A method for determining the reverse link data Rate Limit for mobile stations active on the reverse link of a High Data Rate system is disclosed. In the ideal case, the Rate Limit is based on only the number of mobile stations located in a common sector that are actually active on the reverse link. Currently, the Rate Limit is determined from the total number of mobile stations in a common sector where the total includes mobiles that are transmitting and receiving. Thus, the current method includes mobile stations that are active on the forward link and may not be active on the reverse link. In this invention, a more optimum method of estimating the reverse link loading is obtained from calculations which includes only the mobile stations which are active on the reverse link. An estimate of the reverse link loading of the mobile stations in a common cell is obtained by adding together the data rates of the data sent from each mobile in a common sector during a common frame. This aggregate rate of data during the frame is filtered to minimize irregularities by using the moving average of an infinite impulse response filter and then normalized. The normalized result is a percentage of the maximum achievable aggregate reverse link rate. The final result is compared with a set of threshold values to obtain the maximum Rate Limit that is then set for each mobile station.