Wisconsin Section 538 income limits for FY2026

A Section 538 tenant can earn up to 115% of area median income at move-in. In Wisconsin that limit for a family of four runs from $85,200 in Menominee County, WI to $155,600 in Madison, WI. 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
Appleton, WI metro area	89,800	102,600	115,450	128,250	138,500	148,750	159,050	169,300
Duluth, MN-WI metro area	81,400	93,000	104,650	116,250	125,550	134,850	144,150	153,450
Eau Claire, WI metro area	83,100	94,950	106,850	118,700	128,200	137,700	147,200	156,700
Fond du Lac, WI metro area	85,150	97,300	109,500	121,650	131,400	141,100	150,850	160,600
Green Bay, WI metro area	86,800	99,250	111,650	124,050	134,000	143,950	153,850	163,750
Oconto County, WI part of the Green Bay, WI metro area	80,100	91,550	103,000	114,450	123,600	132,750	141,900	151,050
Janesville-Beloit, WI metro area	78,400	89,650	100,850	112,050	121,000	129,950	138,900	147,950
Kenosha, WI metro area	94,450	107,900	121,400	134,900	145,700	156,500	167,300	178,050
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro area	86,500	98,850	111,250	123,550	133,450	143,350	153,250	163,100
Vernon County, WI part of the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro area	76,800	87,750	98,750	109,700	118,500	127,250	136,050	144,800
Columbia County, WI part of the Madison, WI metro area	86,400	98,700	111,050	123,400	133,250	143,150	153,000	162,900
Green County, WI part of the Madison, WI metro area	88,550	101,200	113,850	126,500	136,600	146,750	156,850	167,000
Iowa County, WI part of the Madison, WI metro area	91,300	104,300	117,350	130,400	140,850	151,250	161,700	172,150
Madison, WI metro area	108,900	124,500	140,050	155,600	168,050	180,500	192,950	205,400
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area	89,100	101,850	114,550	127,300	137,500	147,650	157,850	168,050
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area	106,600	121,800	137,050	152,250	164,450	176,600	188,800	200,950
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI metro area	83,400	95,300	107,250	119,150	128,700	138,200	147,750	157,300
Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI metro area	83,950	95,950	107,950	119,950	129,550	139,150	148,750	158,350
Sheboygan, WI metro area	83,100	94,950	106,850	118,700	128,200	137,700	147,200	156,700
Wausau, WI metro area	83,400	95,300	107,250	119,150	128,700	138,200	147,750	157,300
Adams County, WI	68,050	77,750	87,500	97,200	105,000	112,750	120,550	128,300
Ashland County, WI	71,200	81,350	91,550	101,700	109,850	118,000	126,150	134,250
Barron County, WI	71,700	81,950	92,200	102,450	110,650	118,850	127,050	135,250
Bayfield County, WI	73,750	84,300	94,800	105,350	113,800	122,200	130,650	139,050
Buffalo County, WI	72,850	83,300	93,700	104,100	112,450	120,750	129,100	137,400
Burnett County, WI	70,600	80,700	90,750	100,850	108,900	117,000	125,050	133,100
Clark County, WI	70,850	80,950	91,100	101,200	109,300	117,400	125,500	133,600
Crawford County, WI	69,300	79,200	89,100	99,000	106,900	114,850	122,750	130,700
Dodge County, WI	81,850	93,550	105,250	116,950	126,300	135,650	145,000	154,350
Door County, WI	84,350	96,400	108,450	120,500	130,150	139,800	149,400	159,050
Dunn County, WI	81,050	92,650	104,200	115,800	125,050	134,350	143,600	152,850
Florence County, WI	66,700	76,250	85,800	95,350	103,000	110,550	118,200	125,850
Forest County, WI	61,900	70,750	79,600	88,450	95,550	102,600	109,700	116,750
Grant County, WI	76,500	87,400	98,350	109,250	118,000	126,750	135,450	144,200
Green Lake County, WI	74,250	84,850	95,450	106,050	114,550	123,000	131,500	140,000
Iron County, WI	66,250	75,700	85,200	94,650	102,200	109,800	117,350	124,950
Jackson County, WI	70,350	80,400	90,450	100,500	108,550	116,600	124,600	132,650
Jefferson County, WI	89,900	102,750	115,600	128,450	138,750	149,000	159,300	169,550
Juneau County, WI	70,550	80,600	90,700	100,750	108,800	116,850	124,950	133,000
Lafayette County, WI	77,900	89,050	100,150	111,300	120,200	129,100	138,000	146,900
Langlade County, WI	64,900	74,150	83,450	92,700	100,100	107,550	114,950	122,350
Lincoln County, WI	76,700	87,700	98,650	109,600	118,350	127,150	135,900	144,650
Manitowoc County, WI	76,650	87,600	98,550	109,500	118,250	127,000	135,800	144,550
Marinette County, WI	65,950	75,350	84,800	94,200	101,750	109,250	116,800	124,350
Marquette County, WI	67,850	77,550	87,250	96,950	104,700	112,450	120,200	127,950
Menominee County, WI	59,650	68,150	76,700	85,200	92,000	98,850	105,650	112,450
Monroe County, WI	75,500	86,300	97,050	107,850	116,500	125,100	133,750	142,350
Oneida County, WI	77,550	88,600	99,700	110,750	119,600	128,450	137,350	146,200
Pepin County, WI	75,500	86,300	97,050	107,850	116,500	125,100	133,750	142,350
Polk County, WI	78,700	89,950	101,200	112,450	121,450	130,450	139,450	148,450
Portage County, WI	85,600	97,800	110,050	122,250	132,050	141,800	151,600	161,350
Price County, WI	65,850	75,250	84,650	94,050	101,550	109,100	116,600	124,150
Richland County, WI	71,650	81,900	92,100	102,350	110,550	118,750	126,900	135,100
Rusk County, WI	64,800	74,100	83,350	92,600	100,000	107,400	114,800	122,250
Sauk County, WI	83,000	94,850	106,700	118,550	128,050	137,500	147,000	156,500
Sawyer County, WI	67,700	77,350	87,050	96,700	104,450	112,150	119,900	127,650
Shawano County, WI	69,700	79,700	89,650	99,600	107,550	115,550	123,500	131,450
Taylor County, WI	73,500	84,000	94,500	105,000	113,400	121,800	130,200	138,600
Trempealeau County, WI	81,050	92,650	104,200	115,800	125,050	134,350	143,600	152,850
Vilas County, WI	72,200	82,500	92,850	103,150	111,400	119,650	127,900	136,150
Walworth County, WI	95,750	109,400	123,100	136,750	147,700	158,650	169,550	180,500
Washburn County, WI	70,750	80,900	91,000	101,100	109,200	117,300	125,350	133,450
Waupaca County, WI	77,550	88,600	99,700	110,750	119,600	128,450	137,350	146,200
Waushara County, WI	71,400	81,600	91,800	102,000	110,150	118,300	126,500	134,650
Wood County, WI	76,250	87,100	98,000	108,900	117,600	126,300	135,050	143,750

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 Appleton, WI: the four-person limit is $128,250, so the per-unit cap for a unit sized for four people is $3,206 a month including utilities. The project-average cap uses 100% of median instead of 115%, roughly $2,788 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 65 Wisconsin areas and every other state in one file: 538 income limits download.

Wisconsin Section 538 income limits for FY2026

From income limit to rent cap

Get the FY2027 Wisconsin limits when USDA posts them