USDA Loans in Virginia: Surprisingly High Income Limits, Eligible Counties & $0 Down
USDA income limits in Virginia start at $122,800 for a 1-4 person household in 2026 and run far higher near DC, one of the highest in the country. With $0 down and a state grant that covers the USDA fee, Virginia is an under-marketed USDA state.
We read the live USDA map for the exact address. Informational only. USDA makes the final call on a complete application.
USDA income limits in Virginia for 2026
The 2026 USDA income limit for most of rural Virginia is $122,800 for a household of one to four people and $162,100 for five to eight, effective July 13, 2026 under USDA Procedure Notice 657. But Virginia is unusual: its high-cost metros carry some of the highest USDA income limits in the country, because the Washington DC and Charlottesville area median incomes are so high.
Near DC, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria USDA limit runs well above the floor, reported around $153,550 for a household of four, roughly $30,000 higher than the national number. Charlottesville and Richmond also run above the floor. That upends the common assumption that USDA is a low-income-only program capped near $110,000. In Northern Virginia it is not, by a wide margin. These metro figures move with the annual update, so confirm your county's exact 2026 number on the USDA income eligibility tool before you rely on it.
USDA counts the household, not the borrower. From USDA Handbook HB-1-3555:
"Income from all adult household members, not just parties to the note, must be considered."
An adult child with a job, or a spouse you leave off the loan, still counts toward the limit.
Which Virginia counties qualify for a USDA loan?
The pattern is consistent across Virginia: the metro cores are ineligible, the exurban and rural ring is eligible. Eligibility is set per address on 2020-census boundaries, so confirm the exact one. Verified county figures below are median household income and median home value (Census, 2024).
- DC exurbs: Culpeper (income $100,049, value $409,200), rural Fauquier ($130,189 / $573,700), Caroline ($87,407 / $307,700), King George ($116,884 / $428,300), and Orange ($94,008 / $364,200). Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, and eastern Loudoun and Prince William are out.
- Richmond exurbs: Powhatan ($110,537 / $416,000), Goochland ($118,931 / $500,600), New Kent ($123,314 / $393,600), Louisa ($86,689 / $315,300), and Amelia ($76,717 / $282,400). The city of Richmond and inner Henrico and Chesterfield are out.
- Hampton Roads exurbs: rural Isle of Wight ($95,241 / $356,500), Surry, Southampton, and Gloucester. The urbanized core from Norfolk to Newport News is out.
- Shenandoah Valley: rural Frederick around Winchester, Warren around Front Royal, and Page around Luray ($57,037 / $233,200), the most affordable eligible market on this list.
Watch the moving line: Stafford and Spotsylvania are already largely ineligible, while Caroline, Culpeper, and New Kent remain eligible but are absorbing metro spillover fast. Check any address in those growth corridors today.
The Virginia value: high income limits, low rural prices
Here is what makes Virginia work for USDA. The statewide median sales price is about $460,000 (Virginia REALTORS, June 2026), but the USDA-eligible rural counties sit far below it: Page at $233,200, Southampton at $216,200, Amelia at $282,400, Caroline at $307,700. Pair those sub-$310,000 values with USDA's $0-down structure and Virginia's high income ceilings, and a middle-income household can buy in the eligible ring with no down payment while staying comfortably under the cap. Virginia's median household income is about $93,170 (Census, 2024), and USDA sets no maximum loan amount, so the constraint is the rural map, not price.
A Virginia grant that covers the USDA fee
This is the part most Virginia USDA buyers do not know about. Virginia Housing offers a Closing Cost Assistance grant worth up to 2% of the purchase price that is never repaid, and it is written specifically for Rural Housing Service (USDA) and VA first mortgages. Because USDA already needs no down payment, that grant can cover the closing costs and even the USDA guarantee fee. To use the Virginia Housing USDA loan with the grant, you meet both USDA's county income limit and Virginia Housing's regional limit, which for a first-time buyer runs up to $148,000 in Northern Virginia and around $90,000 elsewhere. Confirm current terms on the Virginia Housing site.
