What Is Considered Low Income in Hawaii by County?

In Hawaii, “low income” is a HUD designation set at 80 percent of each county’s area median income, and because Hawaii’s cost of living is so high, the dollar thresholds are far above what the term suggests on the mainland. For FY 2025, a single person counts as low income at $85,120 on Oahu, $75,440 in Maui County, $72,950 in Kauai County, and $67,760 in Hawaii County. A four-person household qualifies at $121,600 on Oahu, $107,680 on Maui, $104,200 on Kauai, and $96,720 in Hawaii County. What is considered low income in Hawaii by county depends on two things: where you live and how many people are in your household.

What “Low Income” Means Under HUD

Each year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development calculates an area median income for every county using census data and local economic surveys, then sorts households into tiers based on how their earnings compare to that median.1HUD USER. Income Limits

  • Low income is 80 percent or less of area median income.
  • Very low income is 50 percent or less.
  • Extremely low income is 30 percent or less, or the federal poverty guideline, whichever is higher.

These tiers control eligibility for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing, and project-based rental assistance. HUD normally publishes updated limits each spring; the FY 2026 release has been pushed from April 1 to May 1, 2026, because of a late Census Bureau data release, so FY 2025 limits stay in effect for most of the year.2HUD USER. Statement on FY 2026 Median Family Income Estimates

Low-Income Limits by County

City and County of Honolulu

Honolulu has the highest thresholds in the state, reflecting a 2025 median family income of $129,300.3Honolulu.gov. Income Guidelines The FY 2025 low-income ceilings are:4Honolulu.gov. 2025 Income Limits

  • 1 person: $85,120
  • 2 persons: $97,280
  • 3 persons: $109,440
  • 4 persons: $121,600
  • 5 persons: $131,360
  • 6 persons: $141,120
  • 7 persons: $150,800
  • 8 persons: $160,560

Hawaii County

Hawaii County’s FY 2025 median family income for a four-person household is $98,800. The thresholds by tier are:5Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Hawaii County Income Schedule by Family Size 2025

  • Low income (80 percent), 1 person / 4 persons: $67,760 / $96,720
  • Very low income (50 percent), 1 person / 4 persons: $42,350 / $60,450
  • Extremely low income (30 percent), 1 person / 4 persons: $25,410 / $36,270

Maui County

Maui County’s limits fall between Honolulu and Hawaii County:6Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Maui County Income Schedule by Family Size 2025

  • Low income (80 percent), 1 person / 4 persons: $75,440 / $107,680
  • Very low income (50 percent), 1 person / 4 persons: $47,150 / $67,300
  • Extremely low income (30 percent), 1 person / 4 persons: $28,290 / $40,380

Kauai County

Kauai County’s FY 2025 limits are:7HUD USER. FY 2025 Adjusted HOME Income Limits

  • Low income (80 percent), 1 person / 4 persons: $72,950 / $104,200
  • Very low income (50 percent), 1 person / 4 persons: $46,550 / $66,450
  • Extremely low income (30 percent), 1 person / 4 persons: $27,900 / $39,850

Earning under these numbers does not guarantee a voucher or a unit. It means you meet the income test to apply, and the deeper tiers tend to carry higher priority on waitlists.

How Household Size Changes the Number

HUD builds its limits around a four-person household, then scales up or down by fixed percentages for other sizes:8HUD USER. Methodology for Determining Section 8 Income Limits

  • 1 person: 70 percent of the four-person limit
  • 2 persons: 80 percent
  • 3 persons: 90 percent
  • 4 persons: 100 percent (base)
  • 5 persons: 108 percent
  • 6 persons: 116 percent
  • 7 persons: 124 percent
  • 8 persons: 132 percent

For households larger than eight, HUD adds another 8 percent of the four-person base for each additional member.9HUD Exchange. HOME Income Limits The adjustments keep larger families from being pushed out of eligibility simply because their combined earnings look high next to a single person’s threshold.

What Income the Housing Authority Counts

HUD’s definition of annual income is broader than paycheck wages. It captures nearly all money coming into the household from anyone 18 or older, including employment earnings, Social Security, pensions, alimony, and regular cash contributions from people outside the household.10eCFR. 24 CFR 5.609 – Annual Income

If you are self-employed, the housing authority uses net business income. Operating costs and straight-line depreciation reduce the figure, but you cannot deduct expenses for business expansion or debt repayment.11HUD.gov. Attachment A – Section 8 Definition of Annual Income

Several categories are excluded from the count:

  • Wages earned by household members under 18
  • Student grants and scholarships used for tuition, books, and required fees
  • One-time payments such as insurance settlements, lump-sum inheritances, and federal stimulus payments
  • Foster care payments for fostering children or adults
  • Medical reimbursements received specifically to cover health care costs
  • Earnings growing inside a recognized retirement account like an IRA or 401(k), though withdrawals do count once taken

These exclusions apply to Section 8 vouchers, public housing, and most other HUD-funded programs.10eCFR. 24 CFR 5.609 – Annual Income

Asset Limits That Can Disqualify You Anyway

Meeting the income threshold is not enough on its own. Under rules updated by the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA), a household’s net assets cannot exceed $105,574 in 2026 to stay eligible for Section 8 or public housing.12HUD USER. 2026 HUD Inflation-Adjusted Values and Passbook Savings Rate Net assets include bank accounts, investments, and real property other than your primary residence. Personal belongings worth under $52,787 in total are generally excluded.

When total net assets exceed $52,787 and the actual investment return cannot be determined, HUD imputes income on those assets using a passbook savings rate of 0.40 percent for 2026, and that imputed amount gets added to your annual income for eligibility.12HUD USER. 2026 HUD Inflation-Adjusted Values and Passbook Savings Rate If your assets sit at or below $52,787, the housing authority can take a self-certification instead of full documentation of every account.

HUD Low Income Is Not the Federal Poverty Level

The HUD low-income threshold is a different number from the federal poverty guideline, and the two get confused constantly. The Department of Health and Human Services publishes a separate poverty guideline used mostly for non-housing programs. Hawaii has its own higher poverty line, distinct from the 48 contiguous states, because of the islands’ cost of living. For 2026, the Hawaii figures are $18,360 for one person and $37,950 for four.13Federal Register. Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines

Those numbers sit far below HUD’s low-income thresholds because they measure something different: the minimum income needed to cover basic needs, not the ceiling for housing assistance. If a program sets eligibility at a percentage of the poverty level (as Medicaid and SNAP do), that is the number to check. If a program sets eligibility at a percentage of area median income (as housing programs do), the county tables above are the ones that apply.