USDA eligibility map: New York
About 91.1% of New York's area is in USDA-eligible rural areas, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA Rural Development's published eligibility map, the 42nd highest share among the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. 25 of 62 counties have no ineligible area at all, and Bronx County, Kings County, Nassau County and New York County and 2 more are entirely ineligible. 580 Census places in New York lie mostly inside ineligible areas, including Old Westbury village, New York city, Yonkers city, Calverton CDP and New City CDP.
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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 |
|---|---|---|
| Albany County | 75.8% | Albany city, Latham CDP, Loudonville CDP, Cohoes city, Roessleville CDP, Menands village, Colonie village, Westmere CDP, and 3 more |
| Allegany County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Bronx County | 0% | None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible |
| Broome County | 90.5% | Binghamton city, Johnson City village, Endwell CDP, Endicott village, Chenango Bridge CDP, Binghamton University CDP, Port Dickinson village |
| Cattaraugus County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Cayuga County | 97.5% | Auburn city, Melrose Park CDP |
| Chautauqua County | 97.0% | Jamestown city, Fredonia village, Dunkirk city, Jamestown West CDP, Lakewood village, Falconer village, Celoron village |
| Chemung County | 88.2% | Big Flats CDP, Elmira city, Southport CDP, Horseheads village, West Elmira CDP, Horseheads North CDP, Elmira Heights village |
| Chenango County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Clinton County | 98.1% | Plattsburgh city, Plattsburgh West CDP, Parc CDP |
| Columbia County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Cortland County | 97.1% | Cortland West CDP, Cortland city, Munsons Corners CDP, Homer village |
| Delaware County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Dutchess County | 79.4% | Myers Corner CDP, Poughkeepsie city, Haviland CDP, Beacon city, Fairview CDP, Red Oaks Mill CDP, New Hackensack CDP, Spackenkill CDP, and 16 more |
| Erie County | 74.5% | Buffalo city, Cheektowaga CDP, West Seneca CDP, Tonawanda Town CDP, Lackawanna city, Depew village, Tonawanda city, Harris Hill CDP, and 13 more |
| Essex County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Franklin County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Fulton County | 97.6% | Gloversville city, Johnstown city |
| Genesee County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Greene County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Hamilton County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Herkimer County | 99.7% | None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible |
| Jefferson County | 98.8% | Watertown city |
| Kings County | 0% | None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible |
| Lewis County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Livingston County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Madison County | 99.3% | None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible |
| Monroe County | 54.4% | Rochester city, Irondequoit CDP, Brighton CDP, Greece CDP, North Gates CDP, Webster village, Gates CDP, Rochester Institute of Technology CDP, and 6 more |
| Montgomery County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Nassau County | 0% | Old Westbury village, Glen Cove city, Levittown CDP, Hicksville CDP, East Meadow CDP, Muttontown village, Plainview CDP, Uniondale CDP, and 125 more |
| New York County | 0% | None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible |
| Niagara County | 84.2% | Niagara Falls city, North Tonawanda city, Lockport city, South Lockport CDP, Lewiston village, Niagara University CDP |
| Oneida County | 95.1% | Utica city, Chadwicks CDP, New York Mills village, Whitesboro village, Oriskany village, Washington Mills CDP, Yorkville village, New Hartford village, and 1 more |
| Onondaga County | 75.7% | Syracuse city, De Witt CDP, Radisson CDP, Baldwinsville village, Fairmount CDP, Galeville CDP, North Syracuse village, Mattydale CDP, and 12 more |
| Ontario County | 93.2% | Geneva city, Canandaigua city, Victor village |
| Orange County | 85.8% | Orange Lake CDP, Middletown city, Gardnertown CDP, Scotchtown CDP, Newburgh city, New Windsor CDP, Monroe village, Walton Park CDP, and 8 more |
| Orleans County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Oswego County | 98.3% | Oswego city, Fulton city, SUNY Oswego CDP |
| Otsego County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Putnam County | 77.0% | Carmel CDP, Mahopac CDP, Lake Carmel CDP |
| Queens County | 0% | New York city |
| Rensselaer County | 91.9% | Troy city, East Greenbush CDP, Rensselaer city, Wynantskill CDP, Hampton Manor CDP |
| Richmond County | 0% | None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible |
| Rockland County | 26.9% | New City CDP, Stony Point CDP, Pearl River CDP, Nanuet CDP, Haverstraw village, Chestnut Ridge village, Blauvelt CDP, Valley Cottage CDP, and 25 more |
| Saratoga County | 81.2% | Saratoga Springs city, Country Knolls CDP, Milton CDP, Clifton Knolls-Mill Creek CDP, Ballston Spa village, South Glens Falls village, Clifton Gardens CDP, Mechanicville city, and 2 more |
| Schenectady County | 69.8% | Niskayuna CDP, Schenectady city, East Glenville CDP, Rotterdam CDP, Scotia village |
| Schoharie County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Schuyler County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Seneca County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| St. Lawrence County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Steuben County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Suffolk County | 7.7% | Calverton CDP, Manorville CDP, Montauk CDP, Northwest Harbor CDP, Fire Island CDP, Hampton Bays CDP, Dix Hills CDP, Riverhead CDP, and 147 more |
| Sullivan County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Tioga County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Tompkins County | 92.4% | Ithaca city, South Hill CDP, Lansing village, Northwest Ithaca CDP, South Lansing CDP, East Ithaca CDP, Cayuga Heights village, Northeast Ithaca CDP, and 1 more |
| Ulster County | 98.0% | Kingston city, Hurley CDP, Port Ewen CDP, Lake Katrine CDP, Lincoln Park CDP, Hillside CDP |
| Warren County | 96.5% | Glens Falls North CDP, West Glens Falls CDP, Glens Falls city |
| Washington County | 99.2% | Hudson Falls village, Fort Edward village |
| Wayne County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Westchester County | 5.5% | Yonkers city, Harrison village, New Rochelle city, Croton-on-Hudson village, White Plains city, Jefferson Valley-Yorktown CDP, Briarcliff Manor village, Scarsdale village, and 47 more |
| Wyoming County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Yates County | 100% | 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 New York, the free census tract lookup shows the income level and QCT and DDA status, and New York has 514 designated Opportunity Zone tracts (Opportunity Zone lookup).
Questions
Is New York eligible for USDA loans?
Much of it is. About 91.1% of the state's area is outside USDA's ineligible areas (4,374 of about 48,928 square miles are ineligible). 25 counties are entirely eligible. Most people live in the larger towns, which are often ineligible, so check the specific address.
Which New York counties have the least USDA eligible area?
Bronx County (0% eligible), Kings County (0% eligible), Nassau County (0% eligible), New York County (0% eligible), Queens County (0% eligible). The share is of land area, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA's map; eligibility is decided for each property.
Which New York towns are not eligible for USDA loans?
Places USDA's map shows as mostly inside an ineligible area include Old Westbury village, New York city, Yonkers city, Calverton CDP, New City CDP, Rochester city, Niskayuna CDP and Buffalo 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 New York 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 New York last updated?
The ineligible areas on USDA's map for New York 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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