What Is Considered Low Income in Hawaii: HUD Limits by County

In Hawaii, what counts as low income depends on which program you are asking about and where on the islands you live. Under the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2025 standards, a single person earning up to $85,120 a year in Honolulu qualifies as low income, while the same person on Hawaii Island hits that ceiling at $67,760. State benefits such as Med-QUEST and SNAP use a different yardstick entirely: Hawaii’s federal poverty guidelines, which run roughly 15% above the mainland figures to account for the cost of living here.¹

How HUD Defines Low Income

HUD sorts households into three tiers based on Area Median Income, the midpoint of local earnings recalculated each year. The tiers are set in federal regulation:²

Low income: at or below 80% of AMI
Very low income: at or below 50% of AMI
Extremely low income: at or below 30% of AMI, or the federal poverty guideline for that household size, whichever is higher

That last line matters in Hawaii. Because the state’s poverty guideline is elevated, the extremely low income floor can sometimes exceed a straight 30% calculation for smaller households. These three categories drive eligibility for Section 8 vouchers, public housing, HOME Investment Partnerships, and other federally funded housing assistance.

2025 HUD Low Income Limits by County

Each island economy produces its own set of dollar figures. Honolulu’s median family income runs well above the other counties, which pushes every threshold higher on Oʻahu. The tables below show the 80% AMI (low income) ceiling for each county at every household size.

Honolulu (Oʻahu)

Honolulu’s 2025 median family income is $129,300, the highest in the state.

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

The very low income limit (50% AMI) for a single person on Oʻahu is $53,200.³

Hawaii County (Big Island)

Thresholds on the Big Island sit roughly $17,000 below Oʻahu’s at the single-person level.

1 person: $67,760
2 people: $77,440
3 people: $87,080
4 people: $96,720
5 people: $104,480
6 people: $112,240
7 people: $119,960
8 people: $127,680

A single person qualifies as very low income at $42,350, and the extremely low income threshold for a family of four is $36,270.⁴

Maui County

1 person: $75,440
2 people: $86,240
3 people: $96,960
4 people: $107,680
5 people: $116,360
6 people: $124,960
7 people: $133,560
8 people: $142,200

The very low income limit for a single person in Maui County is $47,150.⁵

Kauai County

1 person: $72,950
2 people: $83,400
3 people: $93,800
4 people: $104,200
5 people: $112,550
6 people: $120,900
7 people: $129,250
8 people: $137,550

Kauai’s very low income limit for a single person is $46,550.⁶

The spread between counties matters when you decide where to apply. A household earning $100,000 falls comfortably within the low income tier for a single person on Oʻahu but exceeds the limit for a family of four on the Big Island. Check the schedule for the county where you plan to live rather than relying on a statewide figure.

Hawaii’s Federal Poverty Guidelines

HUD uses AMI for housing. Most state social services use the federal poverty guidelines instead, and Hawaii and Alaska are the only two places with their own, higher versions. The federal government recognizes that shipping and services cost more here, so the poverty threshold is lifted accordingly.

Hawaii’s 2026 poverty guidelines:

1 person: $18,360
2 people: $24,890
3 people: $31,420
4 people: $37,950
5 people: $44,480
6 people: $51,010
7 people: $57,540
8 people: $64,070

On the mainland, a single person reaches 100% of the poverty line at $15,960, so Hawaii’s threshold runs $2,400 higher for one person and $4,950 higher for a family of four. The gap grows when programs use multiples of the poverty line (138%, 150%, 200%) because every added percentage point is bigger in Hawaii.¹

Med-QUEST (Hawaii Medicaid)

Med-QUEST covers most adults ages 19 through 64 with income at or below 138% of the Hawaii poverty guidelines. That figure comes from the ACA’s Medicaid expansion, which set eligibility at 133% plus a 5% income disregard. For 2026, that works out to roughly:

1 person: $2,111 per month, about $25,337 per year
2 people: $2,862 per month, about $34,348 per year
4 people: $4,364 per month, about $52,371 per year

Because these numbers start from Hawaii’s elevated poverty baseline, they run higher than what the same 138% would produce in a mainland state.¹

SNAP Income Limits

Hawaii’s SNAP program applies two income tests. The standard gross income limit is 130% of the Hawaii poverty guideline. The state also uses Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility, which lifts the gross cutoff to 200% of the poverty level and removes the asset test for qualifying households.

For FY 2026 (October 2025 through September 2026), the 130% gross monthly income limits are:

1 person: $1,820
2 people: $2,461
4 people: $3,744
8 people: $6,750

Households that do not qualify through BBCE face asset limits of $3,000, or $4,500 if a member is 60 or older or has a disability. Maximum monthly allotments also run higher in Hawaii: a single-person household can receive up to $371 more than the mainland maximum.⁷

Energy Assistance (H-HEAP)

The Hawaii Home Energy Assistance Program uses the higher of 60% of State Median Income or 150% of the federal poverty guidelines. For FFY 2026, the 150% FPL threshold tends to be more generous, letting a single person earn up to $41,941 a year and a family of four up to $80,656.⁸

Applications go through Community Action Programs on each island rather than directly to the Department of Human Services. The public assistance information line is 855-643-1643.⁹

What Counts as Income

HUD’s definition of annual income is broader than many applicants expect. Wages, salaries, overtime, commissions, tips, self-employment earnings, Social Security, pensions, annuities, alimony, and regular cash contributions from people outside the household all count toward the limit.

Several categories are specifically excluded:

Earned income of anyone under 18
Foster care payments, including kinship care
Scholarships, grants, and financial aid for tuition, books, supplies, and housing costs for students who are not the head of household or spouse
Insurance settlements for personal or property losses, including health insurance reimbursements, motor vehicle insurance, and workers’ compensation
Medical reimbursements
Military hostile fire pay
Distributions from 529 plans and Coverdell education savings accounts
Income earned by a live-in aide

On assets, HUD does not impute any return on net family assets totaling $50,000 or less. Distributions from irrevocable trusts spent on a minor’s medical care are also excluded.¹⁰

Household Size Changes the Answer

Every program scales its limits by household size, and the swing is large. Honolulu’s low-income ceiling climbs from $85,120 for a single person to $121,600 for a family of four and $160,560 for a family of eight.³ Under the Hawaii poverty guidelines, each additional member adds $6,530 to the annual baseline for 2026.¹

This is where people misjudge their eligibility. A single person earning $70,000 in Hawaii County is well above the very low income threshold. A family of four with the same combined income falls within it. Programs count everyone living in the home, so a multigenerational household with grandparents, adult children, and grandchildren raises both the household size and the income ceiling. For energy assistance, every adult in the home must be listed on the application and their income counted, even if they are not the one applying.

1
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – Detailed Tables
2
eCFR. 24 CFR 5.603 – Definitions
3
Honolulu.gov. 2025 Income Limits
4
Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. Hawaii County Income Schedule by Family Size 2025
5
Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. Maui County Income Schedule by Family Size 2025
6
County of Kauai. 2025 Annual Income Limits
7
USDA Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP FY 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustments
8
Department of Human Services. 2026 LIHEAP Model Plan
9
Department of Human Services. Hawaii Home Energy Assistance Program
10
eCFR. 24 CFR 5.609 – Annual Income