There is zero-down territory half an hour from Dulles
A USDA Section 502 loan needs no down payment. Most people assume that means somewhere far away — but parts of western Loudoun and western Prince William are still designated rural, and so is a pocket near Dulles South. The catch is that the boundary is irregular and not drawn on town lines, so it comes down to the specific address.
Check an address
This asks USDA's own eligibility service, live, and tells you plainly if it can't get an answer.
One address, nothing else — no name, no email, and we don't store what you type.
Where we found designated areas
Verified on 12 October 2026 against USDA Rural Development's own mapping service (designation data effective 2023-07-25). Treat these as starting points, not a boundary — check the exact address above.
Loudoun County
Purcellville · Round Hill · Lovettsville · Hillsboro · Hamilton · Waterford · Philomont · Middleburg · Bluemont · Aldie
Plus a pocket around Arcola and Dulles South — which is the surprising one, because it is minutes from the airport.
Prince William County
Nokesville · Catharpin · Aden
Plus the western edge around Buckland and Vint Hill.
The near misses
These came back not designated: Ashburn · Sterling · Leesburg · Brambleton · Haymarket · Gainesville.
Haymarket and Gainesville are worth calling out, because they get lumped in with “western Prince William” and they are out. Brambleton is out while Arcola, a few miles away, is in. We also found no designated area anywhere we sampled in Fairfax County — though we tested points rather than the whole county, so check a specific address rather than ruling it out.
Location is one requirement out of several
A designated address clears the geography test. You still have to meet the household income limit, the credit and occupancy requirements, and the lender's underwriting — and only a USDA-approved lender can confirm your eligibility. The income limit is generous here: for the whole Washington metro, including all of Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William, the guaranteed-loan limit is $153,550 for a household of one to four and $202,700 for five to eight. For most buyers looking out here, location is the binding constraint, not income.
USDA charges an up-front guarantee fee and an annual fee. By regulation these cannot exceed 3.5% up front and 0.5% a year (7 CFR 3555.107). We're deliberately not quoting the current rates: USDA sets them per fiscal year and we could not verify today's figures from a reachable official source, so your lender is the right place to get them.
Two ways this gets useful fast
Found a designated address?
Text Raoul the address and he'll tell you what it would actually take — and introduce you to a USDA-approved lender if you want one. No form, no sign-up.
Text (703) 570-1074