Ohio Section 538 income limits for FY2026
A Section 538 tenant can earn up to 115% of area median income at move-in. In Ohio that limit for a family of four runs from $76,350 in Meigs County, OH to $162,150 in Union County, OH. Limits took effect July 13, 2026.
| Area | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron, OH metro area | 80,750 | 92,300 | 103,800 | 115,350 | 124,600 | 133,800 | 143,050 | 152,250 |
| Canton-Massillon, OH metro area | 72,750 | 83,150 | 93,550 | 103,950 | 112,250 | 120,600 | 128,900 | 137,200 |
| Brown County, OH part of the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area | 71,250 | 81,450 | 91,600 | 101,800 | 109,950 | 118,100 | 126,250 | 134,400 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area | 90,000 | 102,850 | 115,700 | 128,550 | 138,850 | 149,100 | 159,400 | 169,700 |
| Ashtabula County, OH part of the Cleveland, OH metro area | 63,650 | 72,750 | 81,850 | 90,950 | 98,250 | 105,500 | 112,800 | 120,050 |
| Cleveland, OH metro area | 84,550 | 96,600 | 108,700 | 120,750 | 130,400 | 140,050 | 149,750 | 159,400 |
| Columbus, OH metro area | 89,800 | 102,600 | 115,450 | 128,250 | 138,500 | 148,750 | 159,050 | 169,300 |
| Hocking County, OH metro area | 67,950 | 77,650 | 87,350 | 97,050 | 104,800 | 112,600 | 120,350 | 128,100 |
| Perry County, OH metro area | 70,050 | 80,050 | 90,050 | 100,050 | 108,050 | 116,050 | 124,050 | 132,050 |
| Union County, OH metro area | 113,500 | 129,700 | 145,950 | 162,150 | 175,150 | 188,150 | 201,100 | 214,100 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH metro area | 82,900 | 94,750 | 106,600 | 118,450 | 127,950 | 137,400 | 146,900 | 156,350 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro area | 67,050 | 76,650 | 86,200 | 95,800 | 103,450 | 111,150 | 118,800 | 126,450 |
| Lima, OH metro area | 73,050 | 83,550 | 93,950 | 104,400 | 112,750 | 121,100 | 129,450 | 137,800 |
| Mansfield, OH metro area | 67,300 | 76,850 | 86,500 | 96,100 | 103,800 | 111,500 | 119,200 | 126,850 |
| Erie County, OH part of the Sandusky, OH metro area | 84,550 | 96,650 | 108,700 | 120,800 | 130,500 | 140,150 | 149,800 | 159,500 |
| Ottawa County, OH part of the Sandusky, OH metro area | 84,450 | 96,500 | 108,600 | 120,650 | 130,300 | 139,950 | 149,600 | 159,250 |
| Springfield, OH metro area | 69,650 | 79,600 | 89,550 | 99,500 | 107,450 | 115,400 | 123,400 | 131,350 |
| Toledo, OH metro area | 76,800 | 87,750 | 98,750 | 109,700 | 118,500 | 127,250 | 136,050 | 144,800 |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH metro area | 64,900 | 74,150 | 83,450 | 92,700 | 100,100 | 107,550 | 114,950 | 122,350 |
| Wheeling, WV-OH metro area | 68,050 | 77,750 | 87,500 | 97,200 | 105,000 | 112,750 | 120,550 | 128,300 |
| Youngstown-Warren, OH metro area | 65,950 | 75,350 | 84,800 | 94,200 | 101,750 | 109,250 | 116,800 | 124,350 |
| Adams County, OH | 56,900 | 65,050 | 73,150 | 81,300 | 87,800 | 94,300 | 100,800 | 107,300 |
| Ashland County, OH | 72,400 | 82,700 | 93,050 | 103,400 | 111,650 | 119,950 | 128,200 | 136,500 |
| Athens County, OH | 71,950 | 82,250 | 92,500 | 102,800 | 111,000 | 119,250 | 127,450 | 135,700 |
| Auglaize County, OH | 85,250 | 97,450 | 109,600 | 121,800 | 131,550 | 141,300 | 151,050 | 160,800 |
| Champaign County, OH | 76,250 | 87,100 | 98,000 | 108,900 | 117,600 | 126,300 | 135,050 | 143,750 |
| Clinton County, OH | 74,800 | 85,500 | 96,150 | 106,850 | 115,400 | 123,950 | 132,500 | 141,050 |
| Columbiana County, OH | 62,700 | 71,700 | 80,650 | 89,600 | 96,750 | 103,950 | 111,100 | 118,250 |
| Coshocton County, OH | 60,600 | 69,300 | 77,950 | 86,600 | 93,550 | 100,450 | 107,400 | 114,300 |
| Crawford County, OH | 61,600 | 70,400 | 79,200 | 88,000 | 95,050 | 102,100 | 109,100 | 116,150 |
| Darke County, OH | 70,750 | 80,900 | 91,000 | 101,100 | 109,200 | 117,300 | 125,350 | 133,450 |
| Defiance County, OH | 75,900 | 86,750 | 97,600 | 108,450 | 117,150 | 125,800 | 134,500 | 143,150 |
