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Rural Development

Rural Business–Cooperative 

Service

Office of the Administrator 

1400 Independence Ave, SW 

Room 5803-S 

Washington, D.C. 20250 

Telephone: (202) 720-6165 

TO: Rural Development, State Directors

ATTN: Business Programs Directors

FROM: Mark Brodziski 

Deputy Administrator Business Programs

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

SUBJECT: Intermediary Relending Program

Rural Business Development Grant 

Unemployment Rate, Poverty Line Figures, and Loan Program 

Priorities

The purpose of this unnumbered letter (UL) is to provide the overall National 

unemployment rate for fiscal year 2023 and provide guidance to Business Programs’ 

officials in calculating Intermediary Relending Program (IRP) application priority 

scores. 

Unemployment Rate

RD Instruction 4274-D and 7 CFR 4274.341(b)(6) of the promulgated IRP 

regulation on December 21, 2021, and RD Instruction 4274-D, 7 CFR 

4274.344(c)(2)(iii) of the prior IRP regulation, provides for the awarding of priority 

points to IRP applications based on unemployment rates. The overall national 

unemployment rate for January 2023 was 3.4 percent. This unemployment rate will 

be used to compute the unemployment rate points until updated by the National 

Office. This supersedes the figure announced in an UL issued on March 21, 2022. 

Poverty Line Figures

Effective immediately and continuing until further notice, the poverty line referred to 

in RD Instruction 4274-D, section 4274.341(b)(5) of the promulgated IRP regulation 

on December 21, 2021, RD Instruction 4274-D, section4274.344(c)(2)(i) of the prior 

IRP regulation and RD Instruction 4280-E, section 4280.435(e), is $30,000 for all 

States except Alaska and Hawaii. The applicable poverty line is $37,500 for Alaska, 

and $34,500 for Hawaii. These guidelines are unchanged and will remain in effect 

until March 31, 2024. 

EXPIRATION DATE: FILING INSTRUCTIONS: 

March 31, 2024 Community/Business Programs 
Intermediary Relending Program 2 

Loan Program Priorities 

RD Instruction 4274-D and 7 CFR 4274.341(b) of the promulgated IRP regulation on December 

21, 2021; and RD Instruction 4274-D and 7 CFR 4274.344(c) of the prior IRP regulation, contain a 

priority scoring system. Sections 4274.341(b)(5) and 4274.344(c)(2) of the 7 CFR provide 

guidance for using the latest decennial Census income data updated according to changes in the 

consumer price index, in order to have a current income figure. For 2023, there will be no updated 

index factor to use. 

In 2020, the United States Census Bureau conducted its decennial census and an updated 

American Community Survey 5-year (ACS) for 2016-2020. Decennial Census and ACS 

data on population and income are currently used by RD program areas for a variety of 

purposes including the following: eligibility determinations, prioritization, and allocations. 

Census has not fully released the 2020 decennial data, or the updated 5-year ACS (2016-

2020) needed for RD program areas to implement the transition from 2010 to 2020 data.

Implementation requires the use of two Census data sets: 2020 decennial data for the 

population data and 5-year ACS (2016-2020) income and poverty data to calculate State 

Non-metro Median Household Income (SNMHI). Data from both sets are used in 

allocation formulas.

The Census Bureau has recently informed Rural Development (RD) that the release of 

both decennial Census data and 5-year ACS (2016-2020) is delayed and the timeline for 

when the data will be available is unknown. Please see Census for additional information 

on data release schedule:

• Decennial Data Products: https://www.census.gov/programssurveys/decennial- census/decade/2020/planningmanagement/release/about-2020-data-products.html

• 5-year ACS (2016-2020): https://www.census.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/2021/acs-5-year-2016-2020.html

Given the delay by Census in releasing these data, as well as the low response rate in rural 

areas for the 5-year ACS (2016-2020), all RD programs will continue using the 2010 

Decennial Census population data and SNMHI using 5-year ACS (2006-2010). The 

transition to the new decennial data and updated 5-year ACS (2016-2020) is planned for 

FY 2024, October 1, 2023. Additional guidance will be provided closer to FY 2024. 
Intermediary Relending Program 3 

Population Data

All RD programs will continue using 2010 Decennial Census population data until 

Census provides a full release of the 2020 decennial data. Further guidance will be 

provided when adoption of 2020 decennial can commence. Until that time, and unless 

specifically directed otherwise, programs are instructed to use the population data from 

the 2010 Decennial Census for program purposes. The data can be found at Census 

Data Hub.

As a part of Agency outreach activities and receipt of inquiries from potential applicants, please 

keep in mind the Department priority initiatives.

The Agency encourages applicants to consider projects that will advance the following key 

priorities:

• Assisting rural communities recover economically through more and better market 

opportunities and through improved infrastructure; 

• Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to RD programs and benefits from RD 

funded projects; and 

• Reducing climate pollution and increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change 

through economic support to rural communities 

To focus investments to areas for the largest opportunity for growth in prosperity, the Agency 

encourages applications that serve the smallest communities with the lowest incomes, with an 

emphasis on areas where at least 20 percent of the population is living in poverty, according to the 

American Community Survey data by census tracts. 

When addressing the above priorities, continue to take a close look at statutory and 

regulatory requirements regarding rurality, project eligibility, borrower eligibility, financial

feasibility, and security for each loan application. Compliance with these requirements and

guidelines are necessary to protect the integrity of the IRP and ensure consistency in

its implementation.

If you have any questions, please contact Will Dodson, Supervisory Business Loan and Grant 

Analyst, Program Management Division, (202) 692-2533.

NOTES TO FILE: 

Current unemployment rate obtained from The Employment Situation, published 

February 3, 2023, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. 

Poverty line updated information was issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services in the Federal Register notice for the 2023 Poverty Guidelines published on January 19, 

2023