South Carolina USDA Loans 2026
Zero down payment USDA financing for eligible South Carolina buyers. Eligible areas, income limits, and how to determine if USDA is an option for your South Carolina home purchase.
USDA Eligible Areas in South Carolina
USDA loans are available in areas that USDA designates as rural or semi-rural. Contrary to the name, many suburban and even some smaller city neighborhoods qualify. Roughly 93.6% of South Carolina’s land area is USDA-eligible — the main exclusions are the urban cores of the state’s largest metros.
General Eligibility Patterns in South Carolina
| Area | USDA Eligibility | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston (urban core) | Not eligible | Classified as urban |
| Columbia / Richland County (urban core) | Not eligible | Classified as urban |
| Greenville (urban core) | Not eligible | Classified as urban |
| Berkeley & Dorchester County suburbs | Check by address | Mixed eligibility outside Charleston core |
| Lexington County (Columbia suburbs) | Check by address | Many areas eligible outside Columbia core |
| Horry County (Myrtle Beach area) | Largely eligible | Outside the immediate coastal tourist core |
| Spartanburg County | Largely eligible | Outside the immediate city core |
| York County (Rock Hill) | Check by address | Mixed eligibility near Charlotte metro spillover |
| Rural South Carolina counties (Marlboro, Allendale, Bamberg, etc.) | Eligible | Wide USDA eligibility statewide |
Always verify by address. USDA eligibility is determined at the property address level. Use the USDA eligibility map at eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov to check any specific South Carolina address before assuming eligibility or ineligibility.
South Carolina USDA Income Limits
USDA loans have household income limits — all members of the household count, not just borrowers. South Carolina is not among USDA’s named high-cost exception states (California, Northern Virginia, Washington, Hawaii, Alaska), so the national baseline income limits apply statewide.
| Area | 1–4 Person Household | 5–8 Person Household | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard limit (most counties) | $122,800 | $162,100 | Verify your county with USDA |
Metro-area limits run higher than the standard. USDA publishes a higher moderate-income limit for many metropolitan counties, and those figures change on their own schedule. Rather than print numbers that may be out of date, check your exact county against USDA’s official lookup: USDA income eligibility tool. The authoritative source is HB-1-3555 Appendix 5 (FY 2026, PN 657, effective July 13, 2026).
There is no USDA loan-amount cap — the loan size is determined by the borrower’s income and debt-to-income ratio, not a fixed dollar ceiling. Income limits are updated annually by USDA Rural Development. Verify current limits at rd.usda.gov or with a USDA-approved lender.
USDA vs. FHA for South Carolina Buyers
| Factor | USDA | FHA |
|---|---|---|
| Down payment | 0% | 3.5% |
| Location restriction | Yes — rural/suburban only | No — anywhere |
| Income limit | Yes — $122,800 (1–4 person) standard; higher in some metros | No income limit |
| Mortgage insurance | 0.35%/year | 0.55%/year |
| Upfront fee | 1.0% (financed) | 1.75% (financed) |
| Best for South Carolina buyer | Rural/suburban, income eligible | Urban buyers or above income limit |
