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USDA eligibility map: Iowa

About 96.7% of Iowa's area is in USDA-eligible rural areas, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA Rural Development's published eligibility map, the 21st highest share among the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. 78 of 99 counties have no ineligible area at all. 51 Census places in Iowa lie mostly inside ineligible areas, including Des Moines city, Waterloo city, Cedar Rapids city, Davenport city and Dubuque city.

96.7%
of the area is USDA eligible (estimate)
1,854
square miles mapped ineligible
78 of 99
counties with no ineligible area
51
Census places mostly ineligible

Check a Iowa 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 Iowa
countyArea eligibleMostly ineligible places
Adair County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Adams County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Allamakee County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Appanoose County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Audubon County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Benton County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Black Hawk County60.2%Waterloo city, Cedar Falls city, Hudson city, Evansdale city, Raymond city, Washburn CDP, Elk Run Heights city
Boone County99.5%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
Bremer County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Buchanan County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Buena Vista County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Butler County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Calhoun County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Carroll County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Cass County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Cedar County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Cerro Gordo County84.7%Mason City city, Portland CDP
Cherokee County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Chickasaw County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Clarke County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Clay County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Clayton County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Clinton County94.4%Clinton city
Crawford County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Dallas County84.5%Waukee city, Clive city
Davis County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Decatur County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Delaware County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Des Moines County86.1%Burlington city, West Burlington city, Oak Hills CDP
Dickinson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Dubuque County83.2%Dubuque city, Asbury city
Emmet County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Fayette County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Floyd County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Franklin County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Fremont County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Greene County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Grundy County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Guthrie County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hamilton County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hancock County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hardin County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Harrison County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Henry County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Howard County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Humboldt County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Ida County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Iowa County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Jackson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Jasper County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Jefferson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Johnson County88.9%Iowa City city, Coralville city, North Liberty city, University Heights city
Jones County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Keokuk County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Kossuth County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lee County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Linn County72.7%Cedar Rapids city, Marion city, Robins city, Hiawatha city
Louisa County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lucas County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lyon County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Madison County99.9%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
Mahaska County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Marion County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Marshall County86.8%Marshalltown city
Mills County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Mitchell County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Monona County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Monroe County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Montgomery County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Muscatine County89.5%Muscatine city, Kent Estates CDP, Fruitland city
O'Brien County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Osceola County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Page County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Palo Alto County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Plymouth County97.6%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
Pocahontas County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Polk County45.9%Des Moines city, West Des Moines city, Ankeny city, Urbandale city, Johnston city, Altoona city, Grimes city, Pleasant Hill city, and 2 more
Pottawattamie County90.9%Council Bluffs city, Carter Lake city
Poweshiek County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Ringgold County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Sac County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Scott County77.5%Davenport city, Bettendorf city, Riverdale city, Panorama Park city
Shelby County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Sioux County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Story County88.3%Ames city
Tama County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Taylor County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Union County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Van Buren County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Wapello County90.2%Ottumwa city
Warren County92.3%Norwalk city
Washington County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Wayne County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Webster County92.7%Fort Dodge city
Winnebago County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Winneshiek County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Woodbury County87.0%Sioux City city, Sergeant Bluff city
Worth County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Wright 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 Iowa, the free census tract lookup shows the income level and QCT and DDA status, and Iowa has 62 designated Opportunity Zone tracts (Opportunity Zone lookup).

Questions

Is Iowa eligible for USDA loans?

Much of it is. About 96.7% of the state's area is outside USDA's ineligible areas (1,854 of about 56,186 square miles are ineligible). 78 counties are entirely eligible. Most people live in the larger towns, which are often ineligible, so check the specific address.

Which Iowa counties have the least USDA eligible area?

Polk County (45.9% eligible), Black Hawk County (60.2% eligible), Linn County (72.7% eligible), Scott County (77.5% eligible), Dubuque County (83.2% eligible). The share is of land area, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA's map; eligibility is decided for each property.

Which Iowa towns are not eligible for USDA loans?

Places USDA's map shows as mostly inside an ineligible area include Des Moines city, Waterloo city, Cedar Rapids city, Davenport city, Dubuque city, Waukee city, Mason City city and Burlington 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 Iowa 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 Iowa last updated?

The ineligible areas on USDA's map for Iowa 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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