USDA Loan Income Limits by County Across DFW — 2026

I'm Bond Peter Njoku (NMLS #2670329), and the single most common reason a DFW buyer thinks they don't qualify for USDA is that they read a national income figure that doesn't apply to their county. USDA sets limits county by county, and every eligible county surrounding Dallas-Fort Worth — Kaufman, Rockwall, Ellis, Hunt, Johnson, Navarro, and Henderson — carries its own 2026 number. This guide breaks it down county by county, by household size, and shows the deductions that move real families under the line.

For the full list of DFW cities that still qualify for USDA loans in 2026, see my USDA eligible cities guide for DFW — I've mapped every eligible zone by county so you can check your target area before making an offer.

What are the 2026 USDA income limits by DFW county?

The counties that hold most of the USDA-eligible DFW map — Kaufman, Rockwall, Ellis and Hunt — sit inside the Dallas, TX HUD metro area, which carries a higher 2026 limit than USDA's national floor: $139,300 for a 1-4 person household and $183,900 for a 5-8 person household. Fort Worth-side and outlying counties run lower. Here's the county-by-county breakdown I use with clients, all verified on USDA's income eligibility tool:

Note: Figures are approximate 2026 USDA guaranteed-loan limits and are subject to annual USDA adjustment. Verify the current figure for your exact county at the USDA income eligibility tool before making a decision — or call or text me at 469-545-7180 and I'll confirm it with you.

Do all the USDA-eligible DFW counties use the same income limit?

Not quite — but the ones that matter most do. Kaufman, Rockwall, Ellis and Hunt counties are all in the Dallas HUD metro area and share the exact same $139,300 / $183,900 limit, so there's no advantage to shifting your home search among them hoping for a higher threshold. Johnson County (Fort Worth–Arlington metro) sits a little lower at roughly $126,850, and truly rural counties like Henderson land near the national floor of about $122,800. If you're deciding between, say, Forney and Royse City, the USDA limit is identical; if you're weighing Kaufman County against Johnson County, it's worth checking the exact figure.

What moves the needle most, though, is your deductions and your household size. A family of five in a Dallas-metro county is measured against $183,900 rather than $139,300 — a $44,600 swing — and documented childcare costs come straight off your counted income. That's where borderline cases actually get resolved.

One important distinction: the $119,700 figure you may have seen for Collin, Denton, and Rockwall counties is the income limit for down payment assistance programs like TSAHC and TDHCA — not USDA. They're separate programs with separate limits, and mixing them up is one of the most common mistakes I see buyers make when they're trying to figure out what they qualify for.

What deductions can lower my counted income?

USDA doesn't compare your raw gross income to the limit — it compares your adjusted income, after allowed deductions. The deductions that move the needle most for DFW families:

• $480 per dependent child under 18
• $480 per full-time student 18 or older
• $480 per disabled household member
• Documented annual childcare costs for children under 12, dollar for dollar
• Medical expenses for elderly (62+) or disabled household members exceeding 3% of gross income

A family of four with two kids under 12 in licensed daycare can easily see $8,000–$12,000 in combined deductions once childcare costs are documented alongside the per-dependent credits. That's frequently the difference between "over the limit" and "qualified."

A recent Kaufman County example

Last year I worked with a family in Forney — combined gross income of $149,000, which put them over Kaufman County's $139,300 limit before we looked closer. They had two children in after-school daycare costing $10,800 a year. Once I documented that childcare expense plus the two $480 dependent deductions, their adjusted income came in at $137,240 — under the limit. They closed on a $325,000 home in Forney with zero down and a USDA guarantee fee instead of FHA's upfront mortgage insurance premium.

How do I get started checking my county's actual USDA eligibility?

Two things have to line up: your household's adjusted income has to fall under your county's limit, and the specific property address has to sit inside a USDA-eligible rural area on USDA's current map. I check both for free before you write an offer — takes me about 15 minutes to confirm income eligibility and 60 seconds to check the address against the USDA map tool. I'd rather rule USDA in or out before you fall in love with a house than after.