Louisiana Section 538 income limits for FY2026
A Section 538 tenant can earn up to 115% of area median income at move-in. In Louisiana that limit for a family of four runs from $50,450 in East Carroll Parish, LA to $119,900 in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA. Limits took effect July 13, 2026.
| Area | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandria, LA metro area | 66,750 | 76,250 | 85,900 | 95,350 | 103,050 | 110,650 | 118,300 | 125,850 |
| Assumption Parish, LA part of the Baton Rouge, LA metro area | 62,500 | 71,400 | 80,350 | 89,250 | 96,400 | 103,550 | 110,650 | 117,800 |
| Baton Rouge, LA metro area | 76,100 | 86,950 | 97,850 | 108,700 | 117,400 | 126,100 | 134,800 | 143,500 |
| Iberville Parish, LA part of the Baton Rouge, LA metro area | 63,600 | 72,700 | 81,750 | 90,850 | 98,100 | 105,400 | 112,650 | 119,900 |
| Hammond, LA metro area | 64,700 | 73,950 | 83,200 | 92,450 | 99,850 | 107,250 | 114,650 | 122,050 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA metro area | 69,700 | 79,700 | 89,650 | 99,600 | 107,550 | 115,550 | 123,500 | 131,450 |
| Acadia Parish, LA part of the Lafayette, LA metro area | 55,700 | 63,700 | 71,650 | 79,600 | 85,950 | 92,350 | 98,700 | 105,050 |
| Lafayette, LA metro area | 72,700 | 83,100 | 93,450 | 103,850 | 112,150 | 120,450 | 128,750 | 137,100 |
| Vermilion Parish, LA metro area | 64,650 | 73,900 | 83,100 | 92,350 | 99,750 | 107,150 | 114,500 | 121,900 |
| Jefferson Davis Parish, LA part of the Lake Charles, LA metro area | 64,900 | 74,150 | 83,450 | 92,700 | 100,100 | 107,550 | 114,950 | 122,350 |
| Lake Charles, LA metro area | 74,850 | 85,550 | 96,250 | 106,950 | 115,500 | 124,050 | 132,600 | 141,150 |
| Monroe, LA metro area | 63,250 | 72,250 | 81,250 | 90,300 | 97,500 | 104,800 | 112,000 | 119,200 |
| Morehouse Parish, LA part of the Monroe, LA metro area | 44,350 | 50,700 | 57,000 | 63,350 | 68,400 | 73,500 | 78,550 | 83,600 |
| Richland Parish, LA part of the Monroe, LA metro area | 54,350 | 62,100 | 69,900 | 77,650 | 83,850 | 90,050 | 96,300 | 102,500 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area | 72,300 | 82,600 | 92,950 | 103,250 | 111,500 | 119,750 | 128,050 | 136,300 |
| St. James Parish, LA part of the New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area | 76,250 | 87,100 | 98,000 | 108,900 | 117,600 | 126,300 | 135,050 | 143,750 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA metro area | 65,750 | 75,150 | 84,550 | 93,950 | 101,450 | 109,000 | 116,500 | 124,000 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metro area | 83,850 | 95,900 | 107,850 | 119,900 | 129,500 | 139,000 | 148,650 | 158,250 |
| Allen Parish, LA | 52,800 | 60,350 | 67,900 | 75,450 | 81,500 | 87,500 | 93,550 | 99,600 |
| Avoyelles Parish, LA | 44,050 | 50,300 | 56,600 | 62,900 | 67,950 | 72,950 | 78,000 | 83,050 |
| Beauregard Parish, LA | 70,550 | 80,600 | 90,700 | 100,750 | 108,800 | 116,850 | 124,950 | 133,000 |
| Bienville Parish, LA | 46,950 | 53,650 | 60,350 | 67,050 | 72,400 | 77,800 | 83,150 | 88,500 |
| Caldwell Parish, LA | 62,900 | 71,850 | 80,850 | 89,800 | 97,050 | 104,200 | 111,400 | 118,550 |
| Catahoula Parish, LA | 54,500 | 62,300 | 70,050 | 77,850 | 84,100 | 90,300 | 96,550 | 102,750 |
| Claiborne Parish, LA | 38,100 | 43,500 | 48,950 | 54,400 | 58,750 | 63,100 | 67,450 | 71,800 |
| Concordia Parish, LA | 45,500 | 52,000 | 58,500 | 65,000 | 70,200 | 75,400 | 80,600 | 85,800 |
| East Carroll Parish, LA | 35,350 | 40,350 | 45,400 | 50,450 | 54,500 | 58,550 | 62,550 | 66,650 |
| Evangeline Parish, LA | 46,750 | 53,450 | 60,100 | 66,800 | 72,150 | 77,500 | 82,850 | 88,200 |
| Franklin Parish, LA | 47,250 | 54,000 | 60,750 | 67,500 | 72,900 | 78,300 | 83,700 | 89,100 |
| Iberia Parish, LA | 60,700 | 69,350 | 78,050 | 86,700 | 93,650 | 100,550 | 107,500 | 114,450 |
| Jackson Parish, LA | 50,950 | 58,250 | 65,500 | 72,800 | 78,600 | 84,450 | 90,250 | 96,100 |
| La Salle Parish, LA | 72,950 | 83,350 | 93,800 | 104,200 | 112,550 | 120,850 | 129,200 | 137,550 |
| Lincoln Parish, LA | 56,050 | 64,100 | 72,050 | 80,100 | 86,500 | 92,950 | 99,300 | 105,700 |
| Madison Parish, LA | 41,850 | 47,850 | 53,800 | 59,800 | 64,600 | 69,350 | 74,150 | 78,950 |
| Natchitoches Parish, LA | 57,600 | 65,800 | 74,050 | 82,250 | 88,850 | 95,400 | 102,000 | 108,550 |
| Red River Parish, LA | 53,050 | 60,650 | 68,200 | 75,800 | 81,850 | 87,950 | 94,000 | 100,050 |
| Sabine Parish, LA | 54,900 | 62,750 | 70,600 | 78,450 | 84,750 | 91,000 | 97,300 | 103,550 |
| St. Landry Parish, LA | 53,700 | 61,400 | 69,100 | 76,800 | 82,900 | 89,100 | 95,250 | 101,350 |
| St. Mary Parish, LA | 56,850 | 64,950 | 73,100 | 81,200 | 87,700 | 94,200 | 100,700 | 107,200 |
| Tensas Parish, LA | 44,200 | 50,500 | 56,850 | 63,150 | 68,200 | 73,250 | 78,300 | 83,350 |
| Vernon Parish, LA | 57,800 | 66,050 | 74,300 | 82,550 | 89,150 | 95,750 | 102,350 | 108,950 |
| Washington Parish, LA | 52,400 | 59,900 | 67,350 | 74,850 | 80,850 | 86,850 | 92,800 | 98,800 |
| Webster Parish, LA | 45,000 | 51,450 | 57,850 | 64,300 | 69,450 | 74,600 | 79,750 | 84,900 |
| West Carroll Parish, LA | 59,200 | 67,600 | 76,050 | 84,500 | 91,300 | 98,050 | 104,850 | 111,550 |
| Winn Parish, LA | 54,500 | 62,300 | 70,050 | 77,850 | 84,100 | 90,300 | 96,550 | 102,750 |
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 Alexandria, LA: the four-person limit is $95,350, so the per-unit cap for a unit sized for four people is $2,383 a month including utilities. The project-average cap uses 100% of median instead of 115%, roughly $2,072 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 45 Louisiana areas and every other state in one file: 538 income limits download.