Area median income is an important benchmark when determining housing eligibility for affordable housing properties.
Area median income, often referred to as simply AMI, is a key metric in affordable housing. Area median income is defined as the midpoint of a specific area’s income distribution and is calculated on an annual basis by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD refers to the figure as MFI, or median family income, based on a four-person household.
Why Is AMI important?
This metric is important because many of HUD’s housing programs are based on the value for a metropolitan statistical area or MSA, impacting renter eligibility determinations among other uses. Because the HUD figure is tied to a four-person household, these values are not absolute and can be adjusted depending on the size of a household. For an affordable housing community which reserves units for households earning 50% of AMI, a two-person household would have a lower threshold than a five-person household, for example.
What Is AMI Used For?
Using AMI benchmarks for renter eligibility is typically a requirement if your property benefits under the Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, or LIHTC, program. For these programs, generally eligibility is set at a percentage of AMI, usually less than 100%.
Specifically for housing under HUD’s Section 8 program, eligibility is determined by three rigid tiers of renters by income:
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)
What's My AMI?
You can find the AMI specific to your area on HUD's website.
Area Median Income by State
The following table shows AMI figures by state, sourced from the HUD website for 2024.
| State | Total | Metro | Non Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 82,500 | 88,000 | 66,100 |
| Alaska | 111,800 | 114,000 | 101,300 |
| Arizona | 94,200 | 95,700 | 66,100 |
| Arkansas | 75,100 | 82,700 | 65,200 |
| California | 111,300 | 111,900 | 87,900 |
| Colorado | 116,400 | 120,500 | 94,200 |
| Connecticut | 122,300 | 122,900 | 114,200 |
| Delaware | 106,300 | 106,300 | 77,400 |
| District of Columbia | 155,500 | 155,500 | 77,400 |
| Florida | 88,600 | 89,300 | 65,200 |
| Georgia | 92,000 | 97,900 | 70,500 |
| Hawaii | 115,000 | 118,000 | 100,700 |
| Idaho | 90,500 | 93,900 | 79,600 |
| Illinois | 102,900 | 107,200 | 81,400 |
| Indiana | 89,700 | 92,500 | 81,100 |
| Iowa | 96,500 | 104,000 | 86,700 |
| Kansas | 95,300 | 101,300 | 82,700 |
| Kentucky | 80,800 | 92,800 | 65,600 |
| Louisiana | 77,400 | 80,800 | 59,400 |
| Maine | 93,500 | 102,500 | 82,400 |
| Maryland | 124,500 | 125,800 | 85,000 |
| Massachusetts | 127,700 | 127,700 | 137,500 |
| Michigan | 91,200 | 94,600 | 79,600 |
| Minnesota | 111,800 | 118,900 | 91,600 |
| Mississippi | 71,100 | 80,700 | 64,200 |
| Missouri | 88,600 | 96,100 | 70,600 |
| Montana | 88,700 | 93,800 | 85,900 |
| Nebraska | 98,400 | 107,800 | 82,700 |
| Nevada | 90,900 | 90,600 | 92,300 |
| New Hampshire | 119,900 | 131,800 | 104,500 |
| New Jersey | 125,300 | 125,300 | 77,400 |
| New Mexico | 78,900 | 82,300 | 70,600 |
| New York | 105,200 | 107,400 | 83,500 |
| North Carolina | 88,600 | 93,000 | 73,300 |
| North Dakota | 103,900 | 105,800 | 101,500 |
| Ohio | 91,300 | 95,200 | 80,000 |
| Oklahoma | 80,100 | 86,400 | 69,000 |
| Oregon | 99,200 | 104,700 | 80,900 |
| Pennsylvania | 98,800 | 102,400 | 77,300 |
| Rhode Island | 112,500 | 112,500 | 77,400 |
| South Carolina | 84,800 | 87,700 | 62,300 |
| South Dakota | 95,100 | 101,900 | 89,900 |
| Tennessee | 85,900 | 92,000 | 68,600 |
| Texas | 91,600 | 94,300 | 75,000 |
| Utah | 108,500 | 110,500 | 91,600 |
| Vermont | 102,300 | 118,900 | 95,000 |
| Virginia | 113,700 | 121,300 | 73,300 |
| Washington | 115,900 | 120,000 | 90,000 |
| West Virginia | 74,700 | 79,600 | 66,000 |
| Wisconsin | 97,400 | 102,100 | 86,600 |
| Wyoming | 91,900 | 92,400 | 91,800 |
Source for table: hud.gov
Related Questions
What is the definition of Area Median Income (AMI)?
Area Median Income (AMI) is defined as the midpoint of a specific area’s income distribution and is calculated on an annual basis by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD refers to the figure as MFI, or median family income, based on a four-person household. The most recent MFI calculations can be found on the HUD User web portal.
AMI is used extensively for assessing affordable housing eligibility. For instance, most affordable housing properties require that the income of a prospective resident falls under a specified percentage of AMI to lease a unit. These AMI requirements are generally mandatory to take advantage of low-income housing tax credits, or LIHTC. This metric is also essential for forecasting rental income. Typically, affordable housing rents are locked to a maximum of 30% of a household’s monthly income, though in some cases this may be higher.
How is Area Median Income (AMI) calculated?
Area Median Income (AMI) is calculated each year by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD calculates AMI on the basis of household size for every metropolitan area and region in the U.S. The most recent MFI calculations can be found on the HUD User web portal.