Tennessee Section 538 income limits for FY2026

A Section 538 tenant can earn up to 115% of area median income at move-in. In Tennessee that limit for a family of four runs from $56,600 in Lake County, TN to $133,500 in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR. 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
Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area	78,400	89,600	100,800	112,000	120,950	129,900	138,900	147,850
Clarksville, TN-KY metro area	75,500	86,300	97,050	107,850	116,500	125,100	133,750	142,350
Stewart County, TN part of the Clarksville, TN-KY metro area	72,650	83,000	93,400	103,750	112,050	120,350	128,650	136,950
Cleveland, TN metro area	73,800	84,350	94,900	105,450	113,900	122,300	130,750	139,200
Crockett County, TN part of the Jackson, TN metro area	64,650	73,900	83,100	92,350	99,750	107,150	114,500	121,900
Gibson County, TN part of the Jackson, TN metro area	62,050	70,900	79,800	88,650	95,750	102,850	109,950	117,000
Jackson, TN metro area	70,600	80,700	90,750	100,850	108,900	117,000	125,050	133,100
Johnson City, TN metro area	68,250	78,000	87,750	97,500	105,300	113,100	120,900	128,700
Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area	65,850	75,250	84,650	94,050	101,550	109,100	116,600	124,150
Campbell County, TN part of the Knoxville, TN metro area	57,500	65,700	73,900	82,100	88,650	95,300	101,850	108,400
Grainger County, TN part of the Knoxville, TN metro area	56,450	64,550	72,550	80,650	87,100	93,550	100,000	106,500
Knoxville, TN metro area	83,500	95,400	107,350	119,250	128,800	138,350	147,850	157,400
Morgan County, TN part of the Knoxville, TN metro area	63,250	72,300	81,400	90,350	97,650	104,850	112,100	119,350
Roane County, TN part of the Knoxville, TN metro area	75,750	86,550	97,400	108,200	116,850	125,500	134,150	142,800
Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area	74,600	85,300	95,950	106,600	115,150	123,650	132,200	140,700
Morristown, TN metro area	64,450	73,700	82,900	92,100	99,450	106,850	114,200	121,550
Hickman County, TN part of the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area	63,550	72,600	81,700	90,750	98,000	105,250	112,550	119,800
Macon County, TN part of the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area	62,500	71,400	80,350	89,250	96,400	103,550	110,650	117,800
Maury County, TN part of the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area	83,400	95,350	107,250	119,150	128,700	138,250	147,750	157,300
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN HUD Metro FMR	93,450	106,800	120,150	133,500	144,200	154,850	165,550	176,200
Smith County, TN metro area	69,150	79,050	88,900	98,800	106,700	114,600	122,500	130,400
Bedford County, TN	68,750	78,550	88,400	98,200	106,050	113,900	121,750	129,600
Benton County, TN	59,350	67,800	76,300	84,750	91,550	98,300	105,100	111,850
Bledsoe County, TN	58,750	67,150	75,550	83,950	90,650	97,400	104,100	110,800
Carroll County, TN	63,600	72,700	81,750	90,850	98,100	105,400	112,650	119,900
Claiborne County, TN	57,100	65,250	73,400	81,550	88,050	94,600	101,100	107,650
Clay County, TN	53,550	61,200	68,850	76,500	82,600	88,750	94,850	100,950
Cocke County, TN	49,350	56,400	63,450	70,500	76,150	81,800	87,400	93,050
Coffee County, TN	61,500	70,300	79,050	87,850	94,900	101,900	108,950	115,950
Cumberland County, TN	62,950	71,950	80,950	89,950	97,150	104,350	111,550	118,750
DeKalb County, TN	56,650	64,750	72,850	80,950	87,450	93,900	100,400	106,850
Decatur County, TN	54,500	62,300	70,050	77,850	84,100	90,300	96,550	102,750
Dyer County, TN	58,750	67,150	75,550	83,950	90,650	97,400	104,100	110,800
