Section 8 Income Limits 2026: HUD Limits by State

FY2026 Section 8 Income Limits for a Family of 4, by State

The 50% limit for a four-person household in each state's most populous HUD area ranges from $40,400 to $85,700 in FY2026. The table below shows that area's very low (50%), extremely low (30%) and low (80%) limits, plus the lowest 50% limit HUD set for any non-metro county or town in the state.

Source: HUD User FY2026 Section 8 income limits data file (opens in a new tab), effective May 1, 2026; all 51 rows read directly from HUD's file. "Most populous HUD area" is a Grantsights calculation from Census Bureau July 1, 2025 county and town estimates, counting only the part of each area inside the state. HUD splits some big metros into several areas (Miami, Dallas and Manchester, NH, for example), so the most populous HUD area isn't always the metro you'd expect. "None" means HUD lists no non-metro county in that state.

The national non-metro floor. According to HUD's FY2026 national non-metro limit file (opens in a new tab), the 50% limit for a four-person household in non-metro America is $42,350, based on a non-metro median of $84,700. A county's own limit can be higher or lower than that.

How HUD's 3 Income Tiers Work

HUD sets 3 income limits for every area, and each one opens a different door. According to HUD's FY2026 notice PDR-2026-02 (opens in a new tab), the definitions come from Section 3(b)(2) of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937:

The rule behind the voucher cutoff is 24 CFR 982.201 (opens in a new tab). It lets a housing agency admit a "very low income" family, plus a few kinds of low income families, such as those already "continuously assisted" under the 1937 Act or displaced by a mortgage prepayment on assisted housing.

The 75% rule. Paragraph (b)(2) of that rule says that "not less than 75 percent" of the families a housing agency admits to its voucher program from the waiting list in a fiscal year must be extremely low income. So a family at 45% of median qualifies, but it competes for at most a quarter of the openings. HUD can approve a lower share only if the agency opened its list widely and still couldn't find enough extremely low income applicants.

Why so many 30% limits read $33,000. HUD figures the 30% limit as 60% of the 50% limit, then compares it with the 2026 HHS poverty guideline (opens in a new tab), which is $33,000 for four in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. When the poverty guideline is higher, it wins. Grantsights analysis of HUD's FY2026 file found that in 14 of the 51 areas in the table above, the four-person 30% limit is exactly $33,000, which means the poverty guideline set it. Across all 4,680 county and town rows in the 50 states and D.C., 3,268 show a four-person 30% limit of exactly $33,000.

Why so many 80% limits stop at $106,800. HUD's notice caps the four-person low income limit at the U.S. median family income, $106,800 for FY2026, unless high housing costs justify more. Eight of the 51 areas above (Anchorage, Denver, D.C., Baltimore, Portland, ME, Portsmouth, Newark and Northern Virginia) sit exactly at that cap.

Income Limits by Household Size: Columbus, Ohio Example

Columbus, Ohio, a mid-size metro with a FY2026 median family income of $111,500, shows how the limits rise with each person. These are the official FY2026 figures for the Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area, which covers 7 counties: Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Morrow and Pickaway.

Source: HUD User FY2026 Section 8 income limits data file, Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area, effective May 1, 2026.

Two things jump out. First, the 30% column for 5 to 8 people matches the HHS poverty guidelines exactly ($38,680, $44,360, $50,040 and $55,720), because the poverty line is higher than 30% of median for bigger families. Second, the 50% and 80% columns follow HUD's fixed household-size factors: 70% of the four-person figure for 1 person, 80% for 2, 90% for 3, then 108%, 116%, 124% and 132% for 5 through 8, rounded up to the nearest $50. For a 9-person household, HUD's notice says to use 140% of the four-person limit and add 8 points for each extra person.

A worked example in Ohio

For example, take a mother in Columbus, Ohio, raising two children, a household of 3. Specifically, she earns $48,000 a year in gross wages and has no other income.

