For a family of two in Washington, “low income” isn’t a single number. It starts at the 2026 federal poverty guideline of $21,640 a year and stretches up to about $96,950 in the Seattle metro area, depending on which program you’re asking about. Washington Apple Health (Medicaid) covers adults in a two-person household earning up to roughly $29,880, Basic Food (SNAP) reaches about $42,300, and HUD housing programs classify a two-person household earning up to $96,950 in Seattle-Bellevue as low income. Every program draws its own line, and where you live in the state changes the housing-related thresholds dramatically.
Why There Isn’t One Cutoff
The federal poverty guideline is the starting point for most low-income programs, but almost none use 100% of it as the actual eligibility limit. The Department of Health and Human Services publishes updated numbers each January. For 2026, the guideline for a two-person household in the 48 contiguous states is $21,640 per year, or about $1,803 per month.1HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines: 48 Contiguous States
From there, programs multiply. Apple Health uses 138%. Basic Food uses 200%. Some children’s health coverage goes as high as 317%. HUD doesn’t use the poverty guideline at all for most of its work; it uses the area median income for your county or metro area instead. So the practical answer to “what counts as low income” depends entirely on what you’re applying for.
The Income Thresholds at a Glance
Here are the annual income limits a family of two in Washington will actually run into, from lowest to highest:
- Federal poverty guideline (100% FPL): $21,640
- Free school meals (~130% FPL): $27,495
- Apple Health for adults (138% FPL): ~$29,880
- LIHEAP energy assistance (150% FPL): ~$32,460
- Reduced-price school meals (~185% FPL): $39,128
- Basic Food / SNAP (200% FPL): ~$42,300
- HUD low income, most rural counties (80% AMI): $60,700
- HUD low income, Spokane metro: $64,550
- HUD low income, Tacoma metro: $77,350
- HUD low income, Seattle-Bellevue metro: $96,950
A two-person household earning $50,000 would be well above the Apple Health cutoff but squarely inside HUD’s low-income category in most of the state. Qualifying for one program doesn’t predict qualifying for another, and the reverse is also true: being over one limit doesn’t mean you’re over them all.
Health Coverage: Apple Health
Apple Health is Washington’s Medicaid program, run by the Health Care Authority. For adults aged 19 to 64, income eligibility is set at 138% of the federal poverty level. For a two-person household, that’s $2,490 per month, or about $29,880 per year.2Washington State Health Care Authority. Washington Apple Health Income and Resource Standards
Children and pregnant individuals qualify at higher incomes. Children can be covered through CHIP at household incomes up to 317% of the poverty level, and pregnant individuals qualify up to 215%.2Washington State Health Care Authority. Washington Apple Health Income and Resource Standards Apple Health has no asset or resource test for most categories, so savings don’t disqualify you.
Food Assistance: Basic Food
Washington’s Basic Food program is the state version of SNAP, and it uses a more generous income test than the standard federal one. Through categorical eligibility, a two-person household with gross income up to 200% of the federal poverty level qualifies without a separate asset test. That ceiling is about $3,525 per month, or roughly $42,300 per year.3Washington DSHS. Categorical Eligibility for Basic Food
Categorical eligibility lets the state waive the gross income, net income, and asset tests for households under that limit. The exceptions are narrow: households disqualified for an intentional program violation, those with a large lottery or gambling win, and those where the head of household fails to meet work requirements.3Washington DSHS. Categorical Eligibility for Basic Food
Housing Assistance: Why Location Changes the Answer
HUD doesn’t use the federal poverty guideline. It uses area median income, calculated for each metro area and county. A family of two in Seattle faces a very different income ceiling than the same family in Ferry or Okanogan County.
HUD defines three tiers. Low income means a household earns no more than 80% of the area median. Very low income caps at 50%. Extremely low income is the lower of 30% of the area median or the federal poverty guideline.4HUD USER. Methodology for Determining FY 2025 Section 8 Income Limits These tiers govern Section 8 vouchers, public housing, and Low-Income Housing Tax Credit apartments.
For a two-person household, the FY 2025 limits look like this:5HUD USER. FY2025 Adjusted HOME Income Limits – Washington State
- Seattle-Bellevue metro: low income $96,950; very low income $62,850; extremely low income $37,750
- Tacoma metro: low income $77,350; very low income $48,350; extremely low income $29,000
- Spokane metro: low income $64,550; very low income $40,350
- Most rural counties: low income $60,700; very low income $37,950
HUD updates these figures annually, usually in the spring.
Other Programs Worth Checking
LIHEAP (energy assistance). Washington’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program helps households pay heating and cooling bills. Eligibility is set at 150% of the federal poverty level, or about $32,460 a year for a household of two.6Washington Department of Commerce. Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Local community action agencies take applications.
Free and reduced-price school meals. If one of the two people in your household is a school-age child, you qualify for free meals at a household income of $27,495 or less, and reduced-price meals at $39,128 or less, for the 2025–26 school year.7Washington OSPI. Income Guidelines 2025-26
Working Connections Child Care. This subsidy for working families uses the state median income, not the federal poverty level. Household income must fall below 60% of the state median at the time of application.8Washington DCYF. Working Connections Child Care The dollar figure shifts as the state median is updated, so check with the Department of Children, Youth, and Families for the current number.
Property tax relief. Washington offers property tax exemptions and deferrals for seniors age 61 and older, people with disabilities, and certain veterans. The income threshold is the greater of the prior year’s threshold or 70% of the county median household income.9Washington Department of Revenue. Property Tax Exemption for Senior Citizens and People with Disabilities Because it’s tied to county median income, this cutoff runs higher than the poverty-based programs, and it’s worth checking even if you wouldn’t normally think of your household as low income.
How Household Income Is Counted
Most Washington programs look at gross income, meaning what you earn before taxes and payroll deductions. Wages, self-employment earnings, Social Security payments, unemployment benefits, and child support all count. So does investment income like interest or dividends.
Exclusions vary by program. SNAP benefits, Section 8 vouchers, and other means-tested government benefits generally do not count as income when you apply for a different program.10Social Security Administration. Exceptions to SSI Income and Resource Limits Some programs also exclude certain scholarships, tax refunds, and one-time payments. The rules are specific enough that it’s worth asking the agency directly rather than assuming the same income counts the same way everywhere.
Asset tests are becoming less common. Apple Health imposes no asset limit for most applicants, and Basic Food waives it through categorical eligibility. Your home, one vehicle, and personal belongings typically don’t count against programs that still use resource limits, but bank balances, second vehicles, and investment accounts generally do.
Where to Apply or Screen for Multiple Programs
Because the thresholds differ so much, a family of two can easily qualify for some programs and not others at the same income. The fastest way to screen across programs is through a Washington DSHS Community Services Office or by calling the statewide 211 helpline, which can route you to the right agency for health coverage, food, housing, energy, and child care assistance.