What Area Median Income means
Area Median Income, usually shortened to AMI, is the midpoint household income for a metropolitan area. HUD calculates it each year, and for Chicago it applies to the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL HUD Metro FMR Area, which stretches well beyond the city limits.
Affordable housing programs rarely use 100% AMI as a cutoff. Instead they use a percentage of it — 30%, 50%, 60%, or 80% — as an income ceiling, adjusted for household size. When a leasing office says an apartment is "a 60% AMI unit," they mean the household moving in must earn no more than 60% of AMI for its size, and the rent is capped accordingly.
AMI is a shared measuring stick, not a single program. It shows up in Affordable Requirements Ordinance apartments, LIHTC and income-restricted buildings, Housing Choice Vouchers, and Chicago Housing Authority housing — but each one applies it with its own rules.
2026 Chicago-area income table
Maximum annual gross household income at each AMI tier.
Table 1 — City of Chicago Table of Income Limits. Applies to programs that use City of Chicago limits, including Affordable Requirements Ordinance apartments. Area: Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Effective May 1, 2026.
| Household size | 30% AMI | 50% AMI | 60% AMI | 80% AMI | 100% AMI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $25,530 | $42,550 | $51,060 | $68,050 | $85,100 |
| 2 person | $29,160 | $48,600 | $58,320 | $77,800 | $97,200 |
| 3 person | $32,820 | $54,700 | $65,640 | $87,500 | $109,400 |
| 4 person | $36,450 | $60,750 | $72,900 | $97,200 | $121,500 |
| 5 person | $39,390 | $65,650 | $78,780 | $105,000 | $131,300 |
| 6 person | $42,300 | $70,500 | $84,600 | $112,800 | $141,000 |
| 7 person | $45,210 | $75,350 | $90,420 | $120,550 | $150,700 |
| 8 person | $48,120 | $80,200 | $96,240 | $128,350 | $160,400 |
Source: City of Chicago 2026 Income and Rent Limits. Effective May 1, 2026. Last verified: .
How household size works
Income limits rise with household size, so the same income can land in different AMI tiers for different households. A $70,000 income is above the 60% AMI limit for a two-person household and below it for a five-person household.
- Count everyone who will live in the apartment — adults and children, related or unrelated.
- Do not count people who will continue living elsewhere. Their income is not counted either.
- Ask how the program treats an expected child, a live-in aide, a full-time student, or a household member who is temporarily away. These are handled differently across programs.
- Occupancy standards are separate from income limits: a property may also limit how many people can live in a one-bedroom apartment.
To see where your household lands, use the Chicago AMI calculator.
Common AMI percentages and where you'll see them
- 30% AMI (often called extremely low income): common in Chicago Housing Authority housing, Project-Based Voucher apartments, and the deepest-subsidy units inside mixed-income buildings.
- 50% AMI (very low income): the tier most associated with Housing Choice Vouchers and many tax-credit apartments.
- 60% AMI: the workhorse tier for LIHTC buildings and for many Affordable Requirements Ordinance apartments.
- 80% AMI (low income): used for some Affordable Requirements Ordinance apartments, particularly in higher-cost neighborhoods, and for certain workforce housing.
- 100% AMI and above: not an affordable housing tier for most programs, though a few buildings include moderate-income or workforce apartments above 80% AMI.
These are general patterns rather than rules. The only tier that matters for your application is the one printed in the property's own materials.
ARO income and rent limits
Chicago's Affordable Requirements Ordinance requires certain residential developments to include affordable apartments or make a payment in lieu. Each covered building has a recorded agreement stating how many affordable apartments it provides and at which AMI tier — most often 60% or 80% AMI.
The City publishes maximum rents alongside its income limits in the same annual document. Because rent caps depend on the AMI tier, the unit's bedroom count, and whether utilities are included in rent, we link the official table rather than restate rent figures that could be applied to the wrong unit type:
City of Chicago 2026 Income and Rent Limits, including maximum rents by bedroom size (PDF)
Read the full Chicago ARO program guide, how to qualify for an ARO apartment, or browse affordable apartment listings.
Housing Choice Voucher income considerations
The Housing Choice Voucher program, still widely called Section 8, is tenant-based rental assistance administered locally by the Chicago Housing Authority using HUD income limits. Voucher income eligibility is typically assessed against the very low income (50% AMI) limit, and federal rules direct a large share of new admissions to households at or below 30% AMI.
Voucher math also works differently from a rent-restricted apartment. Rather than a fixed capped rent, a voucher household generally pays a portion of its adjusted income toward rent while the housing authority pays the rest to the landlord, subject to payment standards and a rent-reasonableness review.
Voucher application availability is controlled by CHA, not by this site. See our Housing Choice Voucher guide and confirm current income rules and waitlist status on the official CHA website.
