,350	52,150	57,950	62,600	67,200	71,850	76,500
Clinton County, KY	45,650	52,150	58,700	65,200	70,450	75,600	80,850	86,050
Crittenden County, KY	66,250	75,700	85,200	94,650	102,200	109,800	117,350	124,950
Cumberland County, KY	52,350	59,800	67,300	74,750	80,750	86,700	92,700	98,650
Elliott County, KY	50,100	57,300	64,450	71,600	77,300	83,050	88,750	94,500
Estill County, KY	54,450	62,200	70,000	77,750	83,950	90,200	96,400	102,650
Fleming County, KY	55,500	63,400	71,350	79,250	85,600	91,950	98,250	104,600
Floyd County, KY	49,350	56,400	63,450	70,500	76,150	81,800	87,400	93,050
Franklin County, KY	74,400	85,000	95,650	106,250	114,750	123,250	131,750	140,250
Fulton County, KY	45,900	52,450	59,000	65,550	70,800	76,050	81,300	86,550
Garrard County, KY	61,350	70,100	78,900	87,650	94,650	101,650	108,700	115,700
Graves County, KY	56,850	64,950	73,100	81,200	87,700	94,200	100,700	107,200
Grayson County, KY	58,400	66,700	75,050	83,400	90,050	96,750	103,400	110,100
Green County, KY	49,600	56,700	63,750	70,850	76,500	82,200	87,850	93,500
Hancock County, KY	73,450	83,900	94,400	104,900	113,300	121,700	130,100	138,450
Harlan County, KY	45,100	51,500	57,950	64,400	69,550	74,700	79,850	85,000
Harrison County, KY	72,450	82,800	93,150	103,500	111,800	120,050	128,350	136,600
Hart County, KY	56,050	64,050	72,050	80,050	86,450	92,850	99,250	105,650
Henderson County, KY	70,300	80,300	90,350	100,400	108,450	116,450	124,500	132,550
Hickman County, KY	71,250	81,450	91,600	101,800	109,950	118,100	126,250	134,400
Hopkins County, KY	60,450	69,100	77,700	86,350	93,250	100,150	107,050	114,000
Jackson County, KY	48,250	55,100	62,000	68,900	74,400	79,900	85,450	90,950
Johnson County, KY	51,600	58,950	66,350	73,700	79,600	85,500	91,400	97,300
Knott County, KY	44,950	51,350	57,800	64,200	69,350	74,500	79,600	84,800
Knox County, KY	39,400	45,000	50,650	56,250	60,750	65,250	69,750	74,250
Laurel County, KY	58,400	66,700	75,050	83,400	90,050	96,750	103,400	110,100
Lee County, KY	40,600	46,450	52,250	58,050	62,700	67,350	71,950	76,650
Leslie County, KY	50,800	58,050	65,300	72,550	78,350	84,150	89,950	95,750
Letcher County, KY	49,350	56,400	63,450	70,500	76,150	81,800	87,400	93,050
Lewis County, KY	49,550	56,650	63,650	70,750	76,450	82,150	87,700	93,400
Lincoln County, KY	53,750	61,450	69,100	76,800	82,950	89,100	95,250	101,400
Logan County, KY	65,950	75,350	84,800	94,200	101,750	109,250	116,800	124,350
Lyon County, KY	73,800	84,350	94,900	105,450	113,900	122,300	130,750	139,200
Madison County, KY	71,150	81,300	91,500	101,650	109,800	117,900	126,050	134,200
Magoffin County, KY	36,650	41,900	47,100	52,350	56,550	60,750	64,900	69,100
Marion County, KY	61,650	70,500	79,300	88,100	95,150	102,200	109,250	116,300
Marshall County, KY	68,900	78,750	88,600	98,450	106,350	114,200	122,100	129,950
Martin County, KY	44,500	50,900	57,250	63,600	68,700	73,800	78,850	83,950
Mason County, KY	59,200	67,650	76,100	84,550	91,300	98,100	104,850	111,600
McCreary County, KY	36,300	41,500	46,650	51,850	56,000	60,150	64,300	68,450
Menifee County, KY	48,000	54,850	61,700	68,550	74,050	79,500	85,000	90,500
Mercer County, KY	73,200	83,650	94,100	104,550	112,900	121,300	129,650	138,000
Metcalfe County, KY	54,850	62,750	70,550	78,400	84,700	90,950	97,200	103,500
Monroe County, KY	54,550	62,350	70,150	77,950	84,200	90,400	96,650	102,900
Montgomery County, KY	63,400	72,400	81,450	90,550	97,800	105,000	112,250	119,550
Morgan County, KY	51,600	58,950	66,350	73,700	79,600	85,500	91,400	97,300
Muhlenberg County, KY	61,000	69,700	78,450	87,150	94,100	101,100	108,050	115,050
Nicholas County, KY	61,600	70,400	79,200	88,000	95,050	102,100	109,100	116,150
Ohio County, KY	55,850	63,850	71,800	79,800	86,200	92,550	98,950	105,350
Owen County, KY	68,600	78,400	88,200	98,000	105,850	113,700	121,500	129,350
Owsley County, KY	40,800	46,650	52,450	58,300	62,950	67,650	72,300	76,950
Perry County, KY	46,500	53,150	59,800	66,450	71,750	77,100	82,400	87,700
Pike County, KY	53,550	61,200	68,850	76,500	82,600	88,750	94,850	101,000
Powell County, KY	61,800	70,650	79,450	88,300	95,350	102,450	109,500	116,550
Pulaski County, KY	60,600	69,300	77,950	86,600	93,550	100,450	107,400	114,300
Robertson County, KY	57,900	66,150	74,450	82,700	89,300	95,950	102,550	109,150
Rockcastle County, KY	57,700	65,950	74,200	82,450	89,050	95,650	102,250	108,850
Rowan County, KY	63,100	72,100	81,150	90,150	97,350	104,550	111,800	119,000
Russell County, KY	58,200	66,500	74,850	83,150	89,800	96,450	103,100	109,750
Simpson County, KY	63,200	72,250	81,250	90,300	97,500	104,750	111,950	119,200
Taylor County, KY	69,150	79,050	88,900	98,800	106,700	114,600	122,500	130,400
Todd County, KY	61,900	70,750	79,600	88,450	95,550	102,600	109,700	116,750
Trimble County, KY	69,550	79,500	89,400	99,350	107,300	115,250	123,200	131,150
Union County, KY	61,650	70,500	79,300	88,100	95,150	102,200	109,250	116,300
Washington County, KY	73,550	84,100	94,600	105,100	113,500	121,900	130,300	138,750
Wayne County, KY	50,250	57,400	64,600	71,750	77,500	83,250	88,950	94,700
Webster County, KY	58,850	67,250	75,650	84,050	90,750	97,500	104,200	110,950
Whitley County, KY	46,950	53,650	60,350	67,050	72,400	77,800	83,150	88,500
Wolfe County, KY	31,400	35,900	40,350	44,850	48,450	52,050	55,600	59,200

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 Allen County, KY: the four-person limit is $94,650, so the per-unit cap for a unit sized for four people is $2,366 a month including utilities. The project-average cap uses 100% of median instead of 115%, roughly $2,057 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 101 Kentucky areas and every other state in one file: 538 income limits download.

Kentucky Section 538 income limits for FY2026

From income limit to rent cap

Get the FY2027 Kentucky limits when USDA posts them