USDA Loans in Florida: No Down Payment, If the Address and Income Fit

Short answer

A USDA loan lets you buy a home in Florida with 0% down if the property is in a USDA-eligible rural area and your household income is no more than 115% of the area median. For fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027), USDA charges a 1% upfront guarantee fee and a 0.35% annual fee, and the loan is a 30-year fixed. In Miami and South Florida, eligibility is address by address, so check the USDA map before you shop.

USDA basics, as of October 2026

The USDA home loan most buyers use is the Section 502 loan guarantee program run by USDA Rural Development. A private, USDA-approved lender makes the loan, and USDA backs it. The main rules from rd.usda.gov:

• Down payment: none. The program offers 100% financing, and closing costs and reasonable customary expenses may be included in the loan.
• Income: household income cannot exceed 115% of the median household income for the area. USDA updated its 2026 income limits effective July 13, 2026.
• Location: the home must be in an eligible rural area as defined by USDA.
• Occupancy: the home must be your primary residence. It cannot be income-producing, so no investment properties.
• Who may apply: U.S. citizens, U.S. non-citizen nationals and qualified aliens.
• Loan term: 30-year fixed rate only. Lenders set the rate. Rates vary daily; call 305-425-1990 for today's pricing.
• Credit: USDA sets no minimum credit score, but you must show you can manage debt, and approved lenders may apply their own standards.
• Property types: detached and attached homes, condos, PUDs, modular and manufactured homes can qualify. There is no set acreage limit.

Refinancing through this program is available only to borrowers who already have a USDA loan.

What USDA costs: the guarantee fees for FY 2027

USDA does not charge monthly mortgage insurance like FHA or PMI like conventional. Instead it charges two guarantee fees. In a September 16, 2026 notice, USDA Rural Development kept the fees the same for FY 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027), for purchases and refinances:

• Upfront guarantee fee: 1.00% of the loan.
• Annual fee: 0.35%, paid monthly as part of your payment.

Example with round numbers: a $300,000 USDA loan has a $3,000 upfront fee. The annual fee in the first year is about $1,050, or roughly $87.50 a month, and it shrinks as the balance goes down.

Your total payment also includes property taxes and homeowners insurance, and flood insurance if the home is in a flood zone. In South Florida, insurance is a big part of the budget, so get quotes early.

Even with 0% down, you still need some cash for items like the appraisal, inspection and earnest money, unless the seller or a down payment assistance program covers them. See Florida down payment assistance programs.

How to check eligibility in 3 steps

USDA runs an official eligibility site at eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov. It has two tools:

• Step 1, the property: enter the exact address in the Property Eligibility map. It shows whether the home falls inside an eligible rural area. Check each address, not just the city or ZIP code, because boundaries can split neighborhoods.
• Step 2, the income: use the Income Eligibility calculator. Enter your household information and income for the county. USDA updated these limits in July 2026, so older charts online may be out of date.
• Step 3, a lender review: a USDA-approved lender runs your credit, debts and documents, and submits the file. USDA notes that only Rural Development makes the final property eligibility decision, after a complete application, and that viewing the map is not a final determination.

QMS Lending can run the address and income checks for you, at no cost, before you make an offer. Send us the listing link or address.

USDA in Miami and South Florida: check the map, address by address

People searching for a USDA loan in Miami often hear that the Redland, far south Miami-Dade or western Palm Beach County qualify. We could not confirm specific eligible South Florida areas from an official USDA source as of October 2026, so we will not list them here. The only reliable answer is the USDA map for the exact address.

A few things are true for South Florida buyers:

• Boundaries change. USDA Rural Development's Florida office reviews rural areas periodically. Its last published Florida review changed boundaries effective October 1, 2023. An address that qualified years ago may not today, and the reverse.
• Most buyers in dense urban areas will need another program. If the address is not eligible, USDA is off the table no matter your income.
• Condos can qualify under USDA rules, but the address still has to be in an eligible area.
• Income is household income. In multigenerational Miami homes, check the calculator with everyone who will live in the house, not just the borrowers.

Looking at homes in the south end of the county? Our Homestead mortgage broker page covers local programs, flood and insurance there.

If USDA does not fit: FHA, conventional and down payment help

If the address or your income rules out USDA, these are the usual next options for a first-time buyer in Florida:

• FHA loans: a low down payment, flexible credit, and in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach a 2026 one-unit limit of $667,000. See the FHA loan limits in Florida.
• Conventional loans: low down payment options for qualified first-time buyers, mortgage insurance that can come off, and a 2026 one-unit limit of $832,750.
• Down payment assistance: county programs and Florida Housing programs can pair with FHA or conventional loans. Start with Florida down payment assistance programs and Florida Hometown Heroes.

Many buyers compare all three on the same day. The cheapest path depends on your credit, the property and how much cash you have.

How QMS Lending helps

QMS Lending (NMLS #1781090) is an independent mortgage broker in Miami, FL, with access to 100+ lenders. We check USDA property and income eligibility for the address you want, and if USDA does not fit, we price FHA and conventional side by side, in English or Spanish. You may qualify; all loans are subject to credit approval. Get a pre-approval before you shop, or contact us at 305-425-1990.