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USDA eligibility map: Arkansas

About 98.3% of Arkansas's area is in USDA-eligible rural areas, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA Rural Development's published eligibility map, the 15th highest share among the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. 62 of 75 counties have no ineligible area at all. 24 Census places in Arkansas lie mostly inside ineligible areas, including Little Rock city, Fort Smith city, Rogers city, Jonesboro city and Fayetteville city.

98.3%
of the area is USDA eligible (estimate)
924
square miles mapped ineligible
62 of 75
counties with no ineligible area
24
Census places mostly ineligible

Check a Arkansas address

USDA eligible area by county

The share of each county'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.

USDA eligible share of area and mostly ineligible places by county in Arkansas
countyArea eligibleMostly ineligible places
Arkansas County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Ashley County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Baxter County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Benton County86.7%Rogers city, Bentonville city, Centerton city, Lowell city
Boone County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Bradley County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Calhoun County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Carroll County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Chicot County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Clark County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Clay County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Cleburne County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Cleveland County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Columbia County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Conway County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Craighead County88.6%Jonesboro city
Crawford County98.0%Van Buren city
Crittenden County94.8%West Memphis city
Cross County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Dallas County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Desha County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Drew County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Faulkner County92.9%Conway city
Franklin County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Fulton County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Garland County94.3%Hot Springs city
Grant County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Greene County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hempstead County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hot Spring County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Howard County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Independence County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Izard County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Jackson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Jefferson County94.8%Pine Bluff city
Johnson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lafayette County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lawrence County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lee County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lincoln County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Little River County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Logan County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lonoke County96.9%Cabot city
Madison County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Marion County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Miller County93.4%Texarkana city
Mississippi County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Monroe County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Montgomery County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Nevada County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Newton County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Ouachita County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Perry County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Phillips County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Pike County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Poinsett County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Polk County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Pope County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Prairie County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Pulaski County68.5%Little Rock city, North Little Rock city, Jacksonville city, Sherwood city, Maumelle city, Cammack Village city
Randolph County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Saline County93.8%Benton city, Bryant city
Scott County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Searcy County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Sebastian County84.7%Fort Smith city, Barling city
Sevier County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Sharp County100%None: the whole county is eligible
St. Francis County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Stone County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Union County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Van Buren County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Washington County90.4%Fayetteville city, Springdale city
White County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Woodruff County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Yell County100%None: the whole county 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 Arkansas, the free census tract lookup shows the income level and QCT and DDA status, and Arkansas has 85 designated Opportunity Zone tracts (Opportunity Zone lookup).

Questions

Is Arkansas eligible for USDA loans?

Much of it is. About 98.3% of the state's area is outside USDA's ineligible areas (924 of about 53,203 square miles are ineligible). 62 counties are entirely eligible. Most people live in the larger towns, which are often ineligible, so check the specific address.

Which Arkansas counties have the least USDA eligible area?

Pulaski County (68.5% eligible), Sebastian County (84.7% eligible), Benton County (86.7% eligible), Craighead County (88.6% eligible), Washington County (90.4% eligible). The share is of land area, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA's map; eligibility is decided for each property.

Which Arkansas towns are not eligible for USDA loans?

Places USDA's map shows as mostly inside an ineligible area include Little Rock city, Fort Smith city, Rogers city, Jonesboro city, Fayetteville city, Conway city, Texarkana city and Benton 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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas last updated?

The ineligible areas on USDA's map for Arkansas 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

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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