Low income for a single person in Oregon starts around $15,650 a year — the federal poverty line — and stretches as high as about $69,550 in the Portland metro area for housing purposes. There’s no single cutoff because every assistance program sets its own, using either the Federal Poverty Guidelines, local Area Median Income, or state median income as the yardstick. Someone earning $35,000 might qualify for housing help in Portland but earn too much for the Oregon Health Plan, so the useful question isn’t “am I low income” in the abstract — it’s which threshold applies to the specific program you need.
The federal poverty guideline for a single person in 2025 is $15,650, and Oregon programs are using that figure for their 2026 eligibility cycles.1Federal Register. Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines Few programs actually use 100% of that number as the cutoff. Most set eligibility at some multiple of it, which is why the dollar thresholds below land all over the map.
Health Coverage: Oregon Health Plan
OHP Plus, the state’s full Medicaid coverage, covers single adults earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level, which works out to roughly $21,600 a year.2Oregon Health Authority. 2026 Income Guide for MAGI Oregon Health Plan Programs
If you earn more than that but less than 200% of the poverty line, OHP Bridge may cover you. For a single adult, Bridge applies to annual income between $20,820 and $31,300.3Oregon Health Authority. Oregon Health Plan (OHP) Bridge Bridge also requires that you lack access to affordable employer-sponsored insurance and meet citizenship or immigration criteria. These limits run through February 2026, when new figures typically publish.
Food Benefits: SNAP
Oregon’s SNAP program uses a higher ceiling than many people expect. For a single-person household, the gross monthly income limit is $2,660, or about $31,920 a year, effective March 2026 through February 2027.4Oregon Department of Human Services. SNAP Food Benefits Oregon uses broad-based categorical eligibility, which effectively raises the gross income limit well above the standard federal 130% of poverty threshold. Qualifying doesn’t guarantee a large benefit, though — the monthly allotment shrinks as income rises.
Housing: Area Median Income, Not Poverty Line
Housing programs use a completely different yardstick: county-level Area Median Income published annually by HUD. The two main tiers are “very low income” at 50% of AMI and “low income” at 80%. Because median incomes vary across Oregon, the dollar thresholds swing hard from county to county.
For a single person in fiscal year 2025, the low-income and very-low-income ceilings in selected areas are:5U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. FY2025 Adjusted HOME Income Limits – Oregon
- Portland metro: $69,550 low income / $43,450 very low income
- Bend-Redmond: $64,050 / $40,100
- Eugene-Springfield: $51,350 / $32,100
- Salem: $51,900 / $32,500
- Curry County: $45,600 / $28,500
- Coos County: $46,550 / $29,100
A single person earning $50,000 counts as low income in Portland but would be over the limit in most rural Oregon counties. These AMI figures govern Section 8 vouchers, public housing, and most state and local rental assistance. Oregon’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which previously used 80% of county AMI, has closed and is no longer accepting applications.6Oregon Housing and Community Services. Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program
Energy and Utility Help
Oregon’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program uses a third yardstick: state median income. To qualify, your household income must sit at or below 60% of state median. For a single person in program year 2026, that ceiling is $38,385 a year, or about $3,199 a month in gross income.7Oregon Housing and Community Services. Oregon Energy Assistance Programs That’s a generous threshold compared with health or food programs, and many Oregonians who don’t think of themselves as low income still qualify.
Tax Credits
The federal Earned Income Tax Credit is widely overlooked by single filers without children. For tax year 2025, a childless single person can receive up to $649 if earned income stays below roughly $19,100.8Internal Revenue Service. Earned Income and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Tables The 2026 amounts are slightly higher. Investment income above a separate threshold (around $12,200 for 2026) disqualifies you. The credit is refundable, so you receive the money even if you owe no federal tax. Oregon layers its own state EITC on top. The only way to collect is to file a return, even if your income falls below the filing threshold.
How Programs Count Your Income
The thresholds above only matter once you know what counts as income, and the answer depends on the program.
Gross Income
SNAP and energy assistance start with gross income — your total earnings before taxes and deductions, including wages, self-employment, Social Security, and unemployment.
Modified Adjusted Gross Income
The Oregon Health Plan, Marketplace premium tax credits, and CHIP use Modified Adjusted Gross Income. MAGI starts with your adjusted gross income and adds back untaxed foreign income, non-taxable Social Security benefits, and tax-exempt interest.9HealthCare.gov. Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) Supplemental Security Income payments are excluded entirely.10Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Income Eligibility Using MAGI Rules
Self-employment makes the difference sharper. For OHP and other MAGI programs, you can deduct allowable business expenses from gross receipts to reach net income. For SNAP, Oregon generally allows a flat 50% deduction for declared business expenses rather than itemized actual costs. For a freelancer or small-business owner, which rule applies can swing eligibility by thousands of dollars.
When Assets Matter Too
Income isn’t always the only test. Supplemental Security Income imposes a strict resource limit of $2,000 for an individual.11Social Security Administration. Who Can Get SSI Countable resources include bank accounts, stocks, and most property beyond your primary home and one vehicle. That limit hasn’t been adjusted for inflation in decades.
SNAP in Oregon applies no asset test for most households, thanks to broad-based categorical eligibility. The Oregon Health Plan likewise focuses on income rather than assets under MAGI rules. Checking whether a program tests assets before you apply can save you from liquidating savings you didn’t need to touch — or from assuming you qualify when a bank balance quietly pushes you over.
Quick Reference for a Single Person in Oregon
- OHP Plus (Medicaid): ~$21,600/year (138% FPL)
- OHP Bridge: $20,820–$31,300/year (133%–200% FPL)
- SNAP food benefits: $2,660/month gross (~$31,920/year)
- Energy assistance (LIHEAP): $38,385/year (60% state median income)
- Housing, Portland metro (80% AMI): $69,550/year
- Housing, rural Oregon (80% AMI): roughly $45,600–$47,500/year
- Federal EITC (no children): earned income under ~$19,100/year
- SSI resource limit: $2,000 in countable assets
These numbers change every year. Oregon’s health and food thresholds usually reset in March when new federal poverty guidelines take effect; HUD housing limits update around midyear. Pull the current chart from the specific program before you apply, because last year’s figures can quietly cost you.