Housing Assistance › AMI calculator
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AMI calculator
AMI stands for area median income. Pick your county, and see how your pay compares to the 2026 AMI tiers where you live.
What is AMI?
AMI is the middle income for your area. Half of families earn more than it. Half earn less. Every year, HUD works it out for each county and metro area. Housing programs then use slices of that number as their income limits.
That is why there is no single national answer. The same pay can be under the limit in one county and over it in the next. This calculator uses HUD's own 2026 figures for 4,679 counties, so the number you see is the one your local programs actually use.
What the three tiers mean
Most programs use one of three cut-offs, and each is a share of your county's AMI:
- 30% of AMI — "extremely low income." Much housing help is aimed here first.
- 50% of AMI — "very low income." The main Section 8 voucher limit.
- 80% of AMI — "low income." Public housing and some other programs reach up to here.
The calculator shows all three for your county and household size, and marks which ones your pay is under.
What income counts?
Housing offices count most money your household gets before taxes. Pay from work, Social Security, child support, and more. Some things do not count, and some costs can be subtracted. Our guide on what income counts for housing help walks through it in plain words.
Please read this part
This shows how your money compares to the limit the government set for your county in 2026.
Being under the limit does not mean you will get help. Most places have far more people asking than they have help to give. Waiting lists are often long. Many are closed. The housing office also looks at who lives with you and other rules.
Being over the limit does not always mean no. Some programs use a different limit. And the office may subtract some of your costs first, which can bring your number down.
Only your local housing office can say yes or no. It is always free to apply.
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Keep going: see your state's full income limit and rent tables, try the rent affordability calculator, or get the bigger picture with the Benefits Estimator. All calculators →