# Open Country: USDA Section 538 and 515 data (remote · usda538.loans)

USDA rural eligibility, Section 538 income limits, 538 loans and lenders, 515 rentals.

- Trust score: 70/100 (medium)
- Registry status: active
- Liveness: live
- Owner verified: no
- Last scored: 2026-11-05

## Components

- remote · `usda538.loans`: 70/100 (this document), [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/loans-usda538-usda538-loans/usda538.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/loans-usda538-usda538-loans/usda538)

## Channel facts

- Endpoint: `https://usda538.loans/mcp`
- Transports: `streamable-http`
- Auth: `none`
- Version: `1.2026.1102.0`

## Trust breakdown

How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically against the live server, and we only credit what we can confirm. Scores are 0–100 per category. Scoring method: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring (what has changed: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring/changelog)

Scored 2026-11-05.

- **Endpoint Security**: 74/100
  - The endpoint's TLS certificate is valid, in date, and uses a strong key.
  - No authorisation is required to call this server. Every tool declares its destructiveHint and none is destructive, so open access doesn't expose one.
  - HTTPS is enforced; there's no plaintext access path.
  - HSTS check failed: the Strict-Transport-Security header is absent.
  - DNSSEC check failed: this domain isn't protected by DNSSEC.
- **Transport & Reachability**: 100/100
  - Verified streamable-http transport via a live MCP handshake.
- **Schema Quality & AI Usability**: 62/100
  - AI-judged instruction clarity (good).
  - Context-footprint check failed: tool/resource definitions use about 1410 tokens (~235/item across 6 items; 6 tools + 0 resources), over budget; trim descriptions and params.
  - Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples.
- **Stability & Change Management**: 10/100
  - Stability observed for 3 of 30 days with no destabilising changes; credit accrues until the full window elapses.
- **Tool Coverage**: 100/100
  - 100% of tools have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the tool's name).
  - 100% of tool parameters carry a description.
- **Tool Safety**: 100/100
  - No prompt-injection markers were found in the server instructions, tool names or descriptions we captured.
  - We read all 6 captured tool definition(s), and no name or description among them implies an irreversible operation.
  - An AI judge read all 7 captured unit(s) of tool text and found none that tries to manipulate the model reading it.
- **Capabilities**: 100/100
  - Implements a current MCP spec version (2026-07-28).

## Install

### How do I install the Open Country: USDA Section 538 and 515 data MCP server?

Open Country: USDA Section 538 and 515 data is a hosted endpoint at https://usda538.loans/mcp, so there is nothing to install locally. Ready-made configuration for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and 5 more is on this page, copied from each client's own documentation.

### Claude

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http loans-usda538-usda538-loans 'https://usda538.loans/mcp'
```

### Cursor

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "loans-usda538-usda538-loans": {
      "url": "https://usda538.loans/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "loans-usda538-usda538-loans": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://usda538.loans/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### Codex

```toml
[mcp_servers.loans-usda538-usda538-loans]
url = "https://usda538.loans/mcp"
```

### opencode

```json
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "loans-usda538-usda538-loans": {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://usda538.loans/mcp",
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```

### OpenClaw

```bash
openclaw mcp add loans-usda538-usda538-loans --url 'https://usda538.loans/mcp' --transport streamable-http
```

### Hermes

```yaml
mcp_servers:
  loans-usda538-usda538-loans:
    url: "https://usda538.loans/mcp"
```

### Netclaw

```json
{
  "McpServers": {
    "loans-usda538-usda538-loans": {
      "Transport": "http",
      "Url": "https://usda538.loans/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

### Vellum

