USDA Loans in Utah: 2026 Income Limits, the Large-Family Advantage & Eligible Towns
USDA income limits in Utah are $122,800 for a 1-4 person household and $162,100 for 5-8 in 2026, with $0 down. In a state with the nation's largest households, that 5-8 limit is the one that governs eligibility for many families.
We read the live USDA map for the exact address. Informational only. USDA makes the final call on a complete application.
USDA income limits in Utah for 2026
The 2026 USDA income limit statewide in Utah is $122,800 for a household of one to four people and $162,100 for five to eight, effective July 13, 2026 under USDA Procedure Notice 657. Nearly every Utah county uses this national floor. The limit counts your whole household's income, not just the borrowers.
"Income from all adult household members, not just parties to the note, must be considered.". USDA Handbook HB-1-3555
Confirm your county's exact figure on the USDA income eligibility tool.
The Utah advantage: the 5-to-8-person limit is the one that matters
This is the most Utah-specific fact about USDA here, and most content misses it. Utah has the largest average household size in the country, about 2.9 people, and it runs higher in the rural counties, 3.3 in Tooele County. The USDA income limit jumps from $122,800 to $162,100 the moment a household reaches five members. Because large families are common in Utah, far more buyers land in that five-to-eight bracket than in other states, so the $162,100 limit is the one that actually governs eligibility for a big share of Utah applicants. A dual-earner family of five or six in Grantsville or Nephi grossing $130,000 to $150,000 is comfortably eligible on the larger-household limit, even though they would blow past the smaller one.
Which parts of Utah are USDA-eligible?
The dividing line is the Wasatch Front. The urbanized corridor from Ogden through Salt Lake City to Provo, covering the Weber, Davis, Salt Lake, and Utah county cores, is ineligible, and so is St. George. Eligible ground is the rural balance: the edges of Tooele and Cache counties, Box Elder around Tremonton, Juab around Nephi, Sanpete, and the eastern Uinta Basin and southern red-rock counties. Eligibility is address-level, and in Utah the boundary literally cuts through the edges of growing towns, so always run the exact street address.
Two neighboring towns, opposite answers
The clearest example in the state: Tooele city has a population of 38,405, which is above USDA's roughly 35,000 rural cap, so the city itself is ineligible. But Grantsville, about 35 miles west of Salt Lake City in the same county, has about 14,341 people and is eligible. Same county, opposite answers, a few miles apart. South of Provo, the cores of Spanish Fork and Payson have also flipped ineligible as the metro grew, so verify those addresses.
Eligible Utah towns with the numbers
Verified populations, median household income, and median home value (Census, 2024):
- West of Salt Lake: Grantsville (14,341, income $101,349, value $488,200).
- South of Provo: Santaquin (16,436, $99,837, $465,100), Nephi (6,885, $106,108, $416,000), and Mona (1,674, $115,179, $483,700).
- North of Ogden: Tremonton (11,477, $74,741, $364,900), Perry (5,843, $112,639, $465,100), and Willard (2,212, $97,782, $451,300).
Confirm any exact address with the checker at the top of this page.
Affordability: $0 down against high Utah prices
Utah's median household income is one of the highest in the country at about $96,658 (Census, 2024), and its median home value is high too, around $545,200. In a state where home values run near half a million dollars, USDA's 100% financing is often the only no-down-payment path outside a VA loan. A rural-Utah buyer earning near the town median, with the eligible-town values above running $365,000 to $490,000, can finance the full purchase with nothing down, subject to the income limit and standard qualifying. Park City and Summit County, with a median home value around $1.07 million, are out of reach both because the resort area is off the eligible map and because those prices far exceed what the income limits support. USDA sets no maximum loan amount otherwise.
Utah down-payment assistance and USDA
Utah Housing Corporation, the state housing finance agency, offers first-mortgage programs paired with a down-payment-assistance second that can layer onto a USDA loan. Because USDA already offers 100% financing, that assistance is typically used for closing costs rather than a down payment. Program eligibility, amounts, and which first-lien types pair with the assistance change, so confirm current terms directly on the Utah Housing Corporation site before you rely on the pairing.
Utah USDA requirements at a glance
- Down payment: $0. USDA finances 100% of the price.
- Credit: no hard USDA minimum; 640 clears the automated system.
- Income: household income within $122,800 for one to four people, or $162,100 for five to eight, which many Utah families reach.
- Location: the home must sit outside the Wasatch Front urban corridor and St. George; check per address.
- Household size: confirm your bracket, since Utah's large families often qualify under the higher five-to-eight limit.
Common questions
What are the 2026 USDA income limits in Utah?
Statewide, the 2026 USDA income limit is $122,800 for a household of one to four people and $162,100 for five to eight, effective July 13, 2026. Nearly every Utah county uses this floor. Because Utah has the largest households in the country, the higher five-to-eight-person limit is the one that governs eligibility for many Utah families.
Why does the 5-to-8-person income limit matter so much in Utah?
Utah has the nation's largest average household size, about 2.9 people and higher in rural counties. The USDA income limit jumps from $122,800 to $162,100 at five household members, so a much larger share of Utah families qualify under the higher bracket than in other states. A family of five or six grossing $130,000 to $150,000 is comfortably eligible on that limit.
Is Tooele, Utah USDA-eligible?
Tooele city is not, because its population of 38,405 exceeds USDA's roughly 35,000 rural cap. But rural Tooele County, including Grantsville about 35 miles west of Salt Lake City, is eligible. It is the clearest example in the state of two neighboring towns getting opposite answers, so always check the exact address on the USDA map.
Which Utah counties are USDA-eligible?
Most of rural Utah: Box Elder around Tremonton, Juab around Nephi, Sanpete, the eastern Uinta Basin, and the southern red-rock counties, plus the rural edges of Tooele and Cache. The urbanized Wasatch Front, from Ogden through Salt Lake City to Provo, and St. George are ineligible. Confirm any exact address, since the boundary runs through the edges of growing towns.
Can I use a USDA loan near Provo?
Not in Provo, Orem, or Lehi, but yes in eligible towns to the south: Santaquin, Nephi, and Mona in the Juab County area. The cores of Spanish Fork and Payson have largely flipped ineligible as the metro grew, so those need an exact-address check. The eligible towns pair $0 down with Utah's high home values.
Is Park City or Summit County USDA-eligible?
No. The Park City resort and urban areas are outside the USDA-eligible map, and Summit County's median home value, around $1.07 million, far exceeds what USDA income limits support anyway. USDA in Utah works in the rural counties with more moderate prices, not the high-cost resort markets.
Is there a maximum USDA loan amount in Utah?
No. The USDA Guaranteed program sets no maximum loan amount in Utah. Your borrowing limit is what your household income supports under the debt-to-income guidelines plus the appraised value. That matters in Utah, where eligible-town home values can run from $365,000 to nearly $490,000, well within reach for a qualifying household.
How do you check if a Utah address is USDA-eligible?
Enter the exact street address into the USDA property eligibility map at eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov, or use the checker at the top of this page. This is essential in Utah because the eligible boundary runs through the edges of the growing Wasatch Front towns, so a town name alone, like Tooele or Spanish Fork, will not give you a reliable answer.