What are income-restricted apartments? Who qualifies

An income-restricted apartment is a rental where a housing program caps both who can live there and what they pay. Your household must earn under a limit that depends on its size and on local median income (the middle income in your area), often 60% of it. The owner can charge only a capped rent, usually well below the market price.

What does "income restricted" mean?

The owner has signed an agreement to keep some or all of the units for households under an income limit. Owners usually agree to this in return for something. It might be a federal tax credit (a tax break for building affordable homes), a government loan or subsidy, or a city rule that requires new buildings to include below-market homes. San Francisco, for example, asks developers of projects with 10 or more units to include below-market homes, pay a fee, or choose another option.

You'll also see the same idea called affordable housing, below market rate or rent-restricted.

It is not the same as a Section 8 voucher. A voucher goes with you. Your local housing office pays part of the rent to a landlord, and HUD, the federal housing department, says your share is usually 30% of your adjusted monthly income (what is left after certain deductions). With an income-restricted apartment, the limit belongs to the unit, and you apply to that building. Our guide to Section 8 waitlists covers the voucher side.

Are income-based apartments the same thing?

Sometimes. People who search for "income based apartments" usually mean one of two things, and listings use the phrase for both.

• A limit on who can live there. The household must earn under a cap. This is an income-restricted apartment, and it is what most of this guide covers.
• Rent that follows your income. Rent is a share of your adjusted income (income after certain deductions), usually about 30%. A voucher works this way, and so do public housing and buildings with project-based Section 8 (rental help tied to the building), as the section on rents below explains.

A building can do the first without the second. In a tax credit building, for example, the income limit decides who can apply, but the rent is capped by a formula and does not follow your pay. Before you apply, ask the manager which model the building uses.

How does the income test work?

Three things set your limit.

1. The area's median income. HUD estimates the middle income for each area every year. Half of families earn more and half earn less. For 2026, the four-person figure is $164,600 in the Boston area and $169,600 in New York City. We explain it in what area median income means.
2. The share the unit is set at. A unit "at 60%" is for households earning up to 60% of that area figure. In our open listings, the steps named most often are 60%, 80% and 50% (307, 303 and 283 listings), followed by 30% (132).
3. Your household size. The limit rises with each person. HUD's formula gives one person 70% of the four-person limit, two people 80% and three people 90%. Five people get 108%. The Boston, New York City and San Francisco charts used in this article all follow it.

Whose income counts depends on the program. HUD's rules count what every household member 18 or older receives. Treatment of overtime, bonuses and part-time work varies, so read the rules on the listing or see how to qualify for affordable housing.

Some buildings add a floor or a savings cap:

• A minimum income. The building wants proof you can pay the rent. Franklin Commons, below, is an example.
• An asset limit, a cap on your savings and other property. For New York City rentals marketed by its housing agencies, the limit equals the four-person income limit for the unit's income level.

How do the limits work with real numbers?

Franklin Commons is a rental in Franklin, Massachusetts. The open apartments are set at up to 60% of area median income, and the limits match the 2026 Boston-area chart from MassHousing, effective May 1, 2026.

The listed one-bedroom rents for $1,773 a month with a minimum income of $53,190. The three-bedroom rents for $2,461 with a minimum of $73,830. Now try three households, looking at the income test only.

• A parent with two children, earning $95,000. Three people, limit $92,580. Over by $2,420, so no.
• Two parents with two children, earning the same $95,000. Four people, limit $102,840. Under by $7,840, so yes.
• One adult, earning $50,000, applying for the one-bedroom. The limit is $72,000, but the minimum is $53,190. Below the floor by $3,190, so no.

Same pay, two different answers, because household size moved the line. That's why the first number to check on any listing is the limit for your size. The building still checks your documents, and other rules, such as assets, may apply.

Can one building have several income limits?

Yes. Dix Avenue Apartments in Far Rockaway, Queens, is a New York City lottery with 62 apartments at 40%, 50% and 60% of area median income. The city's 2026 chart sets the 60% limit at $71,280 for one person, $81,420 for two, $91,620 for three and $101,760 for four. The rent and the minimum income change with each band.

The listing also shows an asset limit that rises with the band, from $67,840 at 40% to $101,760 at 60%. Check the band for the apartment you want. One adult earning $55,000 is over the 40% ceiling but fits the 50% band for a one-bedroom.

Rules differ by place. New York City has the asset limit above. Massachusetts and San Francisco publish their own income charts, and each program decides how to treat income and assets, so read the rules for the city you're in.

How are the rents set?

There are two common models.

A formula. In buildings financed with the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (a tax break for owners who keep rents low), the law caps the rent, utilities included, at 30% of the income limit that goes with the unit's income level and size. The formula assumes 1.5 people per bedroom. For a one-bedroom at 60% in the Boston area, MassHousing's 2026 chart gives a cap of $1,929 a month. For comparison, Franklin Commons lists its one-bedroom at $1,773. The cap comes from the income chart, not from what neighbors pay.

Your income. Some buildings charge a share of what you earn. O'Farrell Towers in San Francisco is a senior building (62 and older) open to households up to 60% of area median income ($68,050 for one person on the city's 2026 chart). Its listing says rent is 30% of household income, with no minimum. 73 of our open listings describe rent as a share of income, usually about 30%, and 48 of those are housing-authority waitlists.

Always confirm which model a building uses before you apply.

Where can I find income-restricted apartments right now?

As of October 5, 2026, we list 1,395 open affordable-housing listings: 1,035 rentals and 360 homes for sale. Of these, 699 show their income limits in dollars. By how you apply, 867 are first come, first served, 340 are waitlists, 139 are lotteries and 49 are housing-authority waitlists.

Open listings by area today:

• Greater Boston: 289, and Massachusetts overall: 383
• Los Angeles: 276
• Bay Area: 123, including San Francisco: 44
• New York City: 40

New York is the lottery-heavy market, so how the New York City housing lottery works is worth a read. You can also browse the open listings we have on the listings page.

How can I check if I qualify?

1. Add up your household's yearly income and count the people who will live in the home.
2. Open a listing and find the limit for your household size, plus any minimum income and asset rules.
3. Compare. If you're under the limit and over the floor, read the how-to-apply steps on the listing.
4. To skip the hunting, use the free eligibility check. It compares your numbers with the open listings we have, and what you type stays in your browser.