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USDA eligibility map: Kentucky

About 96.4% of Kentucky's area is in USDA-eligible rural areas, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA Rural Development's published eligibility map, the 25th highest share among the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. 100 of 120 counties have no ineligible area at all, and Jefferson County is entirely ineligible. 134 Census places in Kentucky lie mostly inside ineligible areas, including Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), Lexington-Fayette urban county, Covington city, Hillview city and Fort Knox CDP.

96.4%
of the area is USDA eligible (estimate)
1,454
square miles mapped ineligible
100 of 120
counties with no ineligible area
134
Census places mostly ineligible

Check a Kentucky 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 Kentucky
countyArea eligibleMostly ineligible places
Adair County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Allen County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Anderson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Ballard County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Barren County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Bath County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Bell County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Boone County79.4%Florence city, Union city, Oakbrook CDP
Bourbon County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Boyd County94.2%Ashland city
Boyle County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Bracken County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Breathitt County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Breckinridge County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Bullitt County74.5%Hillview city, Brooks CDP, Pioneer Village city, Hebron Estates city, Fox Chase city, Hunters Hollow city
Butler County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Caldwell County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Calloway County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Campbell County90.5%Fort Thomas city, Newport city, Dayton city, Bellevue city, Woodlawn city
Carlisle County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Carroll County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Carter County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Casey County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Christian County89.9%Hopkinsville city, Oak Grove city, Fort Campbell North CDP
Clark County91.8%Winchester city
Clay County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Clinton County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Crittenden County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Cumberland County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Daviess County89.2%Owensboro city
Edmonson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Elliott County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Estill County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Fayette County0.1%Lexington-Fayette urban county
Fleming County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Floyd County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Franklin County83.4%Frankfort city
Fulton County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Gallatin County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Garrard County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Grant County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Graves County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Grayson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Green County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Greenup County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hancock County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hardin County79.3%Fort Knox CDP, Radcliff city, Vine Grove city, West Point city
Harlan County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Harrison County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hart County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Henderson County87.6%Henderson city
Henry County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hickman County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hopkins County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Jackson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Jefferson County0%Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), Louisville city, Jeffersontown city, Middletown city, Shively city, St. Matthews city, Prospect city, Lyndon city, and 77 more
Jessamine County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Johnson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Kenton County64.4%Covington city, Erlanger city, Taylor Mill city, Villa Hills city, Edgewood city, Fort Wright city, Fort Mitchell city, Elsmere city, and 8 more
Knott County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Knox County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Larue County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Laurel County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lawrence County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lee County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Leslie County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Letcher County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lewis County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lincoln County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Livingston County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Logan County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lyon County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Madison County88.8%Richmond city
Magoffin County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Marion County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Marshall County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Martin County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Mason County100%None: the whole county is eligible
McCracken County85.7%Paducah city
McCreary County100%None: the whole county is eligible
McLean County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Meade County91.7%Muldraugh city
Menifee County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Mercer County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Metcalfe County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Monroe County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Montgomery County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Morgan County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Muhlenberg County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Nelson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Nicholas County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Ohio County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Oldham County99.9%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
Owen County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Owsley County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Pendleton County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Perry County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Pike County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Powell County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Pulaski County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Robertson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Rockcastle County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Rowan County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Russell County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Scott County94.0%Georgetown city
Shelby County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Simpson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Spencer County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Taylor County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Todd County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Trigg County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Trimble County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Union County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Warren County89.5%Bowling Green city, Plum Springs city
Washington County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Wayne County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Webster County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Whitley County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Wolfe County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Woodford County99.9%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible

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 Kentucky, the free census tract lookup shows the income level and QCT and DDA status, and Kentucky has 144 designated Opportunity Zone tracts (Opportunity Zone lookup).

Questions

Is Kentucky eligible for USDA loans?

Much of it is. About 96.4% of the state's area is outside USDA's ineligible areas (1,454 of about 40,387 square miles are ineligible). 100 counties are entirely eligible. Most people live in the larger towns, which are often ineligible, so check the specific address.

Which Kentucky counties have the least USDA eligible area?

Jefferson County (0% eligible), Fayette County (0.1% eligible), Kenton County (64.4% eligible), Bullitt County (74.5% eligible), Hardin County (79.3% eligible). The share is of land area, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA's map; eligibility is decided for each property.

Which Kentucky towns are not eligible for USDA loans?

Places USDA's map shows as mostly inside an ineligible area include Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), Lexington-Fayette urban county, Covington city, Hillview city, Fort Knox CDP, Florence city, Frankfort city and Paducah 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky last updated?

The ineligible areas on USDA's map for Kentucky 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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