```bash
assistant mcp add loans-usda538-usda538-loans -t streamable-http -u 'https://usda538.loans/mcp'
```

### Other

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "loans-usda538-usda538-loans": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://usda538.loans/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

The mcpServers block is a cross-client convention. Remote transports vary, so check your client's docs.

## Changelog

Every change recorded for this component, newest first. Days that predate change tracking, or that we cannot explain, say so: "we were watching and nothing happened" and "we were not watching" are different claims.

### 2026-11-04 (score 70, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 3 to 7. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 1 days of observed history at the previous scan, 2 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-11-03 (score 69, 0)

- [functional improvement] Stability: unverified → 0.03

### 2026-11-02 (score 69)

First indexed and scored.

## MCP tools (6)

### `check_rural_eligibility` (~123 tokens)

USDA rural eligibility for an address

Checks one US street address against USDA Rural Development's ineligible-area map for its single family and multifamily housing programs (which governs Section 538): eligible or not on the current map, the proposed 2020-census map and the previous map, plus the matched address, county and place (Census Bureau geocoder, or OpenStreetMap and the FCC when Census does not answer).

Input parameters:

- `address` (string, required): Street address with city and state or ZIP, e.g. "100 Main St, Anamosa, IA 52205".

### `get_538_income_limits` (~234 tokens)

Section 538 income limits and rent caps

FY2026 USDA Section 538 income limits (115% of area median income, 1 to 8 persons, effective July 13, 2026) for a county or USDA area in one state, with the per-unit rent cap (30% of the limit / 12) and the approximate project-average cap. Without county or area, lists every area in the state, paged.

Input parameters:

- `area` (string): USDA area name or its start, e.g. "Des Moines" or "Iowa County, IA".
- `county` (string): County or parish name, e.g. "Jones" or "Jones County". Matched to a USDA area through this site's OMB 2023 metro delineation match.
- `household_size` (integer): Household size used for the rent caps (default 4).
- `limit` (integer): How many rows to return (1 to 50, default 10).
- `offset` (integer): Rows to skip, for paging (default 0).
- `state` (string, required): Two-letter state code, e.g. IA.

### `list_538_loans` (~185 tokens)

Section 538 loans in a state

USDA's public Section 538 guaranteed loans in one state (file as of October 19, 2026): count, total amount, apartments, tax credit deals, median loan-to-cost and lenders, then loan rows (project, city, lender, closing date, amount, loan-to-cost, units, rents) newest first, paged and filterable by lender or fiscal year.

Input parameters:

- `lender` (string): Only loans whose lender name contains this text, e.g. "Bonneville".
- `limit` (integer): How many rows to return (1 to 50, default 10).
- `min_fiscal_year` (integer): Only loans obligated in this USDA fiscal year or later.
- `offset` (integer): Rows to skip, for paging (default 0).
- `state` (string, required): Two-letter state code, e.g. CA.

### `get_538_lender_table` (~106 tokens)

Section 538 lenders nationwide

National Section 538 lender table from USDA's public file (as of October 19, 2026): each lender's loan count, total loan amount and latest fiscal year, ranked by loan count, plus the total portfolio and how many loans each state has. Paged.

Input parameters:

- `limit` (integer): How many rows to return (1 to 50, default 10).
- `offset` (integer): Rows to skip, for paging (default 0).

### `find_usda_rural_rentals` (~181 tokens)

USDA Section 515 and 514 rentals in a county

Active USDA Section 515 rural rental and 514 farm labor housing properties in one county from USDA's file (as of October 19, 2026): name, address, housing type, bedroom mix, units, rental assistance units, recorded vacancies, accessible units, opening year, restriction end date and management company. Optional town filter; paged.

Input parameters:

- `city` (string): Only properties in this town, e.g. "Anamosa".
- `county` (string, required): County or parish name, e.g. "Jones" or "Jones County".
- `limit` (integer): How many rows to return (1 to 50, default 10).
- `offset` (integer): Rows to skip, for paging (default 0).
- `state` (string, required): Two-letter state code, e.g. IA.

### `size_538_loan` (~360 tokens)

Size a Section 538 guaranteed loan

Sizes a USDA Section 538 loan the way the site's loan sizer does: the 90% (for-profit) or 97% (nonprofit or public) cap on the lower of cost or value against the DSCR cap (1.15x default), with NOI, debt service, loan-to-cost and the 2026 guarantee fees. Arithmetic on your inputs, not a quote.

Input parameters:

- `amortization_years` (integer): Amortization in years, 25 to 40 (default 40).
- `appraised_value` (number, required): Appraised value in dollars.
- `borrower` (string): for_profit = 90% leverage cap; nonprofit_or_public = 97%.
- `dscr` (number): Minimum DSCR (default 1.15; 1.11 for the first 200 preservation pilot loans).
- `fee_category` (string): standard = 65 bp initial / 35 bp annual; reduced = 60 / 25 (workforce, 515 preservation or Opportunity Zone).
- `interest_rate_pct` (number, required): Your lender's quoted fixed rate in percent, e.g. 6.25.
- `opex_per_unit_year` (number, required): Operating expenses per unit per year incl. taxes, insurance, management and reserves.
- `other_income_per_unit_month` (number): Other income per unit per month (default 0).
- `rent_per_unit_month` (number, required): Average rent per unit per month in dollars.
- `total_development_cost` (number, required): Total development cost in dollars.
- `units` (integer, required): Apartment units (538 requires at least 5).
- `vacancy_pct` (number): Vacancy and collection loss on rent, percent (default 5).

## Diagnostics

Captured diagnostic sections: TLS, DNSSEC, Authorisation, Transports. The full working is on the page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/loans-usda538-usda538-loans/usda538#diagnostics

## Score history

- 2026-11-05: 70
- 2026-11-04: 70
- 2026-11-03: 69
- 2026-11-02: 69

## Common questions

### What is the Open Country: USDA Section 538 and 515 data MCP server?

Open Country: USDA Section 538 and 515 data is an MCP server listed in the public MCP registry as loans.usda538/usda538-loans. USDA rural eligibility, Section 538 income limits, 538 loans and lenders, 515 rentals. This page covers its hosted endpoint (https://usda538.loans/mcp).

### Is the Open Country: USDA Section 538 and 515 data MCP server safe to use?

Open Country: USDA Section 538 and 515 data scores 70 out of 100 on VerifyMCP. That is a record of what we were able to check automatically, not an endorsement. The category breakdown on this page shows every signal behind the number, including the ones we could not confirm.

### What tools does the Open Country: USDA Section 538 and 515 data MCP server expose?

Open Country: USDA Section 538 and 515 data exposes 6 tools: check_rural_eligibility, get_538_income_limits, list_538_loans, get_538_lender_table, find_usda_rural_rentals, size_538_loan. Their descriptions and schemas cost roughly 1,189 tokens of context every time the server is loaded.

### Does the Open Country: USDA Section 538 and 515 data MCP server require authentication?

No. We connected to Open Country: USDA Section 538 and 515 data without credentials and it answered, so anything it exposes is reachable by anyone who knows the address.

### Is the Open Country: USDA Section 538 and 515 data MCP server still maintained?

Open Country: USDA Section 538 and 515 data is still listed as active in the MCP registry. We last reached this channel on 5 November 2026. Those dates come from our own scans of the registry and the channel itself, not from anything the publisher announced.

## Links

- Remote endpoint: https://usda538.loans/mcp
- Website: https://usda538.loans/developers/
- Changelog RSS feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/loans-usda538-usda538-loans/usda538.xml
- Changelog JSON feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/loans-usda538-usda538-loans/usda538.json
- HTML version of this page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/loans-usda538-usda538-loans/usda538