What are the income limits for Section 8 housing?

To qualify for Section 8 housing, the family’s household income cannot exceed 50% of the median income for the county or metropolitan area where the family decides to reside. Each year the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) publishes median income levels.

Median income levels change yearly and vary by location. The local public housing agency (PHA) that administers the Section 8 housing program determines eligibility based on the household’s total annual gross income and the family size. HUD regulations require each PHA to provide 75 percent of its Section 8 housing vouchers to families whose incomes do not exceed 30 percent of the area median income.