What is the USDA loan income limit in South Carolina?

In most South Carolina counties the USDA Guaranteed Loan moderate-income limit is $122,800 for a 1-4 person household and $162,100 for a 5-8 person household, from the FY 2026 USDA table effective 07/13/2026. Higher-cost metro counties can have higher limits, so confirm the exact county row in USDA's income-limit PDF.

What is the USDA Section 502 Direct loan income limit in South Carolina?

The Direct loan uses lower income limits than the Guaranteed program on this page. Section 502 Direct is reserved for low-income (at or below 80% of area median income) and very-low-income (at or below 50% of AMI) South Carolina households, versus the moderate-income 115%-of-AMI ceiling that produces the $122,800 / $162,100 Guaranteed figures. USDA funds the Direct loan itself and can add a payment-assistance subsidy. Look up the exact South Carolina county Direct income limit on USDA's eligibility portal under "Single Family Housing Direct."

Which areas of South Carolina are USDA eligible?

The Pee Dee, the Lowcountry beyond Charleston, and the upstate foothills make up most of South Carolina's USDA-eligible territory. The largest urbanized cities — Charleston, Columbia and North Charleston — and their immediate suburbs are excluded from the USDA Section 502 Guaranteed Loan eligible-area map, while the surrounding smaller communities generally remain eligible. Always confirm a specific address, because boundaries can run mid-street.

Is the USDA income limit the most I can borrow in South Carolina?

No. The income limit only screens whether your household is eligible for the program. The loan amount is set separately by a USDA-approved lender using repayment income and the 29% PITI / 41% total-debt ratio guidelines; USDA sets no maximum loan amount.

Do you need a down payment for a USDA loan in South Carolina?

No. The USDA Section 502 Guaranteed Loan finances 100% of the appraised value with no down payment, making it one of the only true zero-down mortgages available to South Carolina buyers who meet the eligible-area and income tests. A 1.00% upfront guarantee fee can be rolled into the loan and a 0.35% annual fee is spread across the monthly payment, so out-of-pocket cash at closing can be limited to a deposit and closing costs.

What is the maximum USDA loan amount in South Carolina?

It depends which USDA program you mean, and the two answers are different. The Section 502 Guaranteed loan — the one most South Carolina buyers use — publishes no maximum loan amount and no county loan limits at all; the ceiling is whatever a USDA-approved lender will underwrite against the 29% PITI / 41% total-debt ratio guidelines, up to 100% of the appraised value. The Section 502 Direct loan, which USDA funds itself, does publish a per-county "area loan limit": $324,700 in 41 of South Carolina's 46 counties, rising to $414,000 in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester County, from the USDA table effective 2026-02-10.

Are there USDA loan limits by county in South Carolina?

Only for the Section 502 Direct program. USDA lists a maximum area loan limit for every South Carolina county — $324,700 across most of the state, with 5 higher-cost counties (Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Beaufort and Jasper) priced above it. The Section 502 Guaranteed program has no county loan limits, which is where USDA differs from FHA and VA: what varies by South Carolina county on the Guaranteed side is the household income limit, not the loan size. Confirm the current county row in USDA's own area-loan-limit table before relying on a figure.

USDA by state

USDA loan income limits and eligible areas in South Carolina

South Carolina USDA Section 502 Guaranteed Loan income limits, the eligible-area context for its rural communities, and the official USDA sources behind both — then run the live address and income precheck.

Income limits verified 2026-07-18

Source review by Rural Home Check; last reviewed 2026-07-23

Open live precheck

South Carolina income limit

In most South Carolina counties the USDA Guaranteed Loan moderate-income limit is $122,800 for a 1-4 person household and $162,100 for a 5-8 person household (FY 2026 USDA table, PN 657, effective 07/13/2026).

Eligible areas in South Carolina

The Pee Dee, the Lowcountry beyond Charleston, and the upstate foothills make up most of South Carolina's USDA-eligible territory. The urbanized cores of Charleston, Columbia and North Charleston are excluded from the USDA map; their surrounding rural communities generally remain eligible.

USDA loan basics

Why buyers choose a USDA loan in South Carolina

USDA generally defines an eligible rural area as one with a population of 35,000 or less, and for a home inside that map the Section 502 Guaranteed Loan finances 100% of the appraised value with no down payment — the two features that pull South Carolina buyers toward USDA over FHA or conventional financing (USDA program facts verified 2026-06-26).

$0 down payment

The Section 502 Guaranteed Loan funds 100% of the appraised value, so qualified South Carolina buyers bring no down payment. A 1.00% upfront guarantee fee is financeable and a 0.35% annual fee is built into the monthly payment.

Population 35,000 or less

An area qualifies as USDA “rural” when its population is 35,000 or less and it is rural in character — which is why most of South Carolina outside Charleston and the other large metros stays on the eligible-area map.

Income up to 115% of AMI

The program serves low- and moderate-income households — generally up to 115% of the area median income for the South Carolina county, which is how USDA derives the $122,800 / $162,100 limits above.

