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USDA eligibility map: Virginia

About 92.1% of Virginia's area is in USDA-eligible rural areas, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA Rural Development's published eligibility map, the 38th highest share among the 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. 83 of 133 counties have no ineligible area at all, and Alexandria city, Arlington County, Charlottesville city and Chesapeake city and 16 more are entirely ineligible. 179 Census places in Virginia lie mostly inside ineligible areas, including Alexandria city, Arlington CDP, Charlottesville city, Chesapeake city and Colonial Heights city.

92.1%
of the area is USDA eligible (estimate)
3,205
square miles mapped ineligible
83 of 133
counties with no ineligible area
179
Census places mostly ineligible

Check a Virginia 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 Virginia
countyArea eligibleMostly ineligible places
Accomack County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Albemarle County96.8%Pantops CDP, University of Virginia CDP, Rio CDP
Alexandria city0%Alexandria city
Alleghany County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Amelia County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Amherst County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Appomattox County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Arlington County0%Arlington CDP
Augusta County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Bath County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Bedford County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Bland County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Botetourt County99.9%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
Bristol city0.6%Bristol city
Brunswick County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Buchanan County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Buckingham County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Buena Vista city100%None: the whole county is eligible
Campbell County98.5%Timberlake CDP
Caroline County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Carroll County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Charles City County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Charlotte County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Charlottesville city0%Charlottesville city
Chesapeake city0%Chesapeake city
Chesterfield County49.8%Chester CDP, Midlothian CDP, Bon Air CDP, Meadowbrook CDP, Brandermill CDP, Manchester CDP, Bellwood CDP, Rockwood CDP, and 3 more
Clarke County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Colonial Heights city0%Colonial Heights city
Covington city100%None: the whole county is eligible
Craig County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Culpeper County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Cumberland County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Danville city0.2%Danville city
Dickenson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Dinwiddie County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Emporia city100%None: the whole county is eligible
Essex County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Fairfax city0%Fairfax city
Fairfax County0.1%Great Falls CDP, McLean CDP, Mason Neck CDP, Reston CDP, Bull Run CDP, Chantilly CDP, Centreville CDP, Union Mill CDP, and 61 more
Falls Church city0%Falls Church city
Fauquier County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Floyd County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Fluvanna County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Franklin city100%None: the whole county is eligible
Franklin County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Frederick County99.0%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
Fredericksburg city0%Fredericksburg city
Galax city100%None: the whole county is eligible
Giles County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Gloucester County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Goochland County99.9%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
Grayson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Greene County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Greensville County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Halifax County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hampton city0%Hampton city
Hanover County93.6%Mechanicsville CDP
Harrisonburg city0.1%Harrisonburg city
Henrico County32.8%Tuckahoe CDP, Sandston CDP, Short Pump CDP, East Highland Park CDP, Glen Allen CDP, Highland Springs CDP, Laurel CDP, Innsbrook CDP, and 5 more
Henry County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Highland County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Hopewell city0.1%Hopewell city
Isle of Wight County100%None: the whole county is eligible
James City County64.7%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
King and Queen County100%None: the whole county is eligible
King George County100%None: the whole county is eligible
King William County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lancaster County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lee County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lexington city100%None: the whole county is eligible
Loudoun County84.0%Ashburn CDP, Leesburg town, South Riding CDP, Brambleton CDP, Sterling CDP, Lansdowne CDP, Cascades CDP, Broadlands CDP, and 10 more
Louisa County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lunenburg County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Lynchburg city0.2%Lynchburg city
Madison County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Manassas city0%Manassas city
Manassas Park city0%Manassas Park city
Martinsville city100%None: the whole county is eligible
Mathews County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Mecklenburg County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Middlesex County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Montgomery County93.6%Blacksburg town
Nelson County100%None: the whole county is eligible
New Kent County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Newport News city0%Newport News city
Norfolk city0%Norfolk city
Northampton County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Northumberland County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Norton city100%None: the whole county is eligible
Nottoway County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Orange County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Page County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Patrick County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Petersburg city0.1%Petersburg city
Pittsylvania County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Poquoson city0%Poquoson city
Portsmouth city0%Portsmouth city
Powhatan County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Prince Edward County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Prince George County94.3%Fort Lee CDP
Prince William County35.8%Buckhall CDP, Dale City CDP, Linton Hall CDP, Gainesville CDP, Lake Ridge CDP, Woodbridge CDP, Independent Hill CDP, Cherry Hill CDP, and 15 more
Pulaski County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Radford city100%None: the whole county is eligible
Rappahannock County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Richmond city0%Richmond city
Richmond County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Roanoke city0%Roanoke city
Roanoke County90.3%Cave Spring CDP, Hollins CDP, Vinton town
Rockbridge County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Rockingham County99.7%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
Russell County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Salem city0.2%Salem city
Scott County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Shenandoah County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Smyth County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Southampton County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Spotsylvania County92.2%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
Stafford County60.0%Camp Barrett CDP, Falmouth CDP, Aquia Harbour CDP, Boswell's Corner CDP
Staunton city0.2%Staunton city
Suffolk city0%Suffolk city
Surry County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Sussex County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Tazewell County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Virginia Beach city0%Virginia Beach city
Warren County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Washington County99.9%None mostly inside; part of the area is ineligible
Waynesboro city0.4%Waynesboro city
Westmoreland County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Williamsburg city0.2%Williamsburg city
Winchester city0%Winchester city
Wise County100%None: the whole county is eligible
Wythe County100%None: the whole county is eligible
York County65.7%Bethel Manor 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 Virginia, the free census tract lookup shows the income level and QCT and DDA status, and Virginia has 212 designated Opportunity Zone tracts (Opportunity Zone lookup).

Questions

Is Virginia eligible for USDA loans?

Much of it is. About 92.1% of the state's area is outside USDA's ineligible areas (3,205 of about 40,445 square miles are ineligible). 83 counties are entirely eligible. Most people live in the larger towns, which are often ineligible, so check the specific address.

Which Virginia counties have the least USDA eligible area?

Alexandria city (0% eligible), Arlington County (0% eligible), Charlottesville city (0% eligible), Chesapeake city (0% eligible), Colonial Heights city (0% eligible). The share is of land area, by HeritageDeed's estimate from USDA's map; eligibility is decided for each property.

Which Virginia towns are not eligible for USDA loans?

Places USDA's map shows as mostly inside an ineligible area include Alexandria city, Arlington CDP, Charlottesville city, Chesapeake city, Colonial Heights city, Fairfax city, Falls Church city and Fredericksburg 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 Virginia 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 Virginia last updated?

The ineligible areas on USDA's map for Virginia 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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