USDA Loans in Washington: 2026 Income Limits, the Foothills & $0 Down
USDA income limits in Washington start at $122,800 for a 1-4 person household and $162,100 for 5-8 in 2026, and run higher in the Seattle-metro counties. Eastern Washington is where zero-down stretches furthest.
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 Washington for 2026
The 2026 USDA income floor in Washington 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, in most counties. King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties around Seattle carry limits above that floor, because USDA sets limits off area median income and these are among the highest-income counties in the country. You can see the same logic in state programs: Washington's own housing agency uses a $164,400 income tier for King and Snohomish versus $126,800 for the rest of the state. For the exact USDA county figure, check the USDA income tool.
The limit is your adjusted household income after USDA's deductions, not your gross pay. From Handbook HB-1-3555:
"Income from all adult household members, not just parties to the note, must be considered."
The Seattle foothills: eligible and higher-limit at once
Here is the counterintuitive Washington fact. Several towns on the rural fringe of the Seattle-metro counties both qualify for USDA in their rural pockets and get the higher income limit their county carries. Enumclaw in King County has a median household income around $121,250; Buckley, Orting, and Eatonville in Pierce County run $114,000 to $133,000; Sultan and Gold Bar in Snohomish sit near $95,000 to $101,000. These towns sit right on the eligibility boundary, so verify the exact address, but the pattern is real: high-cost county, rural pocket, higher USDA limit.
What's eligible in Washington
The Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane urban cores are outside the USDA map. Eligible Washington is broad: the Cascade-foothill exurbs, the Olympic Peninsula beyond the Puget Sound metros, the Columbia Basin and Palouse wheat country, and the Yakima Valley orchards. Eligibility is set by the exact street address, and the boundary can run mid-street, so always check the specific property.
Where zero-down stretches furthest: Eastern Washington
The real affordability story is east of the Cascades, where home values run roughly half the statewide median. Verified median household income and median home value (Census, 2024):
- Sunnyside (Yakima Valley, 16,277, income $60,923, value $240,700)
- Omak (Okanogan, 5,036, $76,544, $248,900), Colville (Stevens, 4,998, $56,558, $281,500)
- Quincy (Grant, 7,998, $87,902, $336,800), Ellensburg (Kittitas, 20,874, $55,438, $404,100)
- Deer Park (Spokane, 4,791, $54,391, $347,000), Medical Lake (Spokane, 4,950, $79,989, $368,700)
Against a statewide median home value near $564,600 and a median income around $98,000, those eastern towns put a home within reach on a normal paycheck, and USDA finances 100% of the price. USDA sets no maximum loan amount.
Washington assistance that pairs with USDA
The Washington State Housing Finance Commission's Home Advantage program explicitly lists Rural Housing Service, USDA, as an eligible first mortgage, so the pairing is confirmed. Home Advantage carries a $180,000 statewide income limit and offers down-payment assistance worth 3% to 5% of the loan amount toward closing costs. Because USDA already covers the full purchase price, that assistance can cover your cash to close. Confirm current terms and the homebuyer-education requirement on the WSHFC site.
Washington USDA requirements at a glance
- Down payment: $0.
- Credit: no hard USDA minimum; 620-640 is the practical range.
- Income: adjusted household income within $122,800 (1-4) or $162,100 (5-8), and higher in King, Snohomish, and Pierce.
- Location: outside the Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane cores; verify the exact address.
- No first-time-buyer requirement; primary residence only.
Common questions
What are the 2026 USDA income limits in Washington?
The 2026 USDA income floor in Washington is $122,800 for a household of one to four people and $162,100 for five to eight, effective July 13, 2026, in most counties. King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties around Seattle carry limits above that floor because their area median incomes are high. Check your exact county figure on USDA's income tool.
Do the Seattle-metro counties have higher USDA income limits?
Yes. King, Snohomish, and Pierce carry USDA income limits above the $122,800 floor, because USDA sets limits at a share of area median income and these are among the highest-income counties in the country. Washington's own housing agency uses a $164,400 income tier for King and Snohomish versus $126,800 elsewhere, which reflects the same high-cost pattern.
Which Washington areas are USDA-eligible?
Broad stretches of the state: the Cascade-foothill exurbs, the Olympic Peninsula beyond the Puget Sound metros, the Columbia Basin and Palouse wheat country, and the Yakima Valley. The Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane urban cores are excluded. Because eligibility is set by exact address and boundaries can run mid-street, confirm the specific property on USDA's map.
Can I use a USDA loan in the Seattle foothills?
In the rural pockets, yes. Towns like Enumclaw, Buckley, Orting, Eatonville, Sultan, and Gold Bar sit on the rural fringe of the Seattle-metro counties, so parts of them are USDA-eligible, and they carry the higher income limit their county gets. These towns sit near the eligibility boundary, so verify the exact address before you count on a specific property.
Where does zero-down go furthest in Washington?
East of the Cascades. In the Yakima Valley and north-central and eastern Washington, towns like Sunnyside, Omak, Colville, Quincy, Deer Park, and Medical Lake have median home values from the low $240,000s to the low $400,000s, roughly half the statewide median near $564,600. On a normal income, USDA's 100% financing puts a home within reach there.
What counts as income for USDA in Washington, gross or adjusted?
Adjusted household income. USDA starts from the total projected income of all adult household members, then subtracts allowable deductions such as $480 per dependent, and compares the result to the county limit. That is different from gross pay, so a household that looks over the line on their paystubs can still qualify once the deductions are applied.
Can I combine a USDA loan with Washington state assistance?
Yes. The Washington State Housing Finance Commission's Home Advantage program lists USDA Rural Housing Service as an eligible first mortgage, and offers down-payment assistance worth 3% to 5% of the loan toward closing costs. Because USDA already finances the full price, that assistance can cover your closing costs and cash to close. Confirm current terms with WSHFC.
How do you check if a Washington address is USDA-eligible?
Enter the exact street address into USDA's property eligibility map at eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov, or use the checker at the top of this page. In Washington, most addresses outside the Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane cores qualify, but the Cascade-foothill towns sit near the boundary, so verify the specific property rather than assuming the whole town qualifies.