How Section 8 income eligibility works
HUD sets three income lines for every county and metro area each year, each adjusted for household size. All three are based on the area's median family income.
- Very low income (50% of the area median). This is the eligibility line for a Housing Choice Voucher under 24 CFR 982.201(b)(1).
- Extremely low income. At least 75% of the families a housing authority admits from its waiting list each year must be at or below this line (24 CFR 982.201(b)(2)), so these households receive most new vouchers.
- Low income (80% of the area median). Above the voucher line. It qualifies a family for a voucher only in narrow cases, though many subsidized apartment buildings admit at this level.
Under the limit: what to do next
Eligibility lets you apply, and the waiting list decides when you are served. Check which Section 8 waiting lists are open, and apply to more than one housing authority if you can. A housing authority cannot refuse you because of where you live now (24 CFR 982.202(b)), though it may give local residents a preference. While you wait, subsidized buildings keep their own lists, separate from vouchers. Browse low-income apartments by city.
Already have a voucher?
Use the Section 8 rent calculator to estimate your share of the rent, and the voucher size calculator to see how many bedrooms you are likely to be approved for. Then search apartments from landlords who accept vouchers.
Common questions
What is the income limit for Section 8?
To be eligible for a Housing Choice Voucher your household generally must be very low income, which means at or below 50% of the median income for your area, adjusted for household size. HUD publishes the dollar figures for every county each year, so the limit depends on where you live and how many people are in your household.
What does extremely low income mean?
It is a lower line HUD sets for each area, the higher of 30% of the area median income and the federal poverty guideline, capped at the very low income limit. It matters because housing authorities must give at least 75% of the vouchers they issue from the waiting list each year to extremely low income families.
If my income is under the limit, will I get a voucher?
Not automatically. Being under the limit makes you eligible to apply. Vouchers are limited, so most housing authorities keep a waiting list, and many lists are closed to new applications for long stretches.
What income counts?
Gross income, before taxes, for everyone in the household: wages, Social Security, SSI, pensions, child support, unemployment and most other regular income. Some income is excluded, such as the earnings of children under 18.
Can I qualify above the very low income limit?
Only in narrow cases. A low-income family, up to 80% of the area median, can be admitted if it is already continuously assisted under a federal housing program, is being displaced from certain subsidized housing, or meets a specific local criterion in the housing authority’s plan.
Are there other requirements besides income?
Yes. You must meet the definition of a family, which includes single people, and at least one household member must be a U.S. citizen or have eligible immigration status. Housing authorities also screen applicants and enforce an asset limit.
Sources
- 24 CFR 982.201, Eligibility and targeting
- 24 CFR 982.202, How applicants are selected
- 24 CFR 5.603, Definitions (extremely low-income family)
- 24 CFR 5.609, Annual income
- HUD User, Income Limits
Rules last read against the sources above on October 1, 2026. This tool gives an estimate. Your housing authority makes the actual determination.