United States · California · Los Angeles County · HUD income limits · FY2026
Los Angeles County Section 8 income limits 2026.
HUD’s FY2026 extremely low, very low and low income limits for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale HUD Metro FMR Area, for one to eight people, with a checker that places a yearly income in its band.
Short answer: HUD’s FY2026 income limits for Los Angeles County took effect May 1, 2026. For a household of four they are $50,000 extremely low (30 percent), $83,300 very low (50 percent) and $133,250 low (80 percent), against an area median family income of $108,100. For one person the three figures are $35,000, $58,300 and $93,300; for eight, $66,000, $110,000 and $175,900. The whole county is one HUD area, so Los Angeles, Long Beach, Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Clarita and every other city share these numbers. The very low limit sits well above half the median because HUD adjusts high-housing-cost areas, which is why Los Angeles County’s limits run higher than its median alone would suggest.
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Los Angeles County, all household sizes, FY2026
| Persons | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $35,000 | $58,300 | $93,300 |
| 2 | $40,000 | $66,650 | $106,600 |
| 3 | $45,000 | $74,950 | $119,950 |
| 4 | $50,000 | $83,300 | $133,250 |
| 5 | $54,000 | $89,950 | $143,900 |
| 6 | $58,000 | $96,600 | $154,600 |
| 7 | $62,000 | $103,250 | $165,250 |
| 8 | $66,000 | $110,000 | $175,900 |
The row for Los Angeles County in HUD’s FY2026 Section 8 file names the area as the “Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area” with a FY2026 median family income of $108,100. HUD’s page says the data are effective May 1, 2026 and that FY2026 implemented geographic area definition changes from the Office of Management and Budget, so area groupings elsewhere in California may have moved; Los Angeles County remains a single-county HUD area.
Why these limits are higher than the arithmetic
Half of $108,100 is $54,050, yet the four-person very low limit is $83,300. HUD’s FAQ answers the question directly: “There are many exceptions to the arithmetic calculation of income limits. These include adjustments for high housing cost relative to income, the application of state nonmetropolitan income limits in low-income areas, and national maximums in high-income areas.” Los Angeles is a high-housing-cost area, and the FY2026 methodology also caps year-over-year increases at 10 percent and floors decreases at 5 percent, so the figures carry history as well as this year’s median. The extremely low limit is defined as the greater of the HHS poverty guideline and 30 percent of area median; at $50,000 for four people it is the 30 percent arithmetic, since the 2026 poverty guideline for four is $33,000. The limits rise with household size on HUD’s standard percentages (70 percent of the four-person figure for one person, 132 percent for eight), rounded up to the nearest $50, with the cap re-check applied to each size.
Worked examples
A family of four in Long Beach with $45,000 of yearly gross income is below the $50,000 extremely low limit, so it falls in the extremely low band, the group to which housing authorities must direct most new vouchers. A single person in Glendale earning $60,000 is above the $58,300 very low limit and below the $93,300 low limit, so that household is in the low-income band: eligible for programs that use the 80 percent limit, but not for a voucher program that admits only at or below very low income. A household of six with $150,000 is below the $154,600 low limit and within the band; at $155,000 it would be over the limit.
Method
The eight-size table is the Los Angeles County row of HUD’s FY2026 Section 8 income limits file, read from the xlsx on November 11, 2026, and the checker reports the three figures for the size you choose and the band an income falls in. Which band a program uses, how income is counted and who is in the household are decided by the housing authority, not by this page.
What this does not cover
- Households larger than eight; HUD’s methodology adds 8 percentage points per person, which this page does not apply.
- Which band a housing authority requires for its waiting list, preferences or admissions; ask the authority.
- How a housing authority counts income, assets and household members.
- Fair market rents, payment standards and the tenant share, which are on the linked pages.
Figures read from the sources below on November 11, 2026. Last updated November 11, 2026.
Sources
- HUD USER: Section 8 FY26 income limits data file (xlsx), Los Angeles County row (retrieved November 11, 2026)
- HUD USER: FY 2026 Income Limits (effective May 1, 2026) and income limits FAQ (retrieved November 11, 2026)
- HHS ASPE: 2026 poverty guidelines (retrieved November 11, 2026)
Common mix-ups
-
Often assumedThe Los Angeles County very low-income limit must be half of the county's median family income.
What the source saysHUD's FAQ says there are many exceptions to the arithmetic calculation of income limits, including adjustments for high housing cost relative to income, which is why Los Angeles County's four-person very low limit of $83,300 exceeds half of its $108,100 median. [1]
-
Often assumedEvery city in Los Angeles County has its own HUD income limit.
What the source saysHUD develops income limits for each metropolitan area, parts of some metropolitan areas and each non-metropolitan county; the FY2026 file lists Los Angeles County as a single HUD Metro FMR Area, so every city in the county uses the same figures. [1]
Checked against these sources on .
Frequently asked questions
What is the Section 8 income limit in Los Angeles County for 2026?
For four people, HUD's FY2026 very low-income limit (50%) is $83,300, the extremely low limit (30%) is $50,000 and the low-income limit (80%) is $133,250. One person: $35,000, $58,300 and $93,300.
When did the FY2026 limits take effect?
May 1, 2026, per HUD USER's income limits page.
Why is the very low limit more than half the median?
Half of the $108,100 median would be $54,050, but HUD's FAQ says there are many exceptions to the arithmetic, including adjustments for high housing cost relative to income. Los Angeles County's $83,300 is the published figure after those adjustments.
Which cities does this cover?
The whole county: HUD's FY2026 file lists Los Angeles County as one area, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area, so Los Angeles, Long Beach, Glendale, Pasadena, Lancaster and every other city in the county use the same limits.
Which limit do I need to be under for a voucher?
The housing authority that runs the program (the county authority or a city authority such as Los Angeles or Long Beach) says which limit it applies to its waiting list and admissions; this page shows HUD's figures, not the authority's rules.
Does the extremely low limit come from the poverty guideline here?
No. In Los Angeles County the 30 percent arithmetic gives $50,000 for four people, well above the $33,000 poverty guideline, so the poverty floor that sets many rural counties' figures does not apply.
Do these limits apply to tax-credit apartments?
HUD says they may not; Low-Income Housing Tax Credit properties use the Multifamily Tax Subsidy Project limits instead.
Not legal or financial advice
This page is general information from an unofficial guide, not legal, financial or housing advice, and it is not affiliated with HUD or any housing authority. Housing authorities decide eligibility using HUD’s official limits and their own rules. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. It runs in your browser.