Minnesota Section 538 income limits for FY2026

A Section 538 tenant can earn up to 115% of area median income at move-in. In Minnesota that limit for a family of four runs from $87,750 in Mahnomen County, MN to $156,150 in Rochester, MN. 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
Duluth, MN-WI metro area	81,400	93,000	104,650	116,250	125,550	134,850	144,150	153,450
Fargo, ND-MN metro area	93,100	106,400	119,700	133,000	143,650	154,300	164,950	175,600
Grand Forks, ND-MN metro area	85,950	98,250	110,500	122,800	132,600	142,450	152,250	162,100
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro area	86,500	98,850	111,250	123,550	133,450	143,350	153,250	163,100
Mankato, MN metro area	85,750	98,000	110,250	122,500	132,300	142,100	151,900	161,700
Le Sueur County, MN part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area	94,000	107,450	120,850	134,300	145,050	155,800	166,550	177,300
Mille Lacs County, MN part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area	75,300	86,050	96,800	107,550	116,150	124,750	133,350	141,950
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area	106,600	121,800	137,050	152,250	164,450	176,600	188,800	200,950
Fillmore County, MN part of the Rochester, MN metro area	79,500	90,900	102,250	113,600	122,700	131,800	140,850	149,950
Rochester, MN metro area	109,300	124,900	140,550	156,150	168,650	181,150	193,650	206,100
Wabasha County, MN part of the Rochester, MN metro area	86,450	98,800	111,150	123,500	133,400	143,250	153,150	163,000
Rock County, MN part of the Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area	85,400	97,600	109,800	122,000	131,750	141,500	151,300	161,050
St. Cloud, MN metro area	86,200	98,500	110,850	123,150	133,000	142,850	152,700	162,550
Aitkin County, MN	67,450	77,100	86,700	96,350	104,050	111,750	119,450	127,200
Becker County, MN	78,950	90,250	101,500	112,800	121,800	130,850	139,850	148,900
Beltrami County, MN	77,100	88,100	99,150	110,150	118,950	127,750	136,600	145,400
Big Stone County, MN	79,100	90,450	101,750	113,050	122,100	131,150	140,150	149,250
Brown County, MN	77,750	88,900	100,000	111,100	120,000	128,900	137,750	146,650
Cass County, MN	71,100	81,250	91,400	101,550	109,650	117,800	125,900	134,050
Chippewa County, MN	78,500	89,700	100,950	112,150	121,100	130,100	139,050	148,050
Clearwater County, MN	72,750	83,150	93,550	103,950	112,250	120,600	128,900	137,200
Cook County, MN	78,100	89,250	100,400	111,550	120,450	129,400	138,300	147,250
Cottonwood County, MN	78,700	89,950	101,200	112,450	121,450	130,450	139,450	148,450
Crow Wing County, MN	78,850	90,100	101,400	112,650	121,650	130,650	139,700	148,700
Douglas County, MN	85,250	97,450	109,600	121,800	131,550	141,300	151,050	160,800
Faribault County, MN	72,950	83,350	93,800	104,200	112,550	120,850	129,200	137,550
Freeborn County, MN	75,850	86,700	97,500	108,350	117,000	125,700	134,350	143,000
Goodhue County, MN	91,850	104,950	118,100	131,200	141,700	152,200	162,700	173,200
Grant County, MN	76,950	87,950	98,950	109,950	118,750	127,550	136,350	145,150
Hubbard County, MN	74,800	85,500	96,150	106,850	115,400	123,950	132,500	141,050
Itasca County, MN	74,800	85,500	96,150	106,850	115,400	123,950	132,500	141,050
Jackson County, MN	79,750	91,150	102,550	113,950	123,050	132,200	141,300	150,400
Kanabec County, MN	75,300	86,050	96,800	107,550	116,150	124,750	133,350	141,950
Kandiyohi County, MN	81,600	93,300	104,950	116,600	125,950	135,250	144,600	153,900
Kittson County, MN	86,150	98,450	110,750	123,050	132,900	142,750	152,600	162,450
Koochiching County, MN	70,900	81,050	91,150	101,300	109,400	117,500	125,600	133,700
