USDA eligibility map: California
About 93.2% of California's area is in USDA-eligible rural areas, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA Rural Development's published eligibility map, the 35th highest share among the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. 21 of 58 counties have no ineligible area at all, and San Francisco County is entirely ineligible. 608 Census places in California lie mostly inside ineligible areas, including San Francisco city, Irvine city, Richmond city, Fremont city and Los Angeles city.
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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.
| county | Area eligible | Mostly ineligible places |
|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | 38.2% | Fremont city, Oakland city, Hayward city, Livermore city, Pleasanton city, Union City city, Castro Valley CDP, Dublin city, and 11 more |
| Alpine County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Amador County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Butte County | 97.4% | Chico city |
| Calaveras County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Colusa County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Contra Costa County | 35.8% | Richmond city, Concord city, Antioch city, San Ramon city, Pittsburg city, Walnut Creek city, Danville town, Oakley city, and 41 more |
| Del Norte County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| El Dorado County | 96.0% | El Dorado Hills CDP, South Lake Tahoe city |
| Fresno County | 95.4% | Fresno city, Clovis city, Sanger city, Sunnyside CDP, West Park CDP, Old Fig Garden CDP, Tarpey Village CDP, Calwa CDP, and 3 more |
| Glenn County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Humboldt County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Imperial County | 99.1% | El Centro city, Calexico city |
| Inyo County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Kern County | 93.9% | Bakersfield city, Rosedale CDP, Ridgecrest city, Delano city, Oildale CDP, East Niles CDP, China Lake Acres CDP, Choctaw Valley CDP, and 20 more |
| Kings County | 98.4% | Hanford city, Home Garden CDP |
| Lake County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Lassen County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Los Angeles County | 55.4% | Los Angeles city, Palmdale city, Lancaster city, Santa Clarita city, Long Beach city, Glendale city, Pasadena city, Pomona city, and 121 more |
| Madera County | 99.1% | Madera city |
| Marin County | 79.8% | Novato city, San Rafael city, Lucas Valley-Marinwood CDP, Mill Valley city, Tamalpais-Homestead Valley CDP, Tiburon town, Santa Venetia CDP, Corte Madera town, and 12 more |
| Mariposa County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Mendocino County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Merced County | 97.8% | Merced city, Los Banos city, Franklin CDP |
| Modoc County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Mono County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Monterey County | 96.2% | Salinas city, Seaside city, Marina city, Monterey city, Del Monte Forest CDP, Pacific Grove city, Carmel-by-the-Sea city, Del Rey Oaks city, and 2 more |
| Napa County | 94.8% | Napa city, American Canyon city |
| Nevada County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Orange County | 16.5% | Irvine city, Anaheim city, Rancho Mission Viejo CDP, Santa Ana city, Huntington Beach city, Newport Beach city, Orange city, Fullerton city, and 34 more |
| Placer County | 89.4% | Roseville city, Lincoln city, Granite Bay CDP, Rocklin city |
| Plumas County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Riverside County | 86.4% | Palm Springs city, Riverside city, Moreno Valley city, Menifee city, Jurupa Valley city, Lake Elsinore city, Corona city, Temecula city, and 31 more |
| Sacramento County | 55.7% | Sacramento city, Elk Grove city, Rancho Cordova city, Folsom city, Vineyard CDP, Arden-Arcade CDP, Carmichael CDP, Citrus Heights city, and 18 more |
| San Benito County | 99.4% | Hollister city |
| San Bernardino County | 95.9% | Apple Valley town, Victorville city, Hesperia city, San Bernardino city, Adelanto city, Ontario city, Rancho Cucamonga city, Chino Hills city, and 18 more |
| San Diego County | 77.5% | San Diego city, Chula Vista city, Oceanside city, Poway city, Carlsbad city, Escondido city, San Marcos city, Encinitas city, and 30 more |
| San Francisco County | 0% | San Francisco city |
| San Joaquin County | 78.8% | Stockton city, Tracy city, Manteca city, Lodi city, Woodbridge CDP, French Camp CDP, Morada CDP, Garden Acres CDP, and 5 more |
| San Luis Obispo County | 98.1% | San Luis Obispo city, Arroyo Grande city, Pismo Beach city, Grover Beach city, California Polytechnic State University CDP, Oceano CDP |
| San Mateo County | 57.3% | Redwood City city, Pacifica city, San Mateo city, Woodside town, Menlo Park city, South San Francisco city, Portola Valley town, Daly City city, and 18 more |
| Santa Barbara County | 93.7% | Santa Maria city, Santa Barbara city, Eastern Goleta Valley CDP, Lompoc city, Orcutt CDP, Montecito CDP, Goleta city, Vandenberg Village CDP, and 5 more |
| Santa Clara County | 61.8% | San Jose city, Palo Alto city, Sunnyvale city, Santa Clara city, Gilroy city, Milpitas city, Morgan Hill city, Saratoga city, and 14 more |
| Santa Cruz County | 84.2% | Santa Cruz city, Interlaken CDP, Watsonville city, Aptos CDP, Soquel CDP, Live Oak CDP, Amesti CDP, Rio del Mar CDP, and 7 more |
| Shasta County | 98.2% | Redding city |
| Sierra County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Siskiyou County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Solano County | 70.0% | Fairfield city, Vallejo city, Vacaville city, Benicia city, Green Valley CDP, Suisun City city |
| Sonoma County | 90.4% | Santa Rosa city, Petaluma city, Rohnert Park city, Larkfield-Wikiup CDP, Penngrove CDP, Fulton CDP, Cotati city, Sonoma State University CDP |
| Stanislaus County | 91.6% | Modesto city, Turlock city, Ceres city, Salida CDP, Riverdale Park CDP, West Modesto CDP, Empire CDP, Bystrom CDP, and 4 more |
| Sutter County | 95.3% | Yuba City city |
| Tehama County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Trinity County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Tulare County | 97.6% | Visalia city, Tulare city, Porterville city, East Porterville CDP |
| Tuolumne County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Ventura County | 78.1% | Thousand Oaks city, Simi Valley city, Oxnard city, San Buenaventura (Ventura) city, Camarillo city, Moorpark city, Santa Rosa Valley CDP, Santa Paula city, and 9 more |
| Yolo County | 91.1% | West Sacramento city, Woodland city, Davis city, University of California-Davis CDP, El Macero CDP |
| Yuba County | 96.9% | Linda CDP, Olivehurst CDP, Marysville city |
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 California, the free census tract lookup shows the income level and QCT and DDA status, and California has 879 designated Opportunity Zone tracts (Opportunity Zone lookup).
Questions
Is California eligible for USDA loans?
Much of it is. About 93.2% of the state's area is outside USDA's ineligible areas (10,745 of about 158,167 square miles are ineligible). 21 counties are entirely eligible. Most people live in the larger towns, which are often ineligible, so check the specific address.
Which California counties have the least USDA eligible area?
San Francisco County (0% eligible), Orange County (16.5% eligible), Contra Costa County (35.8% eligible), Alameda County (38.2% eligible), Los Angeles County (55.4% eligible). The share is of land area, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA's map; eligibility is decided for each property.
Which California towns are not eligible for USDA loans?
Places USDA's map shows as mostly inside an ineligible area include San Francisco city, Irvine city, Richmond city, Fremont city, Los Angeles city, Sacramento city, Redwood City city and San Jose 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 California 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 California last updated?
The ineligible areas on USDA's map for California 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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