USDA Income Limits in North Carolina, FY 2026
USDA publishes 83 areas in North Carolina, and only two household brackets. The rule that decides most files is not the number, it is whose income counts.
The short answer
For most of North Carolina, the USDA guaranteed loan income limit is $122,800 for a household of 1 to 4 people and $162,100 for 5 to 8. The highest limit in the state is $152,600 in Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. USDA counts total household income, not just the income of the people on the loan.
Every published North Carolina area
| Area | Guaranteed, 1–4 person | Guaranteed, 5–8 person | Low income, 1–4 | Very low income, 1–4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alleghany County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Anson County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Ashe County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Asheville, NC MSA | $122,800 | $162,100 | $81,900 | $51,200 |
| Avery County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $71,050 | $44,400 |
| Beaufort County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Bertie County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Bladen County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Brunswick County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area | $122,800 | $162,100 | $79,350 | $49,600 |
| Burlington, NC MSA | $122,800 | $162,100 | $70,900 | $44,300 |
| Camden County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area | $122,800 | $162,100 | $84,400 | $52,750 |
| Carteret County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $82,800 | $51,750 |
| Caswell County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,800 | $39,250 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area | $135,000 | $178,200 | $93,900 | $58,700 |
| Cherokee County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Chowan County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Clay County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $69,050 | $43,150 |
| Cleveland County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $66,250 | $41,400 |
| Columbus County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Craven County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $70,650 | $44,150 |
| Dare County, NC | $126,700 | $167,250 | $88,150 | $55,100 |
| Davidson County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area | $122,800 | $162,100 | $68,800 | $43,000 |
| Duplin County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC HUD Metro FMR Area | $146,200 | $193,000 | $101,700 | $63,550 |
| Fayetteville, NC HUD Metro FMR Area | $122,800 | $162,100 | $65,500 | $40,950 |
| Gates County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area | $122,800 | $162,100 | $70,900 | $44,300 |
| Goldsboro, NC MSA | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Graham County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Granville County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $72,900 | $45,550 |
| Greene County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC HUD Metro FMR Area | $122,800 | $162,100 | $73,200 | $45,750 |
| Greenville, NC MSA | $122,800 | $162,100 | $71,050 | $44,400 |
| Halifax County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Harnett County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $71,500 | $44,700 |
| Haywood County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $70,800 | $44,250 |
| Hertford County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA | $122,800 | $162,100 | $68,150 | $42,600 |
| Hoke County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area | $122,800 | $162,100 | $63,100 | $39,450 |
| Hyde County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Iredell County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area | $123,400 | $162,900 | $85,850 | $53,650 |
| Jackson County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $64,650 | $40,400 |
| Jacksonville, NC MSA | $122,800 | $162,100 | $68,300 | $42,700 |
| Jones County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Lee County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $67,200 | $42,000 |
| Lenoir County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Lincoln County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area | $122,800 | $162,100 | $84,500 | $52,800 |
| Macon County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $63,300 | $39,550 |
| Martin County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| McDowell County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Mitchell County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Montgomery County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Northampton County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Pamlico County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $72,550 | $45,350 |
| Pasquotank County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $68,000 | $42,500 |
| Pender County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area | $126,000 | $166,350 | $87,650 | $54,800 |
| Perquimans County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $72,300 | $45,200 |
| Person County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area | $122,800 | $162,100 | $68,300 | $42,700 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC MSA | $124,900 | $164,900 | $86,900 | $54,300 |
| Polk County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $74,650 | $46,650 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA | $152,600 | $201,450 | $106,150 | $66,350 |
| Richmond County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Robeson County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Rockingham County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area | $122,800 | $162,100 | $64,000 | $40,000 |
| Rocky Mount, NC MSA | $122,800 | $162,100 | $64,150 | $40,100 |
| Rowan County, NC HUD Metro FMR Area | $122,800 | $162,100 | $70,150 | $43,850 |
| Rutherford County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Sampson County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Scotland County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Stanly County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $70,650 | $44,150 |
| Surry County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Swain County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $65,750 | $41,100 |
| Transylvania County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $71,200 | $44,500 |
| Tyrrell County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Vance County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Are | $123,850 | $163,500 | $86,150 | $53,850 |
| Warren County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Washington County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Watauga County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $75,450 | $47,150 |
| Wilkes County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $62,650 | $39,150 |
| Wilmington, NC HUD Metro FMR Area | $125,550 | $165,750 | $87,350 | $54,600 |
| Wilson County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $67,200 | $42,000 |
| Winston-Salem, NC HUD Metro FMR Area | $122,800 | $162,100 | $76,250 | $47,650 |
| Yancey County, NC | $122,800 | $162,100 | $68,250 | $42,650 |
The two right-hand columns are the Low and Very Low tiers, which is what the Section 502 Direct loan is tested against. The Guaranteed columns are the ones that apply to a USDA loan made through a lender like us.
