Virginia Section 538 income limits for FY2026
A Section 538 tenant can earn up to 115% of area median income at move-in. In Virginia that limit for a family of four runs from $62,550 in Buchanan County, VA to $191,000 in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD. Limits took effect July 13, 2026.
| Area | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area | 96,300 | 110,050 | 123,800 | 137,550 | 148,550 | 159,550 | 170,550 | 181,550 |
| Floyd County, VA part of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area | 71,250 | 81,450 | 91,600 | 101,800 | 109,950 | 118,100 | 126,250 | 134,400 |
| Giles County, VA part of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area | 68,750 | 78,550 | 88,400 | 98,200 | 106,050 | 113,900 | 121,750 | 129,600 |
| Pulaski County, VA part of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area | 70,550 | 80,600 | 90,700 | 100,750 | 108,800 | 116,850 | 124,950 | 133,000 |
| Charlottesville, VA metro area | 111,350 | 127,250 | 143,200 | 159,100 | 171,800 | 184,550 | 197,250 | 210,000 |
| Harrisonburg, VA metro area | 83,900 | 95,900 | 107,850 | 119,850 | 129,450 | 139,050 | 148,600 | 158,200 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area | 65,850 | 75,250 | 84,650 | 94,050 | 101,550 | 109,100 | 116,600 | 124,150 |
| Lynchburg, VA metro area | 72,950 | 83,350 | 93,800 | 104,250 | 112,600 | 120,900 | 129,250 | 137,600 |
| King and Queen County, VA part of the Richmond, VA metro area | 78,350 | 89,550 | 100,750 | 111,950 | 120,900 | 129,900 | 138,850 | 147,800 |
| Richmond, VA metro area | 91,400 | 104,450 | 117,500 | 130,550 | 141,000 | 151,450 | 161,900 | 172,350 |
| Franklin County, VA part of the Roanoke, VA metro area | 73,100 | 83,500 | 93,950 | 104,400 | 112,750 | 121,100 | 129,450 | 137,800 |
| Roanoke, VA metro area | 79,300 | 90,650 | 101,950 | 113,300 | 122,350 | 131,450 | 140,500 | 149,550 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA metro area | 79,300 | 90,650 | 101,950 | 113,300 | 122,350 | 131,450 | 140,500 | 149,550 |
| Surry County, VA part of the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area | 80,750 | 92,300 | 103,800 | 115,350 | 124,600 | 133,800 | 143,050 | 152,250 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Are | 86,700 | 99,100 | 111,450 | 123,850 | 133,750 | 143,650 | 153,550 | 163,500 |
| Culpeper County, VA part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area | 97,100 | 110,950 | 124,850 | 138,700 | 149,800 | 160,900 | 172,000 | 183,100 |
| Rappahannock County, VA part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area | 87,200 | 99,650 | 112,100 | 124,550 | 134,500 | 144,500 | 154,450 | 164,400 |
| Warren County, VA part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area | 83,650 | 95,600 | 107,550 | 119,500 | 129,050 | 138,600 | 148,200 | 157,750 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area | 133,700 | 152,800 | 171,900 | 191,000 | 206,300 | 221,550 | 236,850 | 252,100 |
| Winchester, VA-WV metro area | 91,050 | 104,050 | 117,050 | 130,050 | 140,450 | 150,850 | 161,250 | 171,650 |
| Accomack County, VA | 63,300 | 72,300 | 81,350 | 90,400 | 97,650 | 104,850 | 112,100 | 119,350 |
| Alleghany County-Clifton Forge city-Covington city, VA HUD N | 60,400 | 69,000 | 77,650 | 86,250 | 93,150 | 100,050 | 106,950 | 113,850 |
| Bath County, VA | 72,200 | 82,500 | 92,850 | 103,150 | 111,400 | 119,650 | 127,900 | 136,150 |
| Bland County, VA | 61,350 | 70,100 | 78,900 | 87,650 | 94,650 | 101,650 | 108,700 | 115,700 |
| Brunswick County, VA | 53,700 | 61,350 | 69,050 | 76,700 | 82,850 | 88,950 | 95,100 | 101,250 |
| Buchanan County, VA | 43,800 | 50,050 | 56,300 | 62,550 | 67,550 | 72,550 | 77,550 | 82,550 |
| Buckingham County, VA | 68,350 | 78,100 | 87,900 | 97,650 | 105,450 | 113,250 | 121,100 | 128,900 |
| Caroline County, VA | 87,100 | 99,550 | 112,000 | 124,450 | 134,400 | 144,350 | 154,300 | 164,250 |
| Carroll County-Galax city, VA HUD Nonmetro FMR Area | 57,900 | 66,200 | 74,450 | 82,750 | 89,400 | 96,050 | 102,650 | 109,250 |
| Charlotte County, VA | 64,600 | 73,800 | 83,050 | 92,250 | 99,650 | 107,000 | 114,400 | 121,750 |