1. Is she under the voucher limit? Yes. The 50% limit for 3 people in Columbus is $50,200, and $48,000 is below it.
2. Is she extremely low income? No. The 30% limit for 3 is $30,150. She's eligible, but under the 75% rule she competes for the smaller share of openings set aside for families above 30%.
3. What would she pay? Under 24 CFR 5.628 (opens in a new tab), the family's total tenant payment is the highest of 30% of monthly adjusted income, 10% of monthly gross income, a welfare rent where one applies, or the agency's minimum rent. Adjusted income subtracts a $480 deduction for each dependent (24 CFR 5.611), so $48,000 minus $960 is $47,040, or $3,920 a month. Thirty percent of that is $1,176 a month, before any child care deduction.
4. What would the voucher cover? The housing agency pays the difference between the lower of the unit's gross rent or its payment standard and her $1,176 share. If she picks a unit that costs more than the payment standard, 24 CFR 982.508 caps her share at move-in at 40% of adjusted monthly income, which would be $1,568.

If her income rose to $51,000, she'd be over the Columbus 50% limit for 3 and couldn't be admitted as a very low income family, even though the 80% limit of $80,300 would still let her apply for public housing.

Why Your County's Limit Is Different

HUD calculated FY2026 limits for more than 2,600 separate income limit areas, and the gap between them is wide. Grantsights analysis of HUD's FY2026 file found the highest four-person 50% limit in the country is $108,750 in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA area and the lowest is $33,250 in Santa Cruz County, AZ, a spread of more than $75,000 for the same household size.

Here's what moves a county's number, according to HUD's notice:

• Median family income. HUD starts from the area's median family income, built from 2024 American Community Survey data and inflated to FY2026 by about 5.5%, the Congressional Budget Office's projected wage growth.
• Housing costs. HUD raises the 50% limit where rents are high relative to income (it's raised until 35% of the limit equals 85% of the annual two-bedroom fair market rent) and trims it where incomes are high relative to rents.
• The state non-metro floor. No area's limit can be set below the level built from the state's non-metro median income. That's why the "lowest non-metro" column in the state table is a useful floor for rural counties.
• Year-to-year caps. Limits can't fall more than 5% in a year, and increases are capped at 10% for FY2026. HUD's notice says twice the national median income change was about 10.09%, so the 10% absolute cap applied.

New England uses towns. In Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, HUD assigns towns, not whole counties, to income limit areas. Two neighboring towns in the same county can have different limits, so look up your town, not just your county.

How to Look Up Your Exact Limit

The fastest official route takes about 2 minutes. HUD's FY2026 Income Limits Documentation System (opens in a new tab) lets you pick a state and county (or New England town) and shows the 30%, 50% and 80% limits for 1 to 8 people, along with the math HUD used. HUD's notice says the official limits are the ones in its PDF and Excel files, which "may differ slightly" from the documentation system, so if a number is right on the line, check the HUD User income limits page (opens in a new tab) files.

Steps:

1. Open the FY2026 documentation system and choose your state.
2. Pick your county (or town in New England) and submit.
3. Find your household size across the top. Count everyone who'll live in the unit, including children and unborn children where your agency's policy counts them.
4. Compare your household's total annual gross income with the 50% row (vouchers) and the 80% row (public housing).
5. Contact your local public housing agency through HUD's PHA contact list (opens in a new tab) to ask whether its waiting list is open.

Each housing agency follows the HUD limits for its area. If you live in one county and apply to an agency in another, the agency screens you against the limit where you'll use the voucher, which matters if you're thinking about applying to several waiting lists.

What Counts as Income for Section 8

HUD counts gross annual income from every adult in the household, and the definition lives in 24 CFR 5.609 (opens in a new tab). It covers amounts received by each member 18 or older and by the head of household and spouse, plus unearned income received by or for children under 18 (child support or Social Security survivor benefits, for example).

Common items that don't count, under 5.609(b):

Deductions come later. The $480 dependent deduction and the deduction for elderly or disabled families (5.611) lower your rent share, not your eligibility. A common mistake is subtracting deductions before comparing income to the limit. The limit test uses annual income before deductions.