Two brackets, not eight
USDA publishes columns for one through eight people, but in North Carolina every area uses the same figure for one to four people and the same higher figure for five to eight. We checked all 949 areas USDA publishes across the states we lend in and found no exception. So the only question that matters is whether your household is four or fewer, or five or more. Going from four people to five raises the limit by about 32%, which is the largest single jump in the rules and worth knowing if you are close.
USDA counts everyone, and this is where files fail
This is the rule that catches people. Most loan programs test the income of the people on the loan. USDA tests the income of the whole household, including an adult child with a job, a parent living with you, or a partner who is not on the mortgage. If a working adult lives in the home, their income counts toward the limit whether or not they are a borrower. There are deductions USDA allows that reduce the figure it actually measures, which is why the number on your tax return is not the number USDA uses. Send us the household and we will work out the adjusted figure rather than guessing from gross pay.
The Section 502 Direct loan is a different program
People search for both and they are not the same thing. The guaranteed loan is made by a lender and backed by USDA, and it is tested against the Guaranteed column. The Section 502 Direct loan is made by USDA itself, carries payment assistance, and is tested against the Low and Very Low columns, which are far lower. In Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA, for example, the guaranteed limit is $152,600 while the Low income figure is $106,150 and Very Low is $66,350. We originate the guaranteed loan. If your income points at Direct instead, we will tell you and point you to USDA, because that one does not come through a lender.
The spread across North Carolina
North Carolina publishes 83 areas, from $122,800 at the low end to $152,600 at the top, a spread of $29,800 on the same household size. The limit follows the area median income where the property sits, not where you live now, so moving between areas can change your eligibility without your income changing at all. Income is only one of the tests: the property also has to be in an eligible area, and that is a separate map we can check for a specific address.
Common questions
What is the USDA income limit in North Carolina?
For most of North Carolina the guaranteed loan limit is $122,800 for a household of one to four people. The highest in the state is $152,600 in Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA. For households of five to eight the figures are higher. These are USDA's FY 2026 adjusted income limits.
Does USDA count the income of people who are not on the loan?
Yes. USDA tests total household income, including adults living in the home who will not be borrowers. That is different from most loan programs and it is the most common reason a USDA application fails on income. USDA also allows certain deductions, so the figure it measures is not simply your gross pay.
Is the income limit different for a bigger family?
There are only two brackets: one to four people, and five to eight. Within each bracket the figure is the same, so a single buyer and a family of four share one limit. Moving from four people to five raises the limit by roughly 32%.
What is the income limit for a Section 502 Direct loan in North Carolina?
The Direct loan uses the Low and Very Low income tiers, not the guaranteed figure, and they are much lower. In Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA the Low income figure is $106,150 and Very Low is $66,350, against a guaranteed limit of $152,600. The Direct loan is made by USDA rather than by a lender, so it is applied for through USDA.
Which North Carolina area has the highest USDA income limit?
Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA, at $152,600 for a household of one to four and $201,450 for five to eight.
Want us to check your household against the limit?
Send us the county, who lives in the home and roughly what they earn, and we will work out the adjusted figure USDA actually measures. No obligation.