Your complete resource for understanding the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program — eligibility, applications, finding approved apartments, and tracking waitlists nationwide.
Section 8 income limits are real numbers — set annually, published publicly, and directly tied to where you live and how many people are in your household. But the specific figure that applies to your situation depends on factors that vary by location, household size, and which Public Housing Authority (PHA) administers the program in your area.
Here's how the system works.
The federal government — through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) — calculates an Area Median Income (AMI) for every metropolitan area and county in the country. This figure represents the midpoint income for a family of four in that area.
Section 8 income limits are then set as percentages of that AMI figure. HUD defines three standard eligibility tiers:
| Income Tier | Definition | General Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Low Income | 80% of AMI | Upper limit for most HCV eligibility |
| Very Low Income | 50% of AMI | Primary threshold for most voucher recipients |
| Extremely Low Income | 30% of AMI | Priority tier for many PHAs |
Most households receiving Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) qualify at the very low income level — meaning their gross household income falls at or below 50% of the AMI for their area. Federal law generally requires PHAs to serve households at or below the very low income limit, though specifics vary.
Because AMI is calculated locally, the dollar figures attached to each income tier shift considerably from one region to another.
A household income that qualifies as "very low income" in a rural county with a lower median income might fall well above the same threshold in a high-cost metro area — and vice versa. A family of four in a high-cost coastal city may face a very low income limit two or three times higher than a family of four in a lower-cost rural region.
This is intentional. The program is designed to reflect local housing market conditions, not apply a single national number.
Income limits are not a single number — they scale with household size. HUD publishes separate income limit figures for households of 1 through 8 or more persons. A single-person household will have a lower income limit than a four-person household in the same area, and an eight-person household will have a higher one.
When a PHA evaluates your eligibility, they look at your gross annual income (before taxes and most deductions) relative to the limit that corresponds to both your area and your household size.
Not every dollar a household receives is treated the same way. HUD rules identify several types of income that are counted toward the limit and certain exclusions that are not. Generally, counted income includes:
Certain income types — including some student financial aid, specific earned income exclusions for minors, and others — may be excluded or treated differently depending on the circumstances and PHA-specific policies.
While the 50% AMI threshold is the primary eligibility standard, extremely low income (30% of AMI) is a significant category in practice. Federal law requires PHAs to target a portion of newly issued vouchers to extremely low income households each year. Some PHAs apply local preferences that further prioritize households at this level.
This means that even among eligible applicants, income level can affect how quickly someone moves through the waitlist or whether certain preference categories apply to their application.
Even within federally set income limits, PHAs have the authority to establish local preferences — policies that move certain applicants higher in the waitlist queue. Common preference categories include:
These preferences don't change the income limit itself, but they affect how income-eligible applicants are ranked and served. Two households with identical incomes and household sizes may have very different waitlist positions depending on which preferences apply.
HUD updates AMI calculations and corresponding income limits each year, typically in the spring. This matters for applicants on long waitlists — the income limit in effect when you applied may not be the same one used when your name is reached. PHAs generally apply the income limits in effect at the time of eligibility determination, not at the time of application.
HUD's income limits are public and searchable by county and household size. But knowing the raw number is only part of the picture. How a PHA calculates your household's gross income, which income types they count or exclude, how local preferences affect your standing, and what documentation is required — all of that is determined by your specific PHA's policies and procedures.
The income limit that applies to a single parent of two in one city is a different number than what applies to a retired couple in another. Both figures are grounded in the same federal framework — but the details that shape each person's actual eligibility determination sit with the PHA administering the program in their area.
Select your state to view local waitlists, PHAs, and application information.