HOTMA is changing the paperwork. The Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 rewrote the income and asset rules, and its final rule took effect January 1, 2024. According to HUD Notice PIH 2026-15 (opens in a new tab), issued May 14, 2026, HUD will enforce full compliance with HOTMA sections 102 and 104 for most housing agencies starting January 1, 2027, and agencies that start annual reviews 120 days early "will need to begin using HOTMA policies" in September 2026. Some HOTMA provisions were already required from July 1, 2025. In practice, if you're applying or recertifying this fall, ask the agency which version of the income rules it's using.

Waiting Lists: The Part the Limits Don't Show

Being under the limit gets you on a list; it doesn't get you a voucher. HUD's own Housing Choice Voucher page (opens in a new tab) says "waitlist times can be long" and suggests you may need to apply to more than one agency's list because of high demand.

What that means for you:

• Lists open and close. Many agencies take applications only during short windows, sometimes by lottery. Check each agency in your area, not just the biggest one.
• Preferences reorder the line. Agencies can set local preferences in their administrative plans (for example, for people who live or work in the jurisdiction, veterans, or people who are homeless). Read the preference list before you apply.
• The 75% rule reorders it again. Extremely low income applicants fill at least three quarters of admissions, so a family just under the 50% line may wait longer than one at 25%.
• Keep your contact details current. An agency that can't reach you when your name comes up can drop you from the list.

While you wait, rent help that pays sooner is covered in our rental assistance programs guide, and short-term cash help is in our emergency cash assistance guide.

Income Limits vs. Payment Standards and Fair Market Rents

There are 2 different HUD numbers, and they answer different questions. Income limits answer "Can I get help?" Fair market rents (FMRs) and the housing agency's payment standards answer "How much rent will the voucher cover?"

A red flag: a website that shows you a "Section 8 rent limit" and calls it an income limit. If a number is listed by bedroom size, it's a rent figure, not an income figure.

What HUD's Income Limit Tables Don't Tell You

HUD's tables are accurate, but 6 things are easy to miss when you read them:

1. They're limits for HUD rental programs, not every program that says "HUD." HUD's notice warns that projects funded with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits or certain tax-exempt bonds may use different limits. A tax credit apartment may quote a "60% AMI" limit that isn't on the Section 8 tables at all.
2. The 50% column isn't always 50% of the median. Columbus's four-person 50% limit is exactly half its $111,500 median, but in high-cost areas HUD raises the limit and in high-income areas it lowers it. Los Angeles's four-person 50% limit of $83,300 is far above half of its $108,100 median.
3. "30%" often means the poverty line. In 14 of the 51 areas in the state table, the 30% limit for four people is the $33,000 poverty guideline, not 30% of local median.
4. Being under the limit isn't the same as being admitted. The 75% targeting rule, local preferences and closed lists all come after the income test.
5. The limits change each spring, but not on a fixed day. FY2026 limits came May 1, 2026, a month late because of a Census data delay, according to HUD's Statement on FY 2026 Income Limits (opens in a new tab). If you applied before May 1, the agency may have screened you against FY2025 limits.
6. Your agency checks income again at admission. Under 982.201, income must be verified within a set period before the voucher is issued, so a raise while you wait can change your eligibility.

Red Flags and Common Mistakes

A common mistake is using one state-wide number. HUD's state income limit report is for reference only; the program limits a housing agency uses are set county by county (or town by town in New England).

• Counting only your own paycheck. Every adult's income counts, plus unearned income received for children.
• Using take-home pay. The limit is gross annual income, before taxes and payroll deductions.
• Underestimating household size. A grandchild or adult child who'll live with you changes the column you read.
• Skipping the 80% column. If you're over the voucher limit, public housing in your area may still be open to you at 80%.
• Paying for a "Section 8 application service." That's a red flag. Housing agencies don't charge to join a waiting list, and the FTC's government grant scams page (opens in a new tab) warns that government agencies don't ask for fees to unlock benefits.