Direct vs. Guaranteed

Section 502 Direct vs. Guaranteed loan income limits in South Carolina

USDA runs two different Section 502 home-loan programs with two different income limits: the Guaranteed loan caps household income at 115% of the South Carolina county area median income (the $122,800 / $162,100 figures on this page), while the Direct loan is far tighter — reserved for low-income (at or below 80% of AMI) and very-low-income (at or below 50% of AMI) households. This precheck and every income figure above cover the Guaranteed program; the Direct program uses its own, lower county limits (USDA program facts verified 2026-07-15).

Section 502 Guaranteed — up to 115% of AMI

A USDA-approved private lender funds the loan and USDA guarantees it. Moderate-income South Carolina households up to 115% of the county AMI qualify, which is how USDA derives the $122,800 (1-4) / $162,100 (5-8) limits this page tracks. No down payment; a 1.00% upfront and 0.35% annual guarantee fee apply.

Section 502 Direct — very-low (≤50%) / low (≤80%) of AMI

USDA funds the loan directly and can add a payment-assistance subsidy that lowers the effective interest rate for the lowest-income South Carolina buyers. Because the income ceiling is 50-80% of county AMI rather than 115%, the Direct income limits are lower than the figures on this page — look up the exact South Carolina county Direct limit on USDA's eligibility portal (choose “Single Family Housing Direct”).

USDA Section 502 Direct program Look up South Carolina Direct income limits

Eligible-area examples

Representative USDA-eligible-area communities in South Carolina

In South Carolina, small cities well under USDA's 35,000-person rural-area population ceiling and outside Charleston, Columbia and North Charleston generally sit inside the USDA Section 502 eligible-area map — Gaffney, Newberry, Union, Bennettsville and Walterboro are representative examples, each a rural South Carolina city under 35,000 residents at the 2020 Census. USDA sets eligibility address by address, so confirm the exact street address in the precheck.

These name the kind of eligible-area community, not a determination for any single address: USDA boundaries can run mid-street even inside a generally eligible town, and the excluded metros — Charleston, Columbia and North Charleston — and their immediate suburbs stay off the map.

Loan limits

Is there a maximum USDA loan amount in South Carolina?

The USDA Section 502 Guaranteed loan has no maximum loan amount and no county loan limits. That is the single biggest difference between USDA and FHA or VA, and it is why a “South Carolina USDA loan limit” search usually returns the wrong number. On the Guaranteed side your loan size is set by repayment ability — the 29% PITI and 41% total-debt ratio guidelines — against up to 100% of the appraised value. What varies by South Carolina county on that program is the household income limit, not the loan size.

The Section 502 Directloan, which USDA funds and services itself, is the program that does publish a per-county cap — the “area loan limit.” USDA lists $324,700 in 41 of South Carolina's 46 counties, effective 2026-02-10, with 5 counties priced higher.

South Carolina counties	Direct area loan limit	Why
Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester	$414,000	the three-county Charleston metro, the state's highest-cost housing market
Beaufort and Jasper	$382,900	the Hilton Head and Bluffton end of the Lowcountry
All other 41 counties	$324,700	the statewide base limit — including Spartanburg, Greenville, Richland, Horry and York, which sit at the base despite being South Carolina's larger markets

Transcribed from USDA's published Section 502 Direct area loan limit table on 2026-07-23 (maximum limits effective 2026-02-10, minimum limits effective 2026-07-13). USDA revises this file in place, so check the current county row before relying on a figure — and note that a Direct area loan limit is a program cap, not an appraisal or an approval. USDA and your lender make the final determination.

Deep dive

A USDA Guaranteed Loan in South Carolina turns on two separate USDA tests: whether the property sits in a USDA-eligible rural area, and whether household income is within the county income limit. Both must hold before a lender underwrites the file.

South Carolina income limits by household size

USDA HB-1-3555 Appendix 5 sets the moderate-income limit per county and household-size band. Across most South Carolina counties the floor is $122,800 (1-4 people) and $162,100 (5-8 people). For households above eight, USDA adds 8% of the four-person limit per additional person. The figure is adjusted annual household income after USDA's allowable deductions, not gross pay.

Where South Carolina limits can be higher

Higher-cost metro counties can exceed the $122,800 / $162,100 floor. This precheck applies the national floor when a specific South Carolina county row has not been ingested and labels it as a fallback, so confirm the exact county or metro row in USDA's official income-limit PDF.

Checking a South Carolina address

USDA eligibility is address-level, not ZIP-level: one ZIP can straddle eligible and ineligible ground, and boundaries often run mid-street near Charleston and other urbanized edges. Enter a complete South Carolina street address in the live precheck to geocode the point and test it against USDA Rural Development's ineligible-area layer.

After the precheck

Save the South Carolina address, county, household size, income, and check date. A USDA-approved lender and the South Carolina USDA Rural Development state office confirm the official county row and final eligibility. Income eligibility is not a loan amount — the lender sets that with the 29% PITI / 41% total-debt ratios.

