USDA eligibility map: Washington, DC
USDA Rural Development maps all of Washington, DC as ineligible for its rural housing programs: no address in the District meets the property-location test for a USDA Single Family Housing loan. HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA's published eligibility map finds no eligible area.
Check a Washington, DC 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.
| county | Area eligible | Mostly ineligible places |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 0% | Washington 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 Washington, DC, the free census tract lookup shows the income level and QCT and DDA status, and Washington, DC has 25 designated Opportunity Zone tracts (Opportunity Zone lookup).
Questions
Is Washington, DC eligible for USDA loans?
No. USDA maps the whole District as ineligible, so a USDA Single Family Housing loan is not available for a Washington, DC property.
Which Washington, DC counties have the least USDA eligible area?
District of Columbia (0% eligible). The share is of land area, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA's map; eligibility is decided for each property.
Which Washington, DC towns are not eligible for USDA loans?
Places USDA's map shows as mostly inside an ineligible area include Washington 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 Washington, DC 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).
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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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