Montana Section 538 income limits for FY2026

A Section 538 tenant can earn up to 115% of area median income at move-in. In Montana that limit for a family of four runs from $70,950 in Glacier County, MT to $149,750 in Bozeman, MT. 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
Billings, MT metro area	88,950	101,750	114,450	127,150	137,300	147,500	157,650	167,850
Stillwater County, MT part of the Billings, MT metro area	90,400	103,300	116,250	129,150	139,500	149,800	160,150	170,500
Bozeman, MT metro area	104,850	119,800	134,800	149,750	161,750	173,700	185,700	197,650
Great Falls, MT metro area	73,100	83,500	93,950	104,400	112,750	121,100	129,450	137,800
Broadwater County, MT part of the Helena, MT metro area	71,000	81,150	91,300	101,450	109,550	117,700	125,800	133,900
Jefferson County, MT part of the Helena, MT metro area	92,750	106,000	119,250	132,500	143,100	153,700	164,300	174,900
Lewis and Clark County, MT part of the Helena, MT metro area	94,750	108,250	121,800	135,350	146,150	157,000	167,850	178,650
Mineral County, MT part of the Missoula, MT metro area	61,450	70,250	79,050	87,850	94,850	101,900	108,950	115,950
Missoula, MT metro area	88,600	101,300	113,950	126,600	136,750	146,850	157,000	167,100
Beaverhead County, MT	68,900	78,750	88,600	98,450	106,350	114,200	122,100	129,950
Big Horn County, MT	55,850	63,850	71,800	79,800	86,200	92,550	98,950	105,350
Blaine County, MT	70,650	80,750	90,850	100,950	109,050	117,100	125,200	133,250
Carter County, MT	57,950	66,250	74,500	82,800	89,400	96,050	102,650	109,300
Chouteau County, MT	68,850	78,700	88,500	98,350	106,200	114,100	122,000	129,850
Custer County, MT	78,800	90,100	101,350	112,600	121,600	130,600	139,600	148,650
Daniels County, MT	75,300	86,050	96,800	107,550	116,150	124,750	133,350	141,950
Dawson County, MT	81,100	92,700	104,250	115,850	125,150	134,400	143,700	152,950
Deer Lodge County, MT	64,150	73,350	82,500	91,650	99,050	106,350	113,650	121,100
Fallon County, MT	102,250	116,850	131,450	146,050	157,750	169,400	181,100	192,800
Fergus County, MT	72,700	83,100	93,450	103,850	112,150	120,450	128,750	137,100
Flathead County, MT	81,750	93,400	105,100	116,750	126,100	135,450	144,750	154,100
Garfield County, MT	72,200	82,500	92,850	103,150	111,400	119,650	127,900	136,150
Glacier County, MT	49,650	56,750	63,850	70,950	76,650	82,300	88,000	93,650
Golden Valley County, MT	60,300	68,900	77,550	86,150	93,050	99,950	106,850	113,700
Granite County, MT	65,050	74,300	83,600	92,900	100,350	107,750	115,200	122,650
Hill County, MT	66,200	75,650	85,100	94,550	102,100	109,700	117,250	124,800
Judith Basin County, MT	71,300	81,450	91,650	101,850	109,950	118,100	126,300	134,450
Lake County, MT	67,450	77,100	86,700	96,350	104,050	111,750	119,450	127,200
Liberty County, MT	57,450	65,700	73,900	82,100	88,650	95,250	101,800	108,350
Lincoln County, MT	56,400	64,500	72,550	80,600	87,050	93,500	99,950	106,400
Madison County, MT	74,500	85,100	95,850	106,450	115,000	123,500	132,050	140,550
McCone County, MT	77,300	88,300	99,350	110,400	119,250	128,050	136,900	145,750
Meagher County, MT	65,700	75,100	84,450	93,850	101,350	108,850	116,350	123,900
Musselshell County, MT	62,700	71,700	80,650	89,600	96,750	103,950	111,100	118,250
Park County, MT	81,000	92,550	104,150	115,700	124,950	134,200	143,450	152,700
Petroleum County, MT	74,100	84,700	95,300	105,850	114,350	122,800	131,250	139,750
Phillips County, MT	65,700	75,100	84,450	93,850	101,350	108,850	116,350	123,900
Pondera County, MT	64,350	73,500	82,700	91,900	99,250	106,600	113,950	121,300
Powder River County, MT	76,550	87,500	98,400	109,350	118,100	126,850	135,600	144,350
Powell County, MT	63,900	73,050	82,150	91,300	98,600	105,900	113,200	120,500
Prairie County, MT	61,600	70,400	79,200	88,000	95,050	102,100	109,100	116,150
Ravalli County, MT	75,050	85,750	96,500	107,200	115,800	124,350	132,950	141,500
Richland County, MT	77,750	88,900	100,000	111,100	120,000	128,900	137,750	146,650
Roosevelt County, MT	60,400	69,000	77,650	86,250	93,150	100,050	106,950	113,850
Rosebud County, MT	60,300	68,900	77,550	86,150	93,050	99,950	106,850	113,700
Sanders County, MT	57,150	65,300	73,500	81,650	88,200	94,700	101,250	107,800
Sheridan County, MT	79,300	90,650	101,950	113,300	122,350	131,450	140,500	149,550
Silver Bow County, MT	70,100	80,100	90,150	100,150	108,150	116,150	124,200	132,200
Sweet Grass County, MT	78,350	89,500	100,700	111,900	120,850	129,800	138,750	147,700
Teton County, MT	72,500	82,900	93,250	103,600	111,900	120,200	128,450	136,750
Toole County, MT	72,400	82,700	93,050	103,400	111,650	119,950	128,200	136,500
Treasure County, MT	73,250	83,700	94,200	104,650	113,000	121,400	129,750	138,150
Valley County, MT	78,000	89,150	100,300	111,450	120,350	129,300	138,200	147,100
Wheatland County, MT	54,000	61,700	69,450	77,150	83,300	89,500	95,650	101,850
Wibaux County, MT	81,250	92,850	104,450	116,050	125,350	134,600	143,900	153,200

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 Billings, MT: the four-person limit is $127,150, so the per-unit cap for a unit sized for four people is $3,178 a month including utilities. The project-average cap uses 100% of median instead of 115%, roughly $2,764 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 55 Montana areas and every other state in one file: 538 income limits download.

Montana Section 538 income limits for FY2026

From income limit to rent cap

Get the FY2027 Montana limits when USDA posts them