Last updated 2026-07-10
TL;DR
New Mexico Section 8 income limits are set by HUD every year for each county and metro area. For 2024, the very low-income limit (50% of Area Median Income) for a family of four runs from about $29,050 in rural counties to $54,650 in the Santa Fe area. Your household has to fall at or below that line to qualify for a Housing Choice Voucher.
What are the New Mexico Section 8 income limits for 2024?
HUD publishes income limits every spring, usually in April, tied to each county or metropolitan statistical area (MSA). New Mexico spreads out a lot. The Santa Fe metro sits near the top of the state's income range, and rural counties like Hidalgo or Quay sit near the bottom. The numbers that decide who gets a Housing Choice Voucher are the Very Low Income (VLI) thresholds, set at 50% of Area Median Income, because that's the statutory cutoff for most voucher applicants under 42 U.S.C. § 1437f. [1]
Here are the 2024 HUD Very Low Income (50% AMI) limits for key New Mexico areas, by household size:
| Area | 1-person | 2-person | 4-person | 6-person | 8-person |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque MSA | $27,200 | $31,050 | $38,800 | $45,900 | $52,950 |
| Santa Fe MSA | $38,350 | $43,800 | $54,650 | $64,700 | $74,700 |
| Las Cruces MSA | $23,550 | $26,900 | $33,600 | $39,750 | $45,850 |
| Farmington MSA | $27,500 | $31,450 | $39,300 | $46,500 | $53,650 |
| Non-metro rural NM (statewide floor) | $20,350 | $23,250 | $29,050 | $34,350 | $39,650 |
These figures come straight from HUD's FY2024 Income Limits dataset. [2] If your county isn't a named metro, HUD folds it into a nearby MSA or the statewide non-metro average, so check the official lookup tool at HUD's website instead of trusting a table like this one once the year turns over.
The Extremely Low Income (ELI) limit, set at 30% of AMI, matters too. Federal law requires that at least 75% of new vouchers issued in any year go to ELI households. [1] In Albuquerque for 2024, the ELI limit for a family of four is about $23,300. In Santa Fe it runs closer to $32,800. So the household most likely to actually get pulled off a New Mexico waitlist is one earning under the ELI line, more than under the VLI line.
How does HUD calculate the Area Median Income that drives these limits?
HUD starts with Census Bureau American Community Survey data on median family income for each area, then applies statistical adjustments and a national trend factor to estimate the current year's AMI. The formula carries layers of rounding and hold-harmless provisions that keep limits from dropping year over year in most places. [11]
New Mexico's statewide median family income for 2024 sits in the low-to-mid $70,000s, well below the national family-level median of roughly $96,000. That gap is the whole reason New Mexico's Section 8 ceilings look modest next to, say, the San Francisco Bay Area or the New York metro. For contrast, New York City's 50% AMI limit for a family of four tops $76,000, and Oakland's very low-income limit for 2024 lands around $76,900 for a four-person household [2], both driven by local wages and rents that dwarf rural New Mexico's. The New York and Oakland numbers run through the exact same HUD framework. They just produce ceilings two to three times higher because their AMIs are two to three times New Mexico's rural figures.
HUD updates limits once a year, and the effective date is usually the date of the spring Federal Register notice. New Mexico PHAs apply the new limits to applicants coming off waitlists starting that date. That means the year your name comes up matters more than the year you first applied.
Which New Mexico housing authorities administer Section 8, and do limits differ by PHA?
The income limits don't change by PHA within the same geographic area. Every housing authority in Albuquerque uses the identical Albuquerque MSA limits HUD published. What changes between PHAs is how hard each one targets the lowest-income applicants, whether it runs local preferences, and how many vouchers it actually has to hand out.
New Mexico's main PHAs:
- Albuquerque Housing Authority (AHA): Covers Bernalillo County. Largest PHA in the state by voucher count.
- New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA): The state housing finance agency, which runs a statewide voucher program (sometimes called the NM Voucher Program) for areas with no local PHA.
- Santa Fe Civic Housing Authority: Covers the city of Santa Fe and nearby areas.
- Las Cruces Housing Authority: Covers Doña Ana County.
- Farmington, Roswell, and Gallup housing authorities: Smaller city-level programs.
The MFA's statewide program carries a lot of weight in rural New Mexico, where many counties have no local office at all. [3] Rural applicants usually land at MFA rather than a city PHA.
Every PHA in the state has to follow HUD's income limit tables. A PHA can set local preferences (veterans, survivors of domestic violence, current residents) that decide who gets called off the list first. It cannot raise or lower the qualifying income thresholds.
What counts as income for Section 8 eligibility in New Mexico?
HUD's definition of annual income is wider than most people expect. Under 24 CFR § 5.609, gross income takes in wages, salaries, tips, net self-employment income, Social Security and SSI, pensions, alimony and child support actually received, interest and dividend income, and other recurring payments. [4]
What doesn't count: lump-sum inheritances, one-time insurance settlements, income excluded by federal statute (including the income of full-time students other than the head of household and spouse, up to certain limits), and the earned income of minors. That student exclusion trips up a lot of families with a college-age kid living at home.
