New York Section 538 income limits for FY2026
A Section 538 tenant can earn up to 115% of area median income at move-in. In New York that limit for a family of four runs from $93,250 in Fulton County, NY to $195,500 in Westchester County, NY Statutory. Limits took effect July 13, 2026.
| Area | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area | 99,100 | 113,250 | 127,400 | 141,550 | 152,850 | 164,200 | 175,500 | 186,850 |
| Binghamton, NY metro area | 76,100 | 86,950 | 97,850 | 108,700 | 117,400 | 126,100 | 134,800 | 143,500 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area | 81,750 | 93,400 | 105,100 | 116,750 | 126,100 | 135,450 | 144,750 | 154,100 |
| Elmira, NY metro area | 72,300 | 82,600 | 92,950 | 103,250 | 111,500 | 119,750 | 128,050 | 136,300 |
| Glens Falls, NY metro area | 80,500 | 92,000 | 103,500 | 115,000 | 124,200 | 133,400 | 142,600 | 151,800 |
| Ithaca, NY metro area | 98,300 | 112,300 | 126,350 | 140,400 | 151,650 | 162,850 | 174,100 | 185,350 |
| Kingston, NY metro area | 96,450 | 110,200 | 124,000 | 137,750 | 148,750 | 159,800 | 170,800 | 181,850 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY metro area | 101,350 | 115,850 | 130,300 | 144,800 | 156,400 | 167,950 | 179,550 | 191,150 |
| Nassau-Suffolk, NY part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area | 132,750 | 151,700 | 170,700 | 189,650 | 204,800 | 220,000 | 235,150 | 250,350 |
| New York, NY part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area | 83,950 | 95,950 | 107,950 | 119,950 | 129,550 | 139,150 | 148,750 | 158,350 |
| Rockland, NY HUD Income Limit Area | 107,400 | 122,700 | 138,050 | 153,400 | 165,650 | 177,950 | 190,200 | 202,500 |
| Westchester County, NY Statutory | 136,850 | 156,400 | 175,950 | 195,500 | 211,150 | 226,800 | 242,400 | 258,050 |
| Rochester, NY metro area | 86,150 | 98,450 | 110,750 | 123,050 | 132,900 | 142,750 | 152,600 | 162,450 |
| Syracuse, NY metro area | 85,950 | 98,250 | 110,500 | 122,800 | 132,600 | 142,450 | 152,250 | 162,100 |
| Utica-Rome, NY metro area | 78,800 | 90,050 | 101,300 | 112,550 | 121,600 | 130,600 | 139,550 | 148,600 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area | 69,700 | 79,700 | 89,650 | 99,600 | 107,550 | 115,550 | 123,500 | 131,450 |
| Allegany County, NY | 69,800 | 79,750 | 89,750 | 99,700 | 107,700 | 115,650 | 123,650 | 131,600 |
| Cattaraugus County, NY | 65,500 | 74,900 | 84,250 | 93,600 | 101,100 | 108,600 | 116,050 | 123,550 |
| Cayuga County, NY | 71,950 | 82,250 | 92,500 | 102,800 | 111,000 | 119,250 | 127,450 | 135,700 |
| Chautauqua County, NY | 66,550 | 76,100 | 85,600 | 95,100 | 102,700 | 110,300 | 117,900 | 125,550 |
| Chenango County, NY | 67,250 | 76,850 | 86,450 | 96,050 | 103,750 | 111,400 | 119,100 | 126,800 |
| Clinton County, NY | 78,100 | 89,250 | 100,400 | 111,550 | 120,450 | 129,400 | 138,300 | 147,250 |
| Columbia County, NY | 94,000 | 107,450 | 120,850 | 134,300 | 145,050 | 155,800 | 166,550 | 177,300 |
| Cortland County, NY | 74,800 | 85,500 | 96,150 | 106,850 | 115,400 | 123,950 | 132,500 | 141,050 |
| Delaware County, NY | 67,000 | 76,550 | 86,150 | 95,700 | 103,350 | 111,000 | 118,650 | 126,300 |
| Essex County, NY | 75,850 | 86,700 | 97,500 | 108,350 | 117,000 | 125,700 | 134,350 | 143,000 |
| Franklin County, NY | 66,200 | 75,650 | 85,100 | 94,550 | 102,100 | 109,700 | 117,250 | 124,800 |
| Fulton County, NY | 65,300 | 74,600 | 83,950 | 93,250 | 100,700 | 108,150 | 115,650 | 123,100 |
| Genesee County, NY | 78,250 | 89,450 | 100,600 | 111,800 | 120,750 | 129,700 | 138,650 | 147,600 |
| Greene County, NY | 85,750 | 98,000 | 110,250 | 122,500 | 132,300 | 142,100 | 151,900 | 161,700 |
| Hamilton County, NY | 75,900 | 86,750 | 97,600 | 108,450 | 117,150 | 125,800 | 134,500 | 143,150 |
| Lewis County, NY | 67,950 | 77,650 | 87,350 | 97,050 | 104,800 | 112,600 | 120,350 | 128,100 |
| Montgomery County, NY | 76,900 | 87,900 | 98,850 | 109,850 | 118,650 | 127,450 | 136,200 | 145,000 |
| Otsego County, NY | 73,450 | 83,900 | 94,400 | 104,900 | 113,300 | 121,700 | 130,100 | 138,450 |
| Schuyler County, NY | 73,800 | 84,350 | 94,900 | 105,450 | 113,900 | 122,300 | 130,750 | 139,200 |
| Seneca County, NY | 77,900 | 89,050 | 100,150 | 111,300 | 120,200 | 129,100 | 138,000 | 146,900 |
| St. Lawrence County, NY | 68,550 | 78,350 | 88,200 | 97,950 | 105,800 | 113,650 | 121,500 | 129,300 |
| Steuben County, NY | 73,500 | 84,000 | 94,500 | 105,000 | 113,400 | 121,800 | 130,200 | 138,600 |
| Sullivan County, NY | 80,800 | 92,350 | 103,900 | 115,450 | 124,650 | 133,900 | 143,100 | 152,350 |
| Wyoming County, NY | 74,150 | 84,700 | 95,300 | 105,900 | 114,350 | 122,850 | 131,300 | 139,800 |
| Yates County, NY | 71,450 | 81,700 | 91,900 | 102,100 | 110,250 | 118,450 | 126,600 | 134,750 |
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 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY: the four-person limit is $141,550, so the per-unit cap for a unit sized for four people is $3,538 a month including utilities. The project-average cap uses 100% of median instead of 115%, roughly $3,077 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 41 New York areas and every other state in one file: 538 income limits download.