USDA loans in Virginia: buy with $0 down in an eligible area.
If the home sits in a USDA-eligible part of Virginia and your household income fits the county limit, you can finance 100% of the purchase — no down payment. We check the map and the numbers for you, then tell you straight whether it fits.
Three things decide whether you qualify
USDA is simpler than most buyers expect. It comes down to where the home is, what your household earns, and whether you'll live there.
The home is in an eligible area
USDA covers rural areas and many small towns and outer suburbs — often closer to Virginia metros than people assume. We check the exact address on the USDA map.
Check the map →Your household income fits the limit
USDA sets a household income limit by county, based on the area's median income. Larger households get a higher limit. We look yours up for you.
See income limits →You'll live there as your home
USDA is for owner-occupied primary residences — not rentals or vacation homes. One eligible home at a time.
Read the guide →The person who takes your first call stays with your file. No handoff to a call center.
We check the map and the income limit up front. If USDA doesn't fit your address, we say so and show the backup.
Just over the income line or outside the map? FHA at 3.5% down and Conventional 97 at 3% are ready.
Send your scenario and our team calls you back within 5 minutes during business hours.
"We thought zero-down was too good to be true, and we figured we made too much for a program like this. Turned out the house we wanted was inside the USDA line, and our income fit once they counted our household the right way. We closed with money still in the bank. It felt like getting a head start."
— Virginia homeowner, verified client (name withheld for privacy)
Every file is different, and the USDA income limit and eligible map both change by county and get updated over time. That's why we confirm the specifics for your exact address on the call instead of guessing from a ZIP code. You get the same standard either way: plain English, honest math, and one team that stays with your loan from the first question to the closing table.
No obligation, no pressure, no salesy follow-up queue. Check your eligibility above, or send your situation and get a straight answer. You decide what happens next.
What clients say
Verified reviews from Mike Certo's experience.com profile — updated automatically.
USDA loans in Virginia: common questions
What is a USDA loan?
A USDA loan is a zero-down mortgage backed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development program (Section 502 Guaranteed). It lets eligible buyers finance 100% of a home in a qualifying rural or small-town area, with no down payment and fees lower than FHA. Despite the name, it is a standard residential mortgage, not a farm loan.
Who qualifies for a USDA loan in Virginia?
Three things decide it: the home must sit in a USDA-eligible area, your total household income must fall within the county limit (115% of the area median), and you must live in the home as your primary residence. There is no first-time-buyer requirement. USDA sets no hard credit-score minimum, though a 640 score clears the automated system fastest.
What is the income limit for a USDA loan?
USDA caps household income at 115% of the area median, and it counts income from every adult in the household, not only the borrower. The national standard limit is $119,850 for a household of 1 to 4 and $158,250 for 5 to 8 people, effective June 18, 2025. Higher-cost counties allow more, so the right figure depends on where you buy.
Is my Virginia address USDA eligible?
Roughly 97% of U.S. land area is USDA-eligible, and the map reaches many outer suburbs and small towns near Virginia metros, not just remote countryside. Eligibility follows the USDA map, which now uses 2020-census boundaries. The only way to be sure is to check the exact address, which we do for you before you make an offer.
Does a USDA loan have mortgage insurance or PMI?
USDA does not charge PMI. Instead it has two guarantee fees: a one-time 1.0% upfront fee that you can finance into the loan, and a 0.35% annual fee spread across your monthly payments. Both were set in 2016 and are unchanged for 2026. That is less than FHA, which charges 1.75% upfront and 0.55% annually.
What credit score do you need for a USDA loan?
There is no agency-wide minimum credit score. USDA's automated underwriting system (GUS) typically approves files at a 640 score, which is the practical target. Below 640, a loan is still possible through manual underwriting, where an underwriter documents your credit history and compensating factors by hand. Lenders may add their own overlays on top.
Ready when you are.
Find out in minutes whether your Virginia address and income clear the USDA line. If they do, you could buy with nothing down.