The PHA verifies income through HUD's Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) system, which pulls wage and benefit data from Social Security and state unemployment records automatically. They'll also ask for pay stubs, bank statements, and tax returns. Seasonal income gets annualized based on recent pay history.
Self-employed? The PHA uses net income after legitimate business expenses, not gross revenue, and depreciation usually gets added back in. If your reported taxable income looks unusually low next to your actual lifestyle, expect the PHA to look harder at your assets, since a large asset base can impute income under HUD rules.
What income limits apply to households of different sizes in New Mexico?
HUD scales the four-person base up or down by household size. The factors run roughly: 70% for one person, 80% for two, 90% for three, 100% for four, 108% for five, 116% for six, 124% for seven, and 132% for eight. [2] Treat those as approximate. HUD rounds and applies local adjustments, so the published numbers shift a little.
For households over eight, PHAs add 8% of the four-person limit per additional member, though that's rare.
This scaling matters a lot here. Plenty of New Mexico families, especially in Native communities, live in larger multigenerational households. A six-person household in the Albuquerque MSA has a 50% AMI limit of about $45,900, roughly 18% above the four-person line of $38,800. Checking your actual household-size limit is the difference between assuming you're over income and finding out you qualify.
Household size counts everyone expected to live in the unit, including kids in shared custody who are there at least half the time, plus a live-in aide if someone in the household has a disability.
Does New Mexico have income limits for elderly or disabled Section 8 applicants?
Elderly (62 and older) and disabled households qualify under the same income limit tables as everyone else. The thresholds don't budge. What's different is how certain income gets treated and which deductions apply.
Under 24 CFR § 5.611, elderly and disabled households get a $400 annual deduction from annual income, plus a deduction for unreimbursed medical expenses over 3% of gross annual income. [4] These deductions lower the income figure the PHA uses to set your tenant rent contribution. They don't lower the threshold used to decide eligibility. You still have to land at or below the VLI limit to get on the waitlist.
Some New Mexico PHAs also run Project-Based Voucher programs attached to senior developments. The low income senior housing picture here includes both project-based and tenant-based options, and income limits can differ slightly between them depending on the contract. Ask the PHA which limit applies to the specific program you're after.
Disabled applicants should also ask about HUD's Mainstream Voucher Program and Section 811 housing. Both sit outside the standard HCV program, with separate waitlists and slightly different income targeting.
How do the income limits work when you're already on the program (annual recertification)?
Getting on the program and staying on it run by different rules. Once you hold a voucher, rising above the VLI limit doesn't get you terminated. HUD's rules let you keep participating as long as you follow program requirements and pay your share of the rent. [1]
At annual recertification, your income gets re-verified so the PHA can recalculate your rent contribution. Income up means your tenant share goes up, but the voucher stays. There's a statutory ceiling: once your income clears 80% of AMI (the Low Income limit) you generally can't be newly admitted to the program, but existing participants are protected.
Here's the one way rising income can quietly end your participation. When your income climbs high enough that your tenant rent share equals or passes the full contract rent, the subsidy hits $0. The voucher technically stays yours, but it's paying nothing. If your income later drops, you'd contact the PHA to reactivate the subsidy.
New Mexico PHAs recertify every year, though some have shifted to biennial recertification for fixed-income households (mostly elderly and disabled people on Social Security), which HUD now permits under the HOTMA rules. [6]
What happens to your Section 8 eligibility if you move to a different New Mexico county?
Portability under the Housing Choice Voucher program lets you move your voucher anywhere in the country after you've been on the program 12 months, and sometimes sooner if you meet an exception. [1] Inside New Mexico you can port between PHAs, but the income limits and payment standards that apply to your new unit are the receiving PHA's, not your original one's.
That matters in a state this spread out. Say you hold an Albuquerque Housing Authority voucher and want Santa Fe. After the move, the Santa Fe Civic Housing Authority's payment standards and income math apply at recertification. Santa Fe's higher AMI means higher payment standards, which can buy a better unit for the same out-of-pocket share.
New applicants have it simpler: apply to the PHA covering the area where you want to live. Your income gets tested against that area's limits. Applying to a lower-AMI rural PHA when your income is moderate might qualify you there but not in Albuquerque, or the reverse.
Hunting for units? Tools like go section 8 list voucher-accepting landlords by location and help you see where your voucher stretches further across New Mexico's markets.
How do New Mexico's income limits compare to other states?
New Mexico's income limits sit among the lowest in the lower 48, which tracks with the state's below-average median family income. Line them up against high-cost areas and the gap is hard to miss.
| State/Area | 4-person Very Low Income (50% AMI) 2024 |
|---|---|
| Santa Fe, NM | $54,650 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $38,800 |
| Las Cruces, NM | $33,600 |
| Rural NM (non-metro) | $29,050 |
| New York City, NY | $76,400 |
| Albany, NY | ~$46,900 |
| Oakland/Alameda County, CA | $76,900 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $43,450 |
| Austin, TX | $55,350 |
All 2024 HUD data. [2] New York's limits swing widely by region; New York City's are roughly double what rural upstate counties see. Oakland's sit near the top nationally, driven by Bay Area housing costs.
