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USDA eligibility map: Idaho

About 99.0% of Idaho's area is in USDA-eligible rural areas, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA Rural Development's published eligibility map, the 10th highest share among the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. 36 of 44 counties have no ineligible area at all. 23 Census places in Idaho lie mostly inside ineligible areas, including Boise City city, Nampa city, Pocatello city, Post Falls city and Idaho Falls city.

99.0%
of the area is USDA eligible (estimate)
802
square miles mapped ineligible
36 of 44
counties with no ineligible area
23
Census places mostly ineligible

Check a Idaho 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 Idaho
countyArea eligibleMostly ineligible places
Ada County62.6%Boise City city, Eagle city, Meridian city, Garden City city, Hidden Springs CDP, Avimor CDP
Adams County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Bannock County93.3%Pocatello city, Chubbuck city
Bear Lake County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Benewah County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Bingham County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Blaine County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Boise County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Bonner County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Bonneville County97.0%Idaho Falls city, Ammon city, Lincoln CDP
Boundary County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Butte County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Camas County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Canyon County76.6%Nampa city, Caldwell city
Caribou County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Cassia County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Clark County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Clearwater County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Custer County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Elmore County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Franklin County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Fremont County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Gem County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Gooding County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Idaho County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Jefferson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Jerome County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Kootenai County94.9%Post Falls city, Coeur d'Alene city, Hayden city, Dalton Gardens city, Hayden Lake city, State Line city, Fernan Lake Village city, Huetter city
Latah County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lemhi County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lewis County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lincoln County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Madison County97.8%Rexburg city
Minidoka County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Nez Perce County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Oneida County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Owyhee County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Payette County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Power County99.6%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
Shoshone County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Teton County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Twin Falls County97.5%Twin Falls city
Valley County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Washington 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 Idaho, the free census tract lookup shows the income level and QCT and DDA status, and Idaho has 28 designated Opportunity Zone tracts (Opportunity Zone lookup).

Questions

Is Idaho eligible for USDA loans?

Much of it is. About 99.0% of the state's area is outside USDA's ineligible areas (802 of about 83,396 square miles are ineligible). 36 counties are entirely eligible. Most people live in the larger towns, which are often ineligible, so check the specific address.

Which Idaho counties have the least USDA eligible area?

Ada County (62.6% eligible), Canyon County (76.6% eligible), Bannock County (93.3% eligible), Kootenai County (94.9% eligible), Bonneville County (97.0% eligible). The share is of land area, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA's map; eligibility is decided for each property.

Which Idaho towns are not eligible for USDA loans?

Places USDA's map shows as mostly inside an ineligible area include Boise City city, Nampa city, Pocatello city, Post Falls city, Idaho Falls city, Twin Falls city and Rexburg 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 Idaho 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 Idaho last updated?

The ineligible areas on USDA's map for Idaho 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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