CHA and property-specific qualification
Chicago Housing Authority properties, mixed-income communities, and Project-Based Voucher buildings each run their own application and waitlist processes. A household can be income-eligible for the program in general and still need to apply to a specific opportunity when it opens.
- Different buildings inside the same development may target different AMI tiers.
- Some opportunities include local preferences, such as veterans, working households, or residents displaced by redevelopment.
- Waitlists open and close on their own schedules, and being on one list does not put you on another.
Details are in our CHA housing and waitlists guide and Project-Based Voucher guide.
Why a household may qualify for one program but not another
Four things vary from program to program, and any one of them can change the answer:
| Program type | Typical AMI focus | Who sets the limit |
|---|---|---|
| ARO apartments | Commonly 60% or 80% | City of Chicago table, per the building's agreement |
| LIHTC / income-restricted | Commonly 50% or 60% | Federal program rules, applied by the property |
| Housing Choice Vouchers | Often 30% or 50% | HUD limits, administered by CHA |
| CHA housing / Project-Based Vouchers | Often 30% or 50% | CHA, per property or opportunity |
General patterns compiled from official program documentation for orientation only. Confirm the tier for any specific building with its leasing office or the administering agency.
Not sure which category fits your situation? Start with the Chicago affordable housing programs overview.
How income is generally calculated
Most programs look at anticipated gross annual income for the household, before taxes and deductions. Typical inclusions:
- Wages, salary, overtime, tips, commissions, and bonuses
- Net income from self-employment or a small business
- Social Security, SSI, disability, and pension payments
- Unemployment compensation and most recurring public benefits
- Alimony, child support, and regular contributions from outside the household
- Certain income from assets, depending on the program
Programs differ on the details: some project forward from current pay stubs, others rely on prior-year tax returns, and treatment of student financial aid, one-time payments, and assets is not uniform. If your income varies month to month, expect to document a longer history — our guide for self-employed applicants walks through that paperwork.
When you're ready to apply, work from the application document checklist and the step-by-step application guide.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 2026 Chicago affordable housing income limits?
The City of Chicago publishes an annual Table of Income Limits for the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Effective May 1, 2026, 100% of Area Median Income for a four-person household is $121,500, which puts the 60% AMI limit at $72,900 and the 80% AMI limit at $97,200 for that household size. Limits scale up or down with household size, and the limit that applies to you depends on the specific program and property.
Do all affordable housing programs use the same income limits?
No. Income limits and eligibility requirements vary by program and property. Affordable Requirements Ordinance apartments generally use City of Chicago limits at the AMI tier recorded for the building. Housing Choice Vouchers and Chicago Housing Authority housing use HUD limits administered by CHA, most often at 30% or 50% AMI. Low-Income Housing Tax Credit properties commonly cap at 50% or 60% AMI and may use income averaging. Always confirm the limit with the program administrator or leasing office.
Is an income limit the same as being approved?
No. An income limit is a maximum, not a guarantee. Meeting the limit only means your household is inside the income range for that program. Properties still apply their own screening, and many privately managed buildings also apply a minimum-income or rent-affordability standard, so a household can be under the maximum and still not meet a property's other requirements.
How is annual household income usually calculated?
Most programs add the anticipated gross annual income of every adult household member: wages and salaries before taxes, overtime, tips and bonuses, self-employment income, Social Security and SSI, pensions, unemployment, disability payments, alimony and child support, and regular contributions from someone outside the household. Programs differ on how they treat assets, student financial aid, and one-time payments, and some use prior-year tax returns while others project forward from current pay.
Who counts in my household size?
Household size includes everyone who will live in the apartment, adults and children, related or unrelated. People who will keep living somewhere else are not counted, and their income is not counted either. Some programs count an expected child or exclude a live-in aide, so ask the leasing office how they will count your household before you submit documents.
Why might my household qualify for one program but not another?
Because each program sets its own AMI tier, counts income slightly differently, and may add non-income requirements. A household at 55% AMI may be well inside the cap for a 60% AMI Affordable Requirements Ordinance apartment while being above the limit for a Chicago Housing Authority opportunity aimed at 30% AMI households, and a household with a voucher may face different rent-reasonableness rules entirely.
When do Chicago income limits change?
HUD updates its income limits once a year, usually in the spring, and the City of Chicago republishes its table with a stated effective date shortly after. The figures on this page carry an effective date of May 1, 2026. If you are reading this after the next annual update, check the official City of Chicago and HUD sources linked on this page for newer figures.
Official sources
- City of Chicago 2026 Income and Rent Limits (PDF) — income limits and maximum rents, effective May 1, 2026.
- HUD Income Limits datasets — the federal figures the Chicago table is derived from.
- Chicago Housing Authority — voucher and CHA housing eligibility, applications, and waitlist notices.
Last reviewed: July 2026. Data effective date: May 1, 2026. Nothing here is legal or housing-counseling advice, and income limits are maximums rather than a determination of eligibility.