Lower limits in New Mexico mean a smaller slice of the population technically qualifies. The flip side: when a voucher does come through, it tends to cover a bigger chunk of actual rent in rural and mid-tier New Mexico markets than a voucher covers in New York or California.
If you're a New Mexico landlord weighing the program, know that your local payment standard (what HUD pays toward rent) runs off the same local AMI calculation. VoucherReady's landlord kit walks through how payment standards get set and what to expect from inspection and rent approval in New Mexico specifically.
How do you apply for Section 8 in New Mexico and what do you need to prove your income?
Applications go straight to the PHA serving your area. Most New Mexico PHAs run online applications now, though some smaller offices still take paper during open enrollment. Albuquerque Housing Authority and MFA both have online portals. Check each PHA directly for current waitlist status, since most sit closed to new applicants for long stretches. [3]
To prove income at application, you'll usually need:
- Recent pay stubs (last 2-3 months)
- Most recent federal tax return (Form 1040)
- Social Security or SSI award letters
- Documentation of any other recurring income
- Bank statements for the past 2-3 months
The PHA also runs EIV verification. Gaps between what you report and what EIV finds trigger requests for more documentation and slow your application down.
Waitlists here are long, same as most of the country. Albuquerque's list has historically run two to five years when open. The MFA statewide list and Santa Fe's list have both been closed for long stretches. Check the open section 8 waiting lists page for current status before you sink time into an application that goes nowhere.
New Mexico's rental assistance options run past Section 8 too: LIHTC properties, HUD-subsidized multifamily housing, and state emergency rental assistance. If the voucher waitlist is closed, chase those at the same time.
Can landlords in New Mexico refuse Section 8 and does income limit status affect that?
New Mexico's Human Rights Act, as interpreted by the state Human Rights Bureau, treats source of income as a protected characteristic in some jurisdictions, but statewide source-of-income protection for voucher holders is not uniformly enacted across every New Mexico city and county as of 2024. [7] Some places, Albuquerque included, have local ordinances that go further.
For landlords who accept vouchers, the tenant's income limit status is the PHA's problem, not yours. The PHA certifies eligibility before it issues a voucher. By the time a tenant knocks on your door with one, that income determination is done. What you negotiate is the rent, which has to pass a rent reasonableness test and can't exceed the Payment Standard for the unit size and location. [8]
Landlords weighing the program can find the inspection process, rent approval steps, and payment structure broken down in the hud housing section. The economics swing by market. In tight markets like Santa Fe, the Payment Standard often covers competitive rents. In softer markets, that same standard can feel tight next to open-market rent.
New to the program? VoucherReady's one-time landlord kit covers the New Mexico inspection checklist, how to read a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract, and what to do when a tenant's subsidy shifts at recertification.
Frequently asked questions
What is the income limit for Section 8 in Albuquerque, NM in 2024?
For 2024, the Very Low Income (50% AMI) limit for the Albuquerque MSA is $27,200 for a one-person household and $38,800 for a four-person household. The Extremely Low Income (30% AMI) limit for a family of four is about $23,300. These figures come from HUD's FY2024 Income Limits dataset and update each spring.
What is the income limit for Section 8 in Santa Fe, NM?
The 2024 Very Low Income limit for the Santa Fe MSA is $38,350 for a single person and $54,650 for a four-person household. Santa Fe has the highest Section 8 income limits in New Mexico because its Area Median Income is the highest in the state, pushed up by tourism-sector wages and a sizable high-income professional class.
How often do New Mexico Section 8 income limits change?
HUD updates income limits every year, usually publishing new figures in April through a Federal Register notice. New Mexico PHAs apply the updated limits to applicants coming off waitlists starting on the effective date. Limits rarely fall; HUD's hold-harmless provisions block decreases in most years even when local incomes dip a little.
Can you be over income and still get a Section 8 voucher in New Mexico?
No. To be admitted, your household income has to fall at or below the Very Low Income limit (50% of Area Median Income) for your county or metro. At least 75% of new vouchers must go to Extremely Low Income households (30% AMI or below). Once you hold a voucher your income can rise without automatic termination, but you can't enter the program above the VLI threshold.
Does New Mexico count Social Security income toward Section 8 eligibility?
Yes. Social Security retirement and disability (SSDI) payments count as income under HUD's definition in 24 CFR § 5.609, and SSI counts too. Elderly and disabled households get a $400 annual deduction and can deduct unreimbursed medical expenses over 3% of income when the PHA calculates their tenant rent contribution, though those deductions don't apply to the initial eligibility test.
How does household size affect the income limit in New Mexico?
HUD scales income limits up for larger households. A one-person household qualifies at about 70% of the four-person limit, and a six-person household at about 116% of it. In Albuquerque that means a six-person household can earn up to roughly $45,900 and still qualify at the 50% AMI level, compared to $38,800 for a family of four.
What is the MFA Section 8 program in New Mexico and how do its income limits work?
The New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority runs a statewide Housing Choice Voucher program for areas without a local PHA, mostly rural counties. Its income limits follow the same HUD