Section 8 income limits
There is no national Section 8 income limit. HUD sets a limit for every county and metro area, based on that area's median family income and your household size. To qualify for a voucher your household income generally has to fall at or below 50% of the area median — and in practice most new admissions are well below that. HUD's FY 2026 limits took effect May 1, 2026.
Look up your own county's number
Any figure that is not for your county is the wrong figure. Use HUD's official lookup:
Pick FY 2026, then your state and county. The table shows the limit for each household size from 1 to 8 people.
The three tiers, in plain terms
HUD sorts households into three bands, all measured against the area median family income (AMI) for where you want to live:
| Tier | Roughly | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Extremely low income | 30% of area median | The group most vouchers actually go to. At least 75% of the households a housing authority admits from its waiting list each year must be in this band. |
| Very low income | 50% of area median | The usual eligibility ceiling for a Housing Choice Voucher. |
| Low income | 80% of area median | Qualifies for some HUD programs and some project-based properties, but generally not for a new voucher. |
The percentages are approximations of a more involved formula. HUD sets the extremely low-income limit as the greater of 30/50ths of the very low-income limit or the HHS poverty guideline, capped at the very low-income limit — which is why the extremely low figure is not always exactly 30% of the median. Limits are also adjusted for unusually high or low housing costs, so some areas sit above or below the plain arithmetic.
Household size changes the number
Limits are published for households of one through eight people. Bigger household, higher limit. The published figures are usually anchored on a four-person household and adjusted up or down from there, so do not read a four-person figure and assume it applies to you living alone.
Count everyone who will live in the unit, including children. Whether a person counts, and how, can get technical — an unborn child, a live-in aide, or an adult child away at school each have their own rule. The housing authority makes that call.
What counts as income
HUD counts annual gross income for the whole household, not just wages, and not just the person applying. Generally included:
- Wages, salaries, tips, overtime, and self-employment income
- Social Security, SSI, and SSDI
- Pensions and retirement income
- Unemployment and workers' compensation
- TANF and other cash assistance
- Regular child support and alimony actually received
- Income from assets, such as interest
Eligibility is tested on gross income, but what you pay is based on adjusted income — gross income minus deductions for dependents, elderly or disabled household members, childcare, and certain medical expenses. So two households with identical paychecks can owe different rent.
Do not disqualify yourself on your own arithmetic. Deductions and local exceptions are exactly what the caseworker is there to apply. If you are near the line, apply.
What you would actually pay
With a voucher, your household generally pays about 30% of adjusted monthly income toward rent and utilities, and the housing authority pays the rest up to a local ceiling called the payment standard. The authority sets that standard between 90% and 110% of the HUD fair market rent for the area, with HUD approval required to go outside that range.
If you pick a unit renting above the payment standard, you pay the difference on top — and at the start of a lease your total share cannot exceed 40% of adjusted monthly income. That rule is the reason an expensive apartment can be out of reach even with a voucher in hand.
Being under the limit is not the same as getting a voucher
Income limits decide eligibility, not availability. Far more households qualify than there are vouchers, which is why waiting lists exist and why the 75% extremely low-income rule matters so much in practice. Qualifying on income is the beginning of the process, not the end of it.
If your income is above the voucher limit, check the HUD-assisted properties near you anyway — some serve households up to the 80% low-income band. Find them through your state page.
Sources
- HUD User — Income Limits Data for HUD Housing Assistance Programs (FY 2026 limits, effective May 1, 2026)
- Methodology for Determining FY 2026 Section 8 Income Limits (PDF)
- HUD — HCV Program Guidebook: Payment Standards (PDF)
- 24 CFR Part 982 — income eligibility, family share, and the 40% cap at initial lease-up
Last reviewed August 1, 2026. HUD revises income limits every year; we re-verify this page when the next release publishes. Found something out of date? Tell us — corrections come before everything else.