These limits are calculated annually based on federal guidelines and are used to determine eligibility for things like affordable housing programs.
Southern California
In Orange County, one-person households making less than $80,000 a year are considered low-income, according to the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
That's up from just under $76,000 last year, and puts Orange County as the most expensive of the Southern California counties.
In Ventura County, it's a little over $74,000 and in Los Angeles County, it's just under $71,000.
The Inland Empire counties have the lowest limits at about $52,000, but are still up from last year's limits.
The Bay Area
Three Bay Area counties top the list of low-income limits, statewide.
Single-person households in San Francisco County, Marin County and San Mateo County who make $104,000 a year are considered low-income.
However, these limits are the same as last year's.
The Central Valley
Counties like Fresno, Tulare, Kings, and Mariposa all have the same income limits for single-person households at about $46,000 a year considered low-income. These limits are up about $2,600 from last year.
These income limits are also dependent on the number of people in each household.
For example, while a single-person household in Orange County is considered low-income at about $80,000 a year, a four-person household has a nearly $115,000 limit.
Our table below shows the annual income that is considered low-income in each county in California from 2022 to 2023 for different household sizes.
The California Department of Housing and Community Development also calculates other income levels like "extremely low-income" and "moderate income."
Income limits are based on annual income before any payroll deductions, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.