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Free · HUD's 2026 figures

Section 8 income limits in the District of Columbia.

District of Columbia has one HUD income limit area. For a family of four, the very low income limit is $83,050 (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area). Pick your county below to see every limit.
A 1936 WPA poster reading Better Housing, with a new apartment block beside old tenements
WPA poster, 1936

Free lookup · fiscal year 2026

Find your Section 8 income limit

HUD's limits took effect May 1, 2026. Nothing you enter here is saved or sent anywhere.

Choose a state, county and household size to see the limits.

Want to go further? Our free Academy walks you through the application step by step. Open the Academy

District of Columbia · fiscal year 2026

Section 8 income limits by area in the District of Columbia

Each row is a HUD income limit area and the counties it covers. Limits are yearly household income before taxes, and they took effect May 1, 2026. Use the lookup above for 5 to 8 person households and the low income (80%) limit.

Section 8 income limits by area in District of Columbia
Area and counties coveredVery low income (50%), by household sizeExtremely low income
1 person2 people3 people4 people1 person4 people
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR AreaDistrict of Columbia$58,150$66,450$74,750$83,050$34,900$49,850

KPCB Edge is an independent publisher, not a government agency. Your housing agency may cover more than one area and only it can decide whether you qualify.

Next steps

Applying for Section 8 in the District of Columbia

The steps to Section 8Find your housing agency, apply, and what happens after.Section 8 income eligibilityWhat counts as income, deductions and the asset rules.Section 8 rent calculatorEstimate what you would pay with a voucher.

Find agencies in the District of Columbia in HUD's PHA contact directory ↗.

Good to know

Questions about Section 8 limits in the District of Columbia

What is the Section 8 income limit in the District of Columbia?

District of Columbia has one HUD income limit area. For a family of four, the very low income limit is $83,050 (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area). Smaller and larger households have lower and higher limits; the lookup above shows each size.

Is the limit the same in every District of Columbia county?

No. Places in the same HUD area share a limit, but different areas do not. Area median family income in District of Columbia ranges from $166,100 to $166,100, and the limits follow it.

Which limit do I need to be under?

Most new voucher families must be very low income, which is at or below 50% of the area median income. Extremely low income families get priority: by law, 75% of the families a housing agency admits each year must be extremely low income. A family at the low income level (up to about 80%) can qualify only in a few situations.

Where do I apply for Section 8 in the District of Columbia?

You apply to a local public housing agency, not to HUD. Find agencies near you in HUD's PHA contact directory, check whether each one's voucher list is open, and apply to more than one if you can. Applying is always free.

Does the housing agency use my gross or adjusted income?

Gross. Your agency compares your yearly income before deductions with the limit. Deductions, such as for children or child care, are used afterward to work out your share of the rent.

Other states

Section 8 income limits in other states

Sources

Where the numbers come from