The short answer
HUD sets income limits for each metropolitan area and county every year, based on the area's median family income. There are three main levels: low income, generally 80 percent of the area median; very low income, generally 50 percent; and extremely low income, which is the higher of 30 percent of the median or the federal poverty guideline, but never above the very low-income limit. Each level is adjusted for household size and for unusually high or low housing costs. The fiscal year 2026 limits took effect on May 1, 2026, from a national median family income of $106,800, and increases from the year before were capped at 10 percent. Programs use different levels: Housing Choice Vouchers generally require income at or below the very low-income limit, and housing agencies must give at least 75 percent of new vouchers each year to extremely low-income families. HUD User publishes every area's limits.
Three levels from one median
Every limit starts from the median family income of an area: the income at which half the area's families earn more and half earn less. HUD then sets three lines from it. Landlords and housing agencies often describe them by percentage, as in an apartment for households at 50 percent of AMI, short for area median income.
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
| Level | How it is set | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Low income | Generally 80% of the area median, adjusted | Eligibility for public housing and many other HUD programs |
| Very low income | Generally 50% of the area median, adjusted | Eligibility for Housing Choice Vouchers and Section 202 senior housing |
| Extremely low income | The higher of 30% of the median or the federal poverty guideline, capped at the very low-income limit | At least 75% of new vouchers and at least 40% of new public housing admissions each year |
The poverty-guideline floor on the extremely low-income limit dates from 2014. It matters most in areas with low median incomes, where 30 percent of the median would fall below the poverty line, and it means working families there still count as extremely low income.
How HUD calculates them
HUD starts with survey data on family incomes; for fiscal year 2026 it used the 2024 American Community Survey for most areas. The national median family income for 2026 is $106,800, but each area's median is its own, so limits vary widely between neighboring counties.
The very low-income limit for a family of four is set first, at half the area median, with adjustments for areas where housing costs are unusually high or low relative to incomes. Limits for other household sizes are then set as a share of that four-person figure, and every limit is rounded up to the nearest $50. For fiscal year 2026, an area's limits could rise by no more than 10 percent from the year before. The Section 8 limits took effect on May 1, 2026; a few program-specific sets, such as the HOME limits, followed on June 1.
| Household size | Share of the four-person limit |
|---|---|
| 1 person | 70% |
| 2 people | 80% |
| 3 people | 90% |
| 4 people | 100% |
| 5 people | 108% |
| 6 people | 116% |
| 7 people | 124% |
| 8 people | 132% |
Each person beyond eight adds 8 percentage points. Extremely low-income limits do not follow these shares exactly, because the poverty guideline floor varies by household size on its own scale.
What the numbers look like in one area
Example (hypothetical): one county, three households
Suppose a county's very low-income limit for a family of four is $50,000. The limit for one person is then $35,000, for two people $40,000 and for six people $58,000.
A single retiree with $28,000 a year, a couple with $41,000 and a family of six with $55,000 would each be measured against their own line. The retiree and the family of six fall under the very low-income limit and could qualify for a voucher; the couple, $1,000 over their line, would not, though they could still fall under the low-income limit used for public housing.
Which programs use which limit
- Housing Choice Vouchers generally require income at or below the very low-income limit, and agencies must give at least 75 percent of the vouchers they hand out each year to extremely low-income families. Our guide to Section 8 vouchers explains the rest of the process.
- Public housing is open to low-income households, and at least 40 percent of new admissions each year must be extremely low income; see our guide to public housing.
- Section 202 senior housing requires income below 50 percent of the area median, as our guide to Section 202 explains.
- Tax credit apartments use a separate set of limits, the Multifamily Tax Subsidy Project limits, usually set at 50 or 60 percent of the median; see our guide to income-restricted apartments.
- HOME-funded housing and some other programs have their own published limits as well.
Not every program uses area median income
HUD's limits govern housing. Most other benefit programs measure income against the federal poverty guidelines instead, which are the same across the 48 contiguous states and do not change with local incomes or rents:
- SNAP generally uses a gross income limit of 130 percent of the poverty guideline and a net limit of 100 percent; see our SNAP guide.
- Medicaid and Marketplace tax credits use percentages of the poverty guideline applied to modified adjusted gross income.
- LIHEAP, the energy assistance program, lets each state set a limit no higher than the greater of 150 percent of poverty or 60 percent of the state's median income; see our LIHEAP guide.
That is why a household can be too poor for one line and not poor enough for another. In a high-cost county, a family can earn too much for SNAP and still fall under HUD's very low-income limit for housing.
How to find the limit for your area
- Go to HUD User's income limits page and choose the current fiscal year.
- Select your state and your county or metropolitan area. The limits apply to where the housing is, not where you live now.
- Read across to your household size for the low, very low and extremely low income figures.
- For a tax credit apartment, use the Multifamily Tax Subsidy Project limits instead, also published on HUD User.
Check the year on the table, since the limits change each spring and an agency measures you against the limits in force when it reviews your application. Your local public housing agency can also tell you which limit it uses and whether its waiting list is open.
What counts as your income
Housing agencies compare the limit with your household's annual gross income: the income of all members, generally including wages, Social Security, pensions and most other regular payments, before taxes. Some kinds of income are excluded, and agencies follow HUD's rules on which ones.
Being under the limit makes you eligible to apply, not entitled to help. Most programs have waiting lists, and many agencies give preference to certain applicants. Once you are offered assistance, your rent is figured separately from your income and deductions, which the housing calculator can estimate.
Common questions
Is area median income the same as the average income?
No. The median is the middle income: half of families earn more and half earn less. HUD uses median family income for each area, which is usually lower than the average because a few very high incomes raise an average.
Why did my area's limit change this year?
HUD recalculates the limits every year from new income data. For fiscal year 2026, increases were capped at 10 percent, and the new limits took effect on May 1, 2026.
Does Social Security count toward the limit?
Yes. Social Security, SSI, pensions and other regular payments count toward the household's gross income along with wages, though HUD's rules exclude some kinds of income, such as the earnings of children under 18.
Do I qualify for a voucher if I am under the very low-income limit?
You are eligible to apply, but most agencies have waiting lists, and at least 75 percent of new vouchers go to extremely low-income families. Being under the limit is the first test, not a guarantee of help.
Official sources
Look up your number, then get on a list
Find your county's limits on HUD User, check your household's income against the right column, and if you are under it, apply wherever a waiting list is open; being on more than one list costs nothing. While you wait, the housing calculator shows what your share of the rent would be.
