In four Bay Area counties, you can now earn a six-figure salary and still be considered low-income.
According to the latest state eligibility requirements for affordable housing, a single renter making up to $109,700 a year in San Mateo, Marin or San Francisco counties qualifies as having a low income. In Santa Clara County, the limit is $111,700. And in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, it’s $87,550.
The new figures highlight the staggering housing crisis that’s long gripped the region, where even well-paid tech workers can feel the squeeze of high housing costs.
This month, the state recalculated some of the eligibility limits to reflect rising incomes across California. The caps help determine who can apply for many affordable housing programs and how much they are expected to pay — generally about 30% of their total income.
In Santa Clara County, the low-income limit increased 9% from last year, while it remained the same in San Mateo, Marin and San Francisco counties. In Alameda and Contra Costa counties, the cap rose 3%.
The state housing department sets the income limits based on the median earnings of different-sized households in each of California’s 58 counties. The more people in a home, the higher the limit. In counties where the median income didn’t change, neither did the income limits.
In Santa Clara County, for example, the median income for a family of four is $195,200, and a family that size earning up to 80% of the median, or $159,550 a year, would qualify as low-income, according to the state housing department. Households making up to 120% of the median income are eligible for some affordable housing. And those earning as little as 15% can apply to housing reserved for “acutely low-income” residents.
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Nationwide, the median income for households of all sizes was $78,538, according to the U.S. Census.
In the Bay Area, some 234,000 renter households are in need of an affordable home, according to the nonprofit California Housing Partnership. Almost a quarter of all local renters spend more than half their income on rent, and thousands remain stuck on years-long waiting lists for affordable housing.
And given that some affordable housing is meant for residents earning six figures, “low-income” units can sometimes cost as much as or more than market-rate housing. At the same time, the rising income eligibility limits could lead to rent hikes for some affordable housing tenants, as the amount landlords can charge is tied to these limits.
To alleviate the state’s housing crunch, California lawmakers are now considering at least 160 new housing bills, including a $10 billion affordable housing bond that could come before voters in June 2026.