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USDA eligibility map: Nebraska

About 98.7% of Nebraska's area is in USDA-eligible rural areas, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA Rural Development's published eligibility map, the 12th highest share among the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. 79 of 93 counties have no ineligible area at all. 23 Census places in Nebraska lie mostly inside ineligible areas, including Omaha city, Bellevue city, Lincoln city, Grand Island city and Fremont city.

98.7%
of the area is USDA eligible (estimate)
1,021
square miles mapped ineligible
79 of 93
counties with no ineligible area
23
Census places mostly ineligible

Check a Nebraska 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 Nebraska
countyArea eligibleMostly ineligible places
Adams County93.6%Hastings city
Antelope County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Arthur County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Banner County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Blaine County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Boone County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Box Butte County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Boyd County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Brown County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Buffalo County93.1%Kearney city
Burt County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Butler County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Cass County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Cedar County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Chase County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Cherry County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Cheyenne County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Clay County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Colfax County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Cuming County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Custer County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Dakota County89.2%South Sioux City city, Dakota City city
Dawes County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Dawson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Deuel County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Dixon County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Dodge County86.7%Fremont city, Inglewood village
Douglas County32.3%Omaha city, Ralston city, Boys Town village
Dundy County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Fillmore County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Franklin County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Frontier County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Furnas County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Gage County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Garden County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Garfield County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Gosper County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Grant County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Greeley County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hall County80.7%Grand Island city
Hamilton County99.2%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
Harlan County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hayes County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hitchcock County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Holt County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hooker County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Howard County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Jefferson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Johnson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Kearney County96.9%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
Keith County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Keya Paha County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Kimball County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Knox County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lancaster County70.9%Lincoln city, Walton CDP, Yankee Hill CDP, Cheney CDP
Lincoln County98.3%North Platte city
Logan County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Loup County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Madison County100%None: the whole county is eligible
McPherson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Merrick County96.5%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
Morrill County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Nance County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Nemaha County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Nuckolls County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Otoe County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Pawnee County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Perkins County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Phelps County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Pierce County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Platte County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Polk County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Red Willow County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Richardson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Rock County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Saline County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Sarpy County46.5%Bellevue city, Papillion city, La Vista city, Offutt AFB CDP, Chalco CDP, Springfield city, Richfield CDP, La Platte CDP
Saunders County99.2%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
Scotts Bluff County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Seward County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Sheridan County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Sherman County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Sioux County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Stanton County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Thayer County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Thomas County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Thurston County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Valley County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Washington County96.1%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
Wayne County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Webster County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Wheeler County100%None: the whole county is eligible
York 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 Nebraska, the free census tract lookup shows the income level and QCT and DDA status, and Nebraska has 44 designated Opportunity Zone tracts (Opportunity Zone lookup).

Questions

Is Nebraska eligible for USDA loans?

Much of it is. About 98.7% of the state's area is outside USDA's ineligible areas (1,021 of about 77,240 square miles are ineligible). 79 counties are entirely eligible. Most people live in the larger towns, which are often ineligible, so check the specific address.

Which Nebraska counties have the least USDA eligible area?

Douglas County (32.3% eligible), Sarpy County (46.5% eligible), Lancaster County (70.9% eligible), Hall County (80.7% eligible), Dodge County (86.7% eligible). The share is of land area, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA's map; eligibility is decided for each property.

Which Nebraska towns are not eligible for USDA loans?

Places USDA's map shows as mostly inside an ineligible area include Omaha city, Bellevue city, Lincoln city, Grand Island city, Fremont city, South Sioux City city, Kearney city and Hastings 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 Nebraska 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 Nebraska last updated?

The ineligible areas on USDA's map for Nebraska 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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