| Cumberland County, VA | 62,050 | 70,900 | 79,800 | 88,650 | 95,750 | 102,850 | 109,950 | 117,000 |
| Dickenson County, VA | 49,050 | 56,050 | 63,050 | 70,050 | 75,650 | 81,250 | 86,850 | 92,450 |
| Essex County, VA | 69,550 | 79,550 | 89,450 | 99,400 | 107,400 | 115,350 | 123,300 | 131,250 |
| Grayson County, VA | 52,550 | 60,100 | 67,600 | 75,100 | 81,100 | 87,100 | 93,100 | 99,150 |
| Greensville County-Emporia city, VA HUD Nonmetro FMR Area | 58,700 | 67,100 | 75,450 | 83,850 | 90,600 | 97,300 | 104,000 | 110,750 |
| Halifax County, VA | 62,550 | 71,500 | 80,400 | 89,350 | 96,500 | 103,650 | 110,800 | 117,950 |
| Henry County-Martinsville city, VA HUD Nonmetro FMR Area | 57,600 | 65,800 | 74,050 | 82,250 | 88,850 | 95,400 | 102,000 | 108,550 |
| Highland County, VA | 69,700 | 79,600 | 89,550 | 99,600 | 107,550 | 115,500 | 123,450 | 131,500 |
| King George County, VA | 111,600 | 127,500 | 143,450 | 159,400 | 172,150 | 184,900 | 197,650 | 210,400 |
| Lancaster County, VA | 74,950 | 85,650 | 96,350 | 107,050 | 115,600 | 124,200 | 132,750 | 141,300 |
| Lee County, VA | 52,500 | 60,000 | 67,500 | 75,000 | 81,000 | 87,000 | 93,000 | 99,000 |
| Louisa County, VA | 86,150 | 98,450 | 110,750 | 123,050 | 132,900 | 142,750 | 152,600 | 162,450 |
| Lunenburg County, VA | 62,150 | 71,050 | 79,900 | 88,800 | 95,900 | 103,000 | 110,100 | 117,200 |
| Madison County, VA | 87,500 | 100,000 | 112,500 | 125,000 | 135,000 | 145,000 | 155,000 | 165,000 |
| Mecklenburg County, VA | 64,000 | 73,150 | 82,300 | 91,450 | 98,750 | 106,100 | 113,400 | 120,700 |
| Middlesex County, VA | 82,300 | 94,050 | 105,800 | 117,550 | 126,950 | 136,350 | 145,750 | 155,150 |
| Northampton County, VA | 69,500 | 79,400 | 89,350 | 99,250 | 107,200 | 115,150 | 123,050 | 131,000 |
| Northumberland County, VA | 72,850 | 83,300 | 93,700 | 104,100 | 112,450 | 120,750 | 129,100 | 137,400 |
| Nottoway County, VA | 72,250 | 82,500 | 92,800 | 103,150 | 111,400 | 119,700 | 127,950 | 136,200 |
| Orange County, VA | 94,150 | 107,550 | 121,050 | 134,500 | 145,250 | 156,000 | 166,750 | 177,550 |
| Page County, VA | 63,100 | 72,100 | 81,150 | 90,150 | 97,350 | 104,550 | 111,800 | 119,000 |
| Patrick County, VA | 63,350 | 72,400 | 81,450 | 90,500 | 97,750 | 105,000 | 112,200 | 119,450 |
| Pittsylvania County-Danville city, VA HUD Nonmetro FMR Area | 60,800 | 69,500 | 78,150 | 86,850 | 93,800 | 100,750 | 107,700 | 114,650 |
| Prince Edward County, VA | 66,450 | 75,900 | 85,400 | 94,900 | 102,500 | 110,100 | 117,700 | 125,250 |
| Richmond County, VA | 78,500 | 89,700 | 100,950 | 112,150 | 121,100 | 130,100 | 139,050 | 148,050 |
| Rockbridge County-Buena Vista city-Lexington city, VA HUD No | 69,000 | 78,850 | 88,700 | 98,550 | 106,450 | 114,300 | 122,200 | 130,100 |
| Russell County, VA | 58,750 | 67,150 | 75,550 | 83,950 | 90,650 | 97,400 | 104,100 | 110,800 |
| Shenandoah County, VA | 71,250 | 81,450 | 91,600 | 101,800 | 109,950 | 118,100 | 126,250 | 134,400 |
| Smyth County, VA | 56,550 | 64,600 | 72,700 | 80,750 | 87,200 | 93,650 | 100,150 | 106,600 |
| Southampton County-Franklin city, VA HUD Nonmetro FMR Area | 77,300 | 88,300 | 99,350 | 110,400 | 119,250 | 128,050 | 136,900 | 145,750 |
| Tazewell County, VA | 55,950 | 63,950 | 71,950 | 79,950 | 86,350 | 92,750 | 99,150 | 105,550 |
| Westmoreland County, VA | 72,700 | 83,100 | 93,450 | 103,850 | 112,150 | 120,450 | 128,750 | 137,100 |
| Wise County-Norton city, VA HUD Nonmetro FMR Area | 53,150 | 60,700 | 68,300 | 75,900 | 81,950 | 88,050 | 94,100 | 100,200 |
| Wythe County, VA | 68,050 | 77,750 | 87,500 | 97,200 | 105,000 | 112,750 | 120,550 | 128,300 |
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 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA: the four-person limit is $137,550, so the per-unit cap for a unit sized for four people is $3,438 a month including utilities. The project-average cap uses 100% of median instead of 115%, roughly $2,990 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 64 Virginia areas and every other state in one file: 538 income limits download.