Common questions

USDA loans in South Carolina — answers to the questions buyers ask

What is the USDA loan income limit in South Carolina?: In most South Carolina counties the USDA Guaranteed Loan moderate-income limit is $122,800 for a 1-4 person household and $162,100 for a 5-8 person household, from the FY 2026 USDA table effective 07/13/2026. Higher-cost metro counties can have higher limits, so confirm the exact county row in USDA's income-limit PDF.
What is the USDA Section 502 Direct loan income limit in South Carolina?: The Direct loan uses lower income limits than the Guaranteed program on this page. Section 502 Direct is reserved for low-income (at or below 80% of area median income) and very-low-income (at or below 50% of AMI) South Carolina households, versus the moderate-income 115%-of-AMI ceiling that produces the $122,800 / $162,100 Guaranteed figures. USDA funds the Direct loan itself and can add a payment-assistance subsidy. Look up the exact South Carolina county Direct income limit on USDA's eligibility portal under "Single Family Housing Direct."
Which areas of South Carolina are USDA eligible?: The Pee Dee, the Lowcountry beyond Charleston, and the upstate foothills make up most of South Carolina's USDA-eligible territory. The largest urbanized cities — Charleston, Columbia and North Charleston — and their immediate suburbs are excluded from the USDA Section 502 Guaranteed Loan eligible-area map, while the surrounding smaller communities generally remain eligible. Always confirm a specific address, because boundaries can run mid-street.
Is the USDA income limit the most I can borrow in South Carolina?: No. The income limit only screens whether your household is eligible for the program. The loan amount is set separately by a USDA-approved lender using repayment income and the 29% PITI / 41% total-debt ratio guidelines; USDA sets no maximum loan amount.
Do you need a down payment for a USDA loan in South Carolina?: No. The USDA Section 502 Guaranteed Loan finances 100% of the appraised value with no down payment, making it one of the only true zero-down mortgages available to South Carolina buyers who meet the eligible-area and income tests. A 1.00% upfront guarantee fee can be rolled into the loan and a 0.35% annual fee is spread across the monthly payment, so out-of-pocket cash at closing can be limited to a deposit and closing costs.
Is a specific South Carolina town or suburb USDA eligible?: USDA eligibility is decided address by address, but as a rule the small South Carolina cities well under USDA's 35,000-person rural-area population ceiling and outside Charleston, Columbia and North Charleston sit inside the USDA Section 502 eligible-area map — Gaffney, Newberry, Union, Bennettsville and Walterboro are representative examples (each is a rural South Carolina city under 35,000 residents at the 2020 Census). A ZIP or town name is only a starting point because boundaries can run mid-street, so enter the exact street address in the precheck to confirm.
What is the maximum USDA loan amount in South Carolina?: It depends which USDA program you mean, and the two answers are different. The Section 502 Guaranteed loan — the one most South Carolina buyers use — publishes no maximum loan amount and no county loan limits at all; the ceiling is whatever a USDA-approved lender will underwrite against the 29% PITI / 41% total-debt ratio guidelines, up to 100% of the appraised value. The Section 502 Direct loan, which USDA funds itself, does publish a per-county "area loan limit": $324,700 in 41 of South Carolina's 46 counties, rising to $414,000 in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester County, from the USDA table effective 2026-02-10.
Are there USDA loan limits by county in South Carolina?: Only for the Section 502 Direct program. USDA lists a maximum area loan limit for every South Carolina county — $324,700 across most of the state, with 5 higher-cost counties (Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Beaufort and Jasper) priced above it. The Section 502 Guaranteed program has no county loan limits, which is where USDA differs from FHA and VA: what varies by South Carolina county on the Guaranteed side is the household income limit, not the loan size. Confirm the current county row in USDA's own area-loan-limit table before relying on a figure.

Primary sources

Verified USDA sources for South Carolina

USDA Single Family Housing income limits (HB-1-3555 Appendix 5, FY 2026 PN 657) — South CarolinaDate retrieved: 2026-07-18
USDA Rural Development Eligibility portal (property area)Date retrieved: 2026-06-26
USDA Rural Development state offices (find the South Carolina office)Date retrieved: 2026-06-26
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts (2020 Census place populations)Date retrieved: 2026-07-12
USDA Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan ProgramDate retrieved: 2026-06-26
USDA Single Family Housing Direct Home Loans (Section 502 Direct)Date retrieved: 2026-07-15
USDA Section 502 Direct area loan limits (county table) — South CarolinaDate retrieved: 2026-07-23

Related checks

Pair the South Carolina income figures with the live address precheck and the national income-limit reference, then compare neighboring states.

USDA income limits by state and county Check a property address USDA income eligibility map USDA loans in South Dakota USDA loans in Tennessee All states

Sources

USDA area layerreadyVerified 2026-07-18 Census geocoderaddress inputVerified 2026-07-18 USDA income limitsFY 2026 snapshotUSDA FY 2026 income limits (effective 07/13/2026, PN 657); Verified 2026-07-18

This is an independent planning aid, not a USDA determination. USDA Rural Development indicates whether an address sits in an eligible area as of the check date; USDA and a USDA-approved lender make the final property and income eligibility decision in South Carolina.