Fentress County, TN	54,600	62,400	70,200	78,000	84,300	90,500	96,800	103,000
Franklin County, TN	67,050	76,650	86,200	95,800	103,450	111,150	118,800	126,450
Giles County, TN	72,450	82,800	93,150	103,500	111,800	120,050	128,350	136,600
Greene County, TN	64,950	74,250	83,500	92,800	100,200	107,650	115,050	122,500
Grundy County, TN	47,650	54,500	61,300	68,100	73,550	79,000	84,450	89,900
Hancock County, TN	44,100	50,400	56,700	63,000	68,050	73,100	78,100	83,150
Hardeman County, TN	57,350	65,500	73,700	81,900	88,450	95,000	101,550	108,100
Hardin County, TN	51,350	58,700	66,000	73,350	79,200	85,100	90,950	96,800
Haywood County, TN	52,950	60,500	68,100	75,650	81,700	87,750	93,800	99,850
Henderson County, TN	62,400	71,300	80,250	89,150	96,300	103,400	110,550	117,700
Henry County, TN	56,850	64,950	73,100	81,200	87,700	94,200	100,700	107,200
Houston County, TN	66,750	76,300	85,800	95,350	103,000	110,600	118,250	125,850
Humphreys County, TN	67,300	76,900	86,550	96,150	103,850	111,550	119,250	126,900
Jackson County, TN	60,700	69,350	78,050	86,700	93,650	100,550	107,500	114,450
Johnson County, TN	57,800	66,050	74,300	82,550	89,150	95,750	102,350	108,950
Lake County, TN	39,600	45,300	50,950	56,600	61,150	65,650	70,200	74,700
Lauderdale County, TN	55,550	63,500	71,400	79,350	85,700	92,050	98,400	104,750
Lawrence County, TN	62,150	71,050	79,900	88,800	95,900	103,000	110,100	117,200
Lewis County, TN	65,500	74,900	84,250	93,600	101,100	108,550	116,100	123,550
Lincoln County, TN	70,900	81,050	91,150	101,300	109,400	117,500	125,600	133,700
Marshall County, TN	76,900	87,900	98,850	109,850	118,650	127,450	136,200	145,000
McMinn County, TN	63,750	72,900	82,000	91,100	98,400	105,700	112,950	120,250
McNairy County, TN	56,100	64,100	72,150	80,150	86,550	92,950	99,400	105,800
Meigs County, TN	67,600	77,300	86,950	96,600	104,350	112,050	119,800	127,500
Monroe County, TN	64,350	73,500	82,700	91,900	99,250	106,600	113,950	121,300
Moore County, TN	73,700	84,200	94,750	105,250	113,650	122,100	130,500	138,950
Obion County, TN	62,150	71,050	79,900	88,800	95,900	103,000	110,100	117,200
Overton County, TN	59,650	68,150	76,700	85,200	92,000	98,850	105,650	112,450
Perry County, TN	57,400	65,600	73,800	82,000	88,550	95,100	101,700	108,250
Pickett County, TN	52,950	60,500	68,100	75,600	81,700	87,750	93,750	99,800
Putnam County, TN	72,050	82,350	92,650	102,950	111,200	119,400	127,650	135,900
Rhea County, TN	55,250	63,100	71,000	78,900	85,200	91,500	97,850	104,150
Scott County, TN	48,000	54,850	61,700	68,550	74,050	79,500	85,000	90,500
Sevier County, TN	68,450	78,200	88,000	97,750	105,550	113,400	121,200	129,050
Van Buren County, TN	60,200	68,800	77,400	86,000	92,900	99,750	106,650	113,500
Warren County, TN	56,550	64,600	72,700	80,750	87,200	93,650	100,150	106,600
Wayne County, TN	59,800	68,350	76,900	85,450	92,300	99,100	105,950	112,800
Weakley County, TN	58,750	67,150	75,550	83,950	90,650	97,400	104,100	110,800
White County, TN	59,900	68,450	77,000	85,550	92,400	99,250	106,100	112,950

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 Chattanooga, TN-GA: the four-person limit is $112,000, so the per-unit cap for a unit sized for four people is $2,800 a month including utilities. The project-average cap uses 100% of median instead of 115%, roughly $2,434 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 72 Tennessee areas and every other state in one file: 538 income limits download.

Tennessee Section 538 income limits for FY2026

From income limit to rent cap

Get the FY2027 Tennessee limits when USDA posts them