USDA eligibility map: Ohio
About 89.9% of Ohio's area is in USDA-eligible rural areas, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA Rural Development's published eligibility map, the 43rd highest share among the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. 51 of 88 counties have no ineligible area at all, and Cuyahoga County and Summit County are entirely ineligible. 346 Census places in Ohio lie mostly inside ineligible areas, including Cleveland city, Akron city, Columbus city, Cincinnati city and Dayton city.
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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 |
|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Allen County | 90.5% | Lima city, Fort Shawnee CDP |
| Ashland County | 97.2% | Ashland city |
| Ashtabula County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Athens County | 97.9% | Athens city |
| Auglaize County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Belmont County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Brown County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Butler County | 64.7% | Middletown city, Hamilton city, Fairfield city, Oxford city, Trenton city, Beckett Ridge CDP, Four Bridges CDP, New Miami village, and 2 more |
| Carroll County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Champaign County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Clark County | 90.0% | Springfield city, Holiday Valley CDP |
| Clermont County | 80.5% | Amelia CDP, Milford city, Withamsville CDP, Summerside CDP, Mount Repose CDP, Mount Carmel CDP, Mulberry CDP, Day Heights CDP, and 1 more |
| Clinton County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Columbiana County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Coshocton County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Crawford County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Cuyahoga County | 0% | Cleveland city, Strongsville city, North Royalton city, Solon city, Parma city, Brecksville city, Westlake city, Broadview Heights city, and 49 more |
| Darke County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Defiance County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Delaware County | 74.1% | Delaware city, Powell city, Shawnee Hills village |
| Erie County | 91.4% | Sandusky city |
| Fairfield County | 80.7% | Lancaster city, Pickerington city |
| Fayette County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Franklin County | 10.6% | Columbus city, Dublin city, New Albany city, Grove City city, Hilliard city, Westerville city, Gahanna city, Reynoldsburg city, and 18 more |
| Fulton County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Gallia County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Geauga County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Greene County | 78.6% | Beavercreek city, Fairborn city, Xenia city, Wright-Patterson AFB CDP |
| Guernsey County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Hamilton County | 14.3% | Cincinnati city, The Village of Indian Hill city, Sharonville city, Mack CDP, Taylor Creek CDP, Blue Ash city, Shawnee CDP, Dunlap CDP, and 72 more |
| Hancock County | 94.6% | Findlay city |
| Hardin County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Harrison County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Henry County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Highland County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Hocking County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Holmes County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Huron County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Jackson County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Jefferson County | 96.7% | Steubenville city, Wintersville village |
| Knox County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Lake County | 65.5% | Mentor city, Willoughby city, Painesville city, Eastlake city, Wickliffe city, Willowick city, Mentor-on-the-Lake city, Fairport Harbor village, and 3 more |
| Lawrence County | 98.2% | Ironton city, Coal Grove village, Hanging Rock village |
| Licking County | 94.0% | Newark city, Heath city |
| Logan County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Lorain County | 66.8% | Lorain city, North Ridgeville city, Elyria city, Avon city, Avon Lake city, Sheffield village, Vermilion city, Amherst city, and 1 more |
| Lucas County | 49.8% | Toledo city, Oregon city, Maumee city, Sylvania city, Ottawa Hills village, Holland village, Harbor View village |
| Madison County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Mahoning County | 74.6% | Youngstown city, Austintown CDP, Campbell city, Struthers city, Poland village |
| Marion County | 96.6% | Marion city |
| Medina County | 77.0% | Brunswick city, Medina city, Wadsworth city |
| Meigs County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Mercer County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Miami County | 85.4% | Piqua city, Troy city |
| Monroe County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Montgomery County | 40.1% | Dayton city, Trotwood city, Huber Heights city, Kettering city, Miamisburg city, Vandalia city, Centerville city, Riverside city, and 7 more |
| Morgan County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Morrow County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Muskingum County | 98.0% | Zanesville city, South Zanesville village |
| Noble County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Ottawa County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Paulding County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Perry County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Pickaway County | 98.4% | Circleville city, Logan Elm Village CDP |
| Pike County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Portage County | 84.8% | Kent city, Ravenna city, Brimfield CDP, Brady Lake CDP |
| Preble County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Putnam County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Richland County | 85.4% | Mansfield city, Ontario city, Roseland CDP, Lincoln Heights CDP |
| Ross County | 98.3% | Chillicothe city |
| Sandusky County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Scioto County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Seneca County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Shelby County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Stark County | 63.9% | Canton city, Massillon city, Alliance city, North Canton city, Uniontown CDP, Richville CDP, Perry Heights CDP, Hartville village, and 6 more |
| Summit County | 0% | Akron city, Green city, New Franklin city, Cuyahoga Falls city, Hudson city, Norton city, Stow city, Tallmadge city, and 19 more |
| Trumbull County | 83.2% | Warren city, Niles city, Girard city, Howland Center CDP, Mineral Ridge CDP, Masury CDP, Brookfield Center CDP, Morgandale CDP, and 9 more |
| Tuscarawas County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Union County | 92.5% | Marysville city |
| Van Wert County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Vinton County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Warren County | 74.5% | Mason city, Lebanon city, Franklin city, Springboro city, Carlisle city, Hunter CDP, Landen CDP, Loveland Park CDP, and 1 more |
| Washington County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Wayne County | 96.8% | Wooster city |
| Williams County | 100% | None: the whole county is eligible |
| Wood County | 91.0% | Bowling Green city, Perrysburg city, Northwood city, Rossford city, Walbridge village |
| Wyandot 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 Ohio, the free census tract lookup shows the income level and QCT and DDA status, and Ohio has 320 designated Opportunity Zone tracts (Opportunity Zone lookup).
Questions
Is Ohio eligible for USDA loans?
Much of it is. About 89.9% of the state's area is outside USDA's ineligible areas (4,177 of about 41,212 square miles are ineligible). 51 counties are entirely eligible. Most people live in the larger towns, which are often ineligible, so check the specific address.
Which Ohio counties have the least USDA eligible area?
Cuyahoga County (0% eligible), Summit County (0% eligible), Franklin County (10.6% eligible), Hamilton County (14.3% eligible), Montgomery County (40.1% eligible). The share is of land area, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA's map; eligibility is decided for each property.
Which Ohio towns are not eligible for USDA loans?
Places USDA's map shows as mostly inside an ineligible area include Cleveland city, Akron city, Columbus city, Cincinnati city, Dayton city, Toledo city, Canton city and Middletown 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 Ohio 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 Ohio last updated?
The ineligible areas on USDA's map for Ohio 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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