USDA eligibility map: Maryland
About 78.0% of Maryland's area is in USDA-eligible rural areas, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA Rural Development's published eligibility map, the 46th highest share among the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. 8 of 24 counties have no ineligible area at all, and Baltimore city is entirely ineligible. 233 Census places in Maryland lie mostly inside ineligible areas, including Baltimore city, Severna Park CDP, Clinton CDP, Potomac CDP and Dundalk CDP.
Check a Maryland 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Allegany County | 97.1% | Cumberland city |
| Anne Arundel County | 23.3% | Severna Park CDP, Severn CDP, Glen Burnie CDP, Lake Shore CDP, Pasadena CDP, Odenton CDP, Arnold CDP, Parole CDP, and 20 more |
| Baltimore city | 0% | Baltimore city |
| Baltimore County | 37.4% | Dundalk CDP, Towson CDP, Catonsville CDP, Middle River CDP, Edgemere CDP, Cockeysville CDP, Pikesville CDP, Essex CDP, and 24 more |
| Calvert County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Caroline County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Carroll County | 89.2% | Westminster city |
| Cecil County | 92.3% | Elkton town |
| Charles County | 90.6% | Waldorf CDP |
| Dorchester County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Frederick County | 90.8% | Frederick city, Ballenger Creek CDP, Linganore CDP, Urbana CDP, Buckeystown CDP |
| Garrett County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Harford County | 56.6% | Bel Air South CDP, Edgewood CDP, Bel Air North CDP, Fallston CDP, Aberdeen Proving Ground CDP, Joppatowne CDP, Aberdeen city, Havre de Grace city, and 5 more |
| Howard County | 41.7% | Columbia CDP, Ellicott City CDP, Ilchester CDP, Elkridge CDP, North Laurel CDP, Scaggsville CDP, Fulton CDP, Savage CDP, and 1 more |
| Kent County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Montgomery County | 32.6% | Potomac CDP, Travilah CDP, Darnestown CDP, Germantown CDP, Olney CDP, Damascus CDP, Rockville city, Bethesda CDP, and 48 more |
| Prince George's County | 25.9% | Clinton CDP, Brandywine CDP, Bowie city, Fort Washington CDP, Westphalia CDP, Brock Hall CDP, Rosaryville CDP, Queen Anne CDP, and 68 more |
| Queen Anne's County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Somerset County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| St. Mary's County | 95.9% | None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible |
| Talbot County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Washington County | 90.8% | Hagerstown city, Fountainhead-Orchard Hills CDP, Halfway CDP, Robinwood CDP, Paramount-Long Meadow CDP, Funkstown town |
| Wicomico County | 90.3% | Salisbury city |
| Worcester County | 83.3% | Ocean City town, West Ocean City CDP |
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 Maryland, the free census tract lookup shows the income level and QCT and DDA status, and Maryland has 149 designated Opportunity Zone tracts (Opportunity Zone lookup).
Questions
Is Maryland eligible for USDA loans?
Much of it is. About 78.0% of the state's area is outside USDA's ineligible areas (2,265 of about 10,276 square miles are ineligible). 8 counties are entirely eligible. Most people live in the larger towns, which are often ineligible, so check the specific address.
Which Maryland counties have the least USDA eligible area?
Baltimore city (0% eligible), Anne Arundel County (23.3% eligible), Prince George's County (25.9% eligible), Montgomery County (32.6% eligible), Baltimore County (37.4% eligible). The share is of land area, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA's map; eligibility is decided for each property.
Which Maryland towns are not eligible for USDA loans?
Places USDA's map shows as mostly inside an ineligible area include Baltimore city, Severna Park CDP, Clinton CDP, Potomac CDP, Dundalk CDP, Columbia CDP, Bel Air South CDP and Ocean City town. 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 Maryland 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 Maryland last updated?
The ineligible areas on USDA's map for Maryland 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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