USDA or a VA loan? A note for Virginia's veterans
Virginia has one of the largest veteran populations in the country, especially around Hampton Roads, so this comes up constantly. Both USDA and VA loans are $0 down. If you have VA entitlement, the VA loan usually wins, because it has no income limit and no rural-area restriction, and the funding fee is waived for veterans with a service-connected disability. USDA is the better fit for non-veteran buyers in eligible areas, or occasionally for a veteran buying in a rural area who wants to preserve entitlement. If you have served, compare both before deciding.
Virginia USDA requirements at a glance
- Down payment: $0. USDA finances 100% of the price.
- Credit: no hard USDA minimum; 640 clears the automated system.
- Income: household income within your county limit, $122,800 in most of rural Virginia and much higher in the DC, Charlottesville, and Richmond metros.
- Location: the home must sit in a USDA-eligible area, checked per address.
- Fees: a 1.0% upfront guarantee fee and a 0.35% annual fee, which the Virginia Housing grant can help cover.
Common questions
What are the 2026 USDA income limits in Northern Virginia?
Northern Virginia carries one of the highest USDA income limits in the country, well above the $122,800 national floor and reported around $153,550 for a household of four in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area, because the area median income is so high. Confirm your county's exact 2026 figure on the USDA income eligibility tool, since these metro numbers change with the annual update.
Which counties near Washington DC qualify for a USDA loan?
The eligible ring sits outside the DC urbanized core. Culpeper, rural Fauquier, Caroline, King George, and Orange counties are broadly eligible, while Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, and eastern Loudoun and Prince William are not. These exurban counties combine a high USDA income limit with $0-down financing. Confirm any exact address on the USDA map, since the boundary is moving outward.
Can I use a USDA loan in Richmond or Virginia Beach?
Not in the urban cores, but yes in the exurban ring. Around Richmond, Powhatan, Goochland, New Kent, Louisa, and Amelia counties qualify. Around Hampton Roads, rural Isle of Wight, Surry, Southampton, and Gloucester qualify. The cities themselves, Richmond, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Newport News, are ineligible. Confirm the exact address on the USDA map.
Is a USDA loan or a VA loan better in Virginia?
If you have VA entitlement, the VA loan usually wins: it has no income limit, no rural-area restriction, and the funding fee is waived for veterans with a service-connected disability. USDA is the better fit for non-veteran buyers in eligible areas, or for a veteran in a rural area who wants to preserve entitlement. Both are $0 down, so if you have served, compare them.
Can I combine a USDA loan with Virginia Housing assistance?
Yes. Virginia Housing's Closing Cost Assistance grant is worth up to 2% of the purchase price, is never repaid, and is written specifically for USDA and VA loans. Since USDA needs no down payment, the grant can cover your closing costs and even the USDA guarantee fee. You meet both USDA's income limit and Virginia Housing's regional limit to use it.
Is there a maximum USDA loan amount in Virginia?
No. The USDA Guaranteed program sets no maximum loan amount in Virginia. Your borrowing limit is what your household income supports under the debt-to-income guidelines plus the appraised value. That is a meaningful point in Virginia's higher-cost eligible counties, where home values can run well above the national norm.
What credit score do you need for a USDA loan in Virginia?
USDA publishes no hard minimum credit score. Its automated underwriting system approves most reliably at a 640 score, which is the practical target and also the Virginia Housing minimum. Below 640, a loan can still work through manual underwriting. Individual lenders may add their own overlays on top.
How do you check if a Virginia address is USDA-eligible?
Enter the exact street address into the USDA property eligibility map at eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov, or use the checker at the top of this page. This matters in Virginia because the eligible line keeps moving outward from the metros: Stafford and Spotsylvania are now largely ineligible, while Caroline, Culpeper, and New Kent remain eligible but are changing.