Lac qui Parle County, MN	79,950	91,350	102,800	114,200	123,350	132,450	141,600	150,750
Lake County, MN	81,400	93,000	104,650	116,250	125,550	134,850	144,150	153,450
Lake of the Woods County, MN	79,750	91,150	102,550	113,950	123,050	132,200	141,300	150,400
Lincoln County, MN	75,050	85,800	96,550	107,250	115,800	124,400	132,950	141,550
Lyon County, MN	82,350	94,100	105,900	117,650	127,050	136,450	145,900	155,300
Mahnomen County, MN	61,450	70,200	79,000	87,750	94,750	101,800	108,800	115,850
Marshall County, MN	80,100	91,550	103,000	114,450	123,600	132,750	141,900	151,050
Martin County, MN	73,800	84,350	94,900	105,450	113,900	122,300	130,750	139,200
McLeod County, MN	87,700	100,200	112,750	125,250	135,250	145,300	155,300	165,350
Meeker County, MN	83,250	95,100	107,000	118,900	128,400	137,900	147,450	156,950
Morrison County, MN	74,850	85,550	96,250	106,950	115,500	124,050	132,600	141,150
Mower County, MN	79,300	90,650	101,950	113,300	122,350	131,450	140,500	149,550
Murray County, MN	81,250	92,850	104,450	116,050	125,350	134,600	143,900	153,200
Nobles County, MN	69,500	79,400	89,350	99,250	107,200	115,150	123,050	131,000
Norman County, MN	80,900	92,500	104,050	115,600	124,850	134,100	143,350	152,600
Otter Tail County, MN	80,550	92,100	103,600	115,100	124,300	133,500	142,700	151,950
Pennington County, MN	89,600	102,400	115,200	128,000	138,250	148,500	158,700	168,950
Pine County, MN	73,100	83,500	93,950	104,400	112,750	121,100	129,450	137,800
Pipestone County, MN	71,700	81,950	92,200	102,450	110,650	118,850	127,050	135,250
Pope County, MN	83,700	95,700	107,650	119,600	129,150	138,750	148,300	157,850
Red Lake County, MN	85,900	98,150	110,450	122,700	132,500	142,350	152,150	161,950
Redwood County, MN	74,400	85,000	95,650	106,250	114,750	123,250	131,750	140,250
Renville County, MN	76,700	87,700	98,650	109,600	118,350	127,150	135,900	144,650
Rice County, MN	87,250	99,700	112,200	124,650	134,600	144,600	154,550	164,550
Roseau County, MN	77,450	88,500	99,600	110,650	119,500	128,350	137,200	146,050
Sibley County, MN	85,000	97,150	109,300	121,450	131,150	140,900	150,600	160,300
Steele County, MN	94,200	107,650	121,100	134,550	145,300	156,100	166,850	177,600
Stevens County, MN	82,900	94,750	106,600	118,450	127,950	137,400	146,900	156,350
Swift County, MN	68,350	78,100	87,900	97,650	105,450	113,250	121,100	128,900
Todd County, MN	67,250	76,850	86,450	96,050	103,750	111,400	119,100	126,800
Traverse County, MN	80,450	91,900	103,400	114,900	124,100	133,300	142,500	151,650
Wadena County, MN	71,400	81,600	91,800	102,000	110,150	118,300	126,500	134,650
Waseca County, MN	77,450	88,500	99,600	110,650	119,500	128,350	137,200	146,050
Watonwan County, MN	80,700	92,200	103,750	115,250	124,450	133,700	142,900	152,150
Wilkin County, MN	81,050	92,650	104,200	115,800	125,050	134,350	143,600	152,850
Winona County, MN	85,600	97,800	110,050	122,250	132,050	141,800	151,600	161,350
Yellow Medicine County, MN	77,100	88,100	99,150	110,150	118,950	127,750	136,600	145,400

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 Duluth, MN-WI: the four-person limit is $116,250, so the per-unit cap for a unit sized for four people is $2,906 a month including utilities. The project-average cap uses 100% of median instead of 115%, roughly $2,527 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 73 Minnesota areas and every other state in one file: 538 income limits download.

Minnesota Section 538 income limits for FY2026

From income limit to rent cap

Get the FY2027 Minnesota limits when USDA posts them