In Utah, what counts as low income depends on which program is asking. For housing programs, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development sets the benchmark: a single person in the Salt Lake City metro area earning $68,750 or less per year qualifies as low income, and a four-person household qualifies at $98,150 or less.1U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. FY2025 Adjusted HOME Income Limits – Utah For food assistance, Medicaid, and energy aid, Utah uses the federal poverty level instead, which for 2026 is $15,960 for one person and $33,000 for a family of four.2HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – 48 Contiguous States Which number matters to you depends on what help you’re after and where in the state you live.
The Two Yardsticks Utah Uses
Nearly every low-income program in Utah measures eligibility against one of two scales. Mixing them up is the single most common mistake people make when checking whether they qualify.
Area Median Income (AMI)
HUD calculates a median family income for every metropolitan area and non-metropolitan county in the country, then expresses income limits as percentages of that median. The three standard tiers are low income at 80% of AMI, very low income at 50%, and extremely low income at 30% (or the federal poverty guideline, whichever is higher).3U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Income Limits Because AMI reflects local wages, the dollar thresholds swing significantly from Salt Lake County to rural Utah. Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) and public housing both use these AMI-based limits.
Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
The federal poverty level is a flat national figure published yearly by the Department of Health and Human Services and does not vary by Utah county. For 2026, it’s $15,960 for a one-person household and $33,000 for a four-person household in the lower 48 states.2HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – 48 Contiguous States Programs like SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP, and the state HEAT program express their income ceilings as percentages of FPL — commonly 130%, 150%, or 200%.
HUD Low-Income Limits Across Utah
HUD updates its figures each year. The current numbers are for Fiscal Year 2025, and the geographic spread is wide: a family that qualifies as low income in Salt Lake City would be well above the ceiling in St. George or any rural county.
Salt Lake City Metro (Salt Lake and Tooele Counties)
- One person: extremely low income $25,800; very low income $42,950; low income $68,750
- Four people: extremely low income $36,800; very low income $61,350; low income $98,1501U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. FY2025 Adjusted HOME Income Limits – Utah
Provo-Orem-Lehi Metro
- One person: extremely low income $24,950; very low income $41,550; low income $66,500
- Four people: extremely low income $35,600; very low income $59,350; low income $94,9501U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. FY2025 Adjusted HOME Income Limits – Utah
St. George Metro
- One person: extremely low income $21,150; very low income $35,250; low income $56,400
- Four people: extremely low income $30,200; very low income $50,350; low income $80,5501U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. FY2025 Adjusted HOME Income Limits – Utah
Rural Counties
Most non-metropolitan counties — including Carbon, Emery, Garfield, San Juan, and roughly a dozen others — share the same FY 2025 thresholds:
- One person: extremely low income $21,000; very low income $35,000; low income $56,000
- Four people: extremely low income $30,000; very low income $50,000; low income $80,0001U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. FY2025 Adjusted HOME Income Limits – Utah
Put another way: a family of four earning $85,000 is low income in Salt Lake City but above the ceiling in every rural Utah county. For housing assistance, your ZIP code weighs as heavily as your paycheck.
Within these tiers, Housing Choice Vouchers generally require your household to fall at or below the very low-income line (50% of AMI), and housing authorities must direct at least 75% of new vouchers to extremely low-income applicants. Public housing allows applicants up to the full low-income ceiling (80% of AMI).4U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Methodology for Determining FY 2025 Section 8 Income Limits
Federal Poverty Level Thresholds for Food, Health, and Energy Aid
For everything other than housing, Utah’s programs anchor to FPL and generally express the cutoff as a percentage of it.
SNAP (Food Stamps)
For October 2025 through September 2026, Utah SNAP applicants must meet both a gross income test (130% of FPL) and a net income test (100% of FPL):5Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Eligibility
- One person: $1,696 gross / $1,305 net per month
- Four people: $3,483 gross / $2,680 net per month
- Eight people: $5,867 gross / $4,513 net per month
Households with an elderly or disabled member only have to pass the net income test. Net income is your gross minus allowable deductions for housing, dependent care, and (for elderly or disabled members) medical costs.
Medicaid and CHIP
Utah Medicaid uses modified adjusted gross income measured against FPL, with eligibility standards running roughly from 55% to 133% of FPL depending on the category. Children and pregnant women typically qualify at higher income levels than other adults.6Medicaid.gov. Medicaid and CHIP in Utah
CHIP covers kids in two tiers. Plan B serves households up to 150% of FPL; Plan C and the state CHIP plan reach up to 200%. In 2026, that 200% ceiling is $5,500 per month for a four-person household and $2,660 per month for a one-child household.7Utah Department of Health and Human Services. Utah CHIP Policy Manual – Table I – Income Limits
HEAT (Energy Assistance)
The Home Energy Assistance Target program covers heating and cooling costs for households at or below 150% of FPL. Weatherization help extends to 200%. Seasonal benefits range from $140 to $800, with a $150 add-on for households that include young children, elderly members, or people with disabilities, and another $150 for homes heated with propane or oil. Emergency assistance for a shutoff notice or broken furnace can reach $1,500, available once every two years.8The LIHEAP Clearinghouse. Utah LIHEAP State Plan 2026
What Counts as Income
The basics overlap across programs: wages, salaries, self-employment earnings, Social Security, unemployment, and child support generally count. Self-employed applicants can usually subtract business expenses before income is assessed.
The exclusions diverge. For Supplemental Security Income, SNAP benefits, Section 8 vouchers, TANF payments, and property tax refunds don’t count.9Social Security Administration. Exceptions to SSI Income and Resource Limits Housing programs exclude one-time receipts like insurance payouts and inheritances from income, though those dollars still count toward asset limits.10HUD Exchange. Part 5 (Section 8) Income and Asset Inclusions and Exclusions Medicaid applies modified adjusted gross income rules, which generally track tax return figures but handle items like Social Security differently depending on the category.
The practical consequence: don’t rule yourself out across the board based on one program’s answer. A household that earns too much for SNAP may still qualify for CHIP, and a family above the Medicaid line may still fit within HUD’s low-income range for housing. Check each program against its own rules.
Where to Apply in Utah
Utah routes applications for SNAP, Medicaid, and other public benefits through the state’s myCase portal at jobs.utah.gov. Housing applications go directly to your local housing authority, which keeps its own waitlist and sets its own documentation requirements. HEAT applications are processed through the Utah Department of Workforce Services during heating and cooling seasons. Bring pay stubs, recent tax returns, bank statements, and documentation of any other income when you apply.