If You're Denied or Removed From the List

If a housing agency says your income is too high, ask it in writing which FY limit, which area and which household size it used, and how it counted each person's income. Under 24 CFR 982.554, an agency that denies an applicant must send prompt notice with a brief statement of the reasons, and it must offer an informal review run by someone who didn't make the original decision. The agency's administrative plan sets the deadline, so check the date on your notice.

If the agency used the wrong household size or counted excluded income (a teenager's job, a foster care payment, a medical reimbursement), that's worth raising at the review. If your income has dropped since you applied, report it right away and ask whether you can be reconsidered.

Other Help While You Wait

• SSI recipients: the 2026 federal SSI payment for one person, $994 a month, works out to $11,928 a year, well under the 30% limit for one person in every area in the state table. See our SSI income limits page.
• Food: our SNAP income limits page lists USDA's current limits.
• Heating and cooling bills: see our LIHEAP energy assistance guide.
• The poverty guidelines behind the 30% limits: see our federal poverty guidelines page.
• Older adults: our help for seniors guide covers senior housing and other programs.

If you'd like a short list of official programs that fit your situation, Grantsights' free eligibility checker points you to the agencies and applications to start with. It doesn't hand out grants or vouchers, and it doesn't apply to a housing agency for you.

FAQ: Section 8 and HUD Income Limits

What are the Section 8 income limits for 2026?

HUD's FY2026 limits took effect May 1, 2026. The voucher limit is 50% of area median; for four people it runs from $40,400 to $85,700 across each state's most populous HUD area.

When do HUD's 2026 income limits take effect?

May 1, 2026, a month later than usual because of a Census data delay.

What is the difference between extremely low, very low and low income?

30% of median or the poverty line (whichever is higher), 50% of median, and 80% of median, each adjusted by HUD.

Do 75% of Section 8 vouchers go to extremely low income families?

Yes. At least 75% of a housing agency's new voucher admissions each fiscal year must be extremely low income, under 24 CFR 982.201(b)(2).

Is the Section 8 income limit based on gross or net income?

Gross annual income under 24 CFR 5.609, before deductions.

How do I find the Section 8 income limit for my county?

Use HUD's FY2026 Income Limits Documentation System and pick your county or town.

Is Section 8 income the same as the payment standard or fair market rent?

No. Income limits set eligibility; payment standards (90% to 110% of FMR) set how much rent the voucher covers.

---

Sources

1. HUD User: Income Limits (opens in a new tab) - FY2026 documents, effective May 1, 2026
2. HUD User: FY2026 Section 8 income limits data file (Excel) (opens in a new tab) - every county and New England town, 30%, 50% and 80% limits for 1 to 8 people
3. HUD Notice PDR-2026-02: Transmittal of FY2026 Income Limits for the Public Housing and Section 8 Programs (opens in a new tab) - definitions, caps, household-size factors, U.S. median of $106,800
4. HUD User: FY2026 National Non-Metro Very Low-Income Limit (opens in a new tab)
5. HUD User: Statement on FY 2026 Income Limits (opens in a new tab) - release moved from April 1 to May 1, 2026
6. HUD User: FY2026 Income Limits Documentation System (opens in a new tab) and Income Limits Methodology FY2026 (opens in a new tab)
7. eCFR: 24 CFR 982.201, Eligibility and targeting (opens in a new tab)
8. eCFR: 24 CFR 5.609, Annual income (opens in a new tab) and 24 CFR 5.628, Total tenant payment (opens in a new tab)
9. eCFR: 24 CFR 982.503, Payment standards (opens in a new tab)
10. HUD Notice PIH 2026-15: HOTMA Sections 102 and 104 compliance deadline (opens in a new tab) - issued May 14, 2026
11. Federal Register: 2026 HHS Poverty Guidelines (opens in a new tab) - January 15, 2026
12. HUD: Housing Choice Vouchers for tenants (opens in a new tab) and PHA contact list (opens in a new tab)
13. HUD User: Fair Market Rents (opens in a new tab)
14. Census Bureau: Vintage 2025 county population estimates (opens in a new tab) and city and town estimates (opens in a new tab) - used only to pick each state's most populous HUD area
15. FTC: Government Grant Scams (opens in a new tab)