What criteria is used to determine if a project is urban or rural?

Rural projects must meet the following criteria:

The community that the project is located in must be eligible for the USDA Rural Development Business and Industry Loan program (Click here to access the USDA mapping tool - use the business services requirements as a reference)

The FHLB Des Moines member and community partner(s) headquarters may be based within an urban area as long as the project is located in an eligible rural area.

Projects that do not meet the USDA Rural Development loan criteria above must be submitted as an urban project.