USDA eligibility map: Alaska
About 99.7% of Alaska's area is in USDA-eligible rural areas, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA Rural Development's published eligibility map, the 4th highest share among the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. 27 of 30 boroughs and census areas have no ineligible area at all, and Anchorage Municipality is entirely ineligible. 4 Census places in Alaska lie mostly inside ineligible areas, including Anchorage municipality and Fairbanks city.
Check a Alaska address
USDA eligible area by borough
The share of each borough's area that is USDA eligible, and the places (cities, towns and census-designated places) at least half inside ineligible areas. These are estimates; check any single property with the lookup.
| borough | Area eligible | Mostly ineligible places |
|---|---|---|
| Aleutians East Borough | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Aleutians West Census Area | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Anchorage Municipality | 0% | Anchorage municipality |
| Bethel Census Area | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Bristol Bay Borough | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Chugach Census Area | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Copper River Census Area | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Denali Borough | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Dillingham Census Area | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Fairbanks North Star Borough | 99.2% | Fairbanks city, College CDP, South Van Horn CDP |
| Haines Borough | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Hoonah-Angoon Census Area | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Juneau City and Borough | 99.9% | None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible |
| Kenai Peninsula Borough | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Ketchikan Gateway Borough | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Kodiak Island Borough | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Kusilvak Census Area | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Lake and Peninsula Borough | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Nome Census Area | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| North Slope Borough | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Northwest Arctic Borough | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Petersburg Borough | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Sitka City and Borough | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Skagway Municipality | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Southeast Fairbanks Census Area | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Wrangell City and Borough | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Yakutat City and Borough | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
| Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | 100% | None: the whole borough is eligible |
How USDA decides what is rural
The rural-area definition is section 520 of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1490): open country and places not part of or associated with an urban area with up to 2,500 people, up to 10,000 if rural in character, or up to 20,000 outside a metropolitan statistical area with a serious lack of mortgage credit for lower and moderate-income families. Areas that lost rural status in the 1990 to 2020 censuses stay rural until 2030 census data arrive if they have 10,000 to 35,000 people and meet the same conditions. Income is a separate test, applied to the household by the lender and USDA.
For other address-level designations in Alaska, the free census tract lookup shows the income level and QCT and DDA status, and Alaska has 25 designated Opportunity Zone tracts (Opportunity Zone lookup).
Questions
Is Alaska eligible for USDA loans?
Much of it is. About 99.7% of the state's area is outside USDA's ineligible areas (1,781 of about 583,462 square miles are ineligible). 27 boroughs and census areas are entirely eligible. Most people live in the larger towns, which are often ineligible, so check the specific address.
Which Alaska boroughs and census areas have the least USDA eligible area?
Anchorage Municipality (0% eligible), Fairbanks North Star Borough (99.2% eligible), Juneau City and Borough (99.9% eligible). The share is of land area, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA's map; eligibility is decided for each property.
Which Alaska towns are not eligible for USDA loans?
Places USDA's map shows as mostly inside an ineligible area include Anchorage municipality and Fairbanks city. The county table on this page lists every place that is mostly ineligible. Edges matter: part of a town, or land just outside it, can be on the other side of the line, so check the address.
How do I check a Alaska address for USDA eligibility?
Enter the street address in the lookup on this page. It locates the address and checks it against USDA's published rural eligibility map. It is a screening: Rural Development makes the final determination on a complete application, and household income is a separate test (USDA's income eligibility tool).
When was the USDA eligibility map for Alaska last updated?
The ineligible areas on USDA's map for Alaska carry an effective date of July 25, 2023. USDA updates the map from ineligible-area changes sent in by its state offices. The statute keeps formerly rural areas of 10,000 to 35,000 people rural until data from the 2030 census arrive, if they still meet its conditions.
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Legal references
- 42 U.S.C. 1490, definition of rural area (Housing Act of 1949, section 520)
Areas are computed by HeritageDeed: estimates, not USDA figures. USDA's map is not a final determination; Rural Development decides on a complete application. HeritageDeed is not affiliated with USDA.
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