| Fayette County, OH | 70,750 | 80,850 | 90,950 | 101,050 | 109,150 | 117,250 | 125,300 | 133,400 |
| Gallia County, OH | 61,500 | 70,300 | 79,050 | 87,850 | 94,900 | 101,900 | 108,950 | 115,950 |
| Guernsey County, OH | 62,050 | 70,900 | 79,800 | 88,650 | 95,750 | 102,850 | 109,950 | 117,000 |
| Hancock County, OH | 84,450 | 96,500 | 108,600 | 120,650 | 130,350 | 139,950 | 149,650 | 159,250 |
| Hardin County, OH | 69,850 | 79,850 | 89,800 | 99,800 | 107,800 | 115,750 | 123,750 | 131,750 |
| Harrison County, OH | 62,700 | 71,700 | 80,650 | 89,600 | 96,750 | 103,950 | 111,100 | 118,250 |
| Henry County, OH | 78,100 | 89,250 | 100,400 | 111,550 | 120,450 | 129,400 | 138,300 | 147,250 |
| Highland County, OH | 65,400 | 74,700 | 84,050 | 93,400 | 100,850 | 108,350 | 115,800 | 123,300 |
| Holmes County, OH | 78,150 | 89,300 | 100,500 | 111,650 | 120,600 | 129,500 | 138,450 | 147,400 |
| Huron County, OH | 70,350 | 80,400 | 90,450 | 100,500 | 108,550 | 116,600 | 124,600 | 132,650 |
| Jackson County, OH | 61,800 | 70,650 | 79,450 | 88,300 | 95,350 | 102,450 | 109,500 | 116,550 |
| Knox County, OH | 76,500 | 87,400 | 98,350 | 109,250 | 118,000 | 126,750 | 135,450 | 144,200 |
| Logan County, OH | 75,850 | 86,700 | 97,500 | 108,350 | 117,000 | 125,700 | 134,350 | 143,000 |
| Marion County, OH | 68,200 | 77,900 | 87,650 | 97,400 | 105,200 | 113,000 | 120,800 | 128,550 |
| Meigs County, OH | 53,450 | 61,100 | 68,700 | 76,350 | 82,450 | 88,550 | 94,650 | 100,800 |
| Mercer County, OH | 87,100 | 99,550 | 112,000 | 124,450 | 134,400 | 144,350 | 154,300 | 164,250 |
| Monroe County, OH | 61,350 | 70,100 | 78,900 | 87,650 | 94,650 | 101,650 | 108,700 | 115,700 |
| Morgan County, OH | 58,950 | 67,350 | 75,800 | 84,200 | 90,950 | 97,650 | 104,400 | 111,150 |
| Muskingum County, OH | 66,650 | 76,150 | 85,700 | 95,200 | 102,800 | 110,450 | 118,050 | 125,650 |
| Noble County, OH | 68,350 | 78,150 | 87,850 | 97,650 | 105,450 | 113,300 | 121,100 | 128,900 |
| Paulding County, OH | 73,200 | 83,650 | 94,100 | 104,550 | 112,900 | 121,300 | 129,650 | 138,000 |
| Pike County, OH | 57,700 | 65,950 | 74,200 | 82,450 | 89,050 | 95,650 | 102,250 | 108,850 |
| Preble County, OH | 73,450 | 83,900 | 94,400 | 104,900 | 113,300 | 121,700 | 130,100 | 138,450 |
| Putnam County, OH | 87,550 | 100,100 | 112,600 | 125,100 | 135,100 | 145,100 | 155,100 | 165,150 |
| Ross County, OH | 71,350 | 81,500 | 91,700 | 101,900 | 110,050 | 118,200 | 126,350 | 134,500 |
| Sandusky County, OH | 70,450 | 80,500 | 90,600 | 100,650 | 108,700 | 116,750 | 124,800 | 132,850 |
| Scioto County, OH | 64,500 | 73,750 | 82,900 | 92,150 | 99,600 | 106,900 | 114,300 | 121,750 |
| Seneca County, OH | 68,600 | 78,400 | 88,200 | 98,000 | 105,850 | 113,700 | 121,500 | 129,350 |
| Shelby County, OH | 77,750 | 88,900 | 100,000 | 111,100 | 120,000 | 128,900 | 137,750 | 146,650 |
| Tuscarawas County, OH | 70,450 | 80,500 | 90,600 | 100,650 | 108,700 | 116,750 | 124,800 | 132,850 |
| Van Wert County, OH | 71,800 | 82,100 | 92,350 | 102,600 | 110,800 | 119,000 | 127,200 | 135,450 |
| Vinton County, OH | 61,800 | 70,650 | 79,450 | 88,300 | 95,350 | 102,450 | 109,500 | 116,500 |
| Washington County, OH | 68,450 | 78,200 | 88,000 | 97,750 | 105,550 | 113,400 | 121,200 | 129,050 |
| Wayne County, OH | 72,050 | 82,350 | 92,650 | 102,950 | 111,200 | 119,400 | 127,650 | 135,900 |
| Williams County, OH | 67,000 | 76,550 | 86,150 | 95,700 | 103,350 | 111,000 | 118,650 | 126,300 |
| Wyandot County, OH | 73,000 | 83,450 | 93,850 | 104,300 | 112,650 | 121,000 | 129,350 | 137,700 |
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 Akron, OH: the four-person limit is $115,350, so the per-unit cap for a unit sized for four people is $2,883 a month including utilities. The project-average cap uses 100% of median instead of 115%, roughly $2,507 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 68 Ohio areas and every other state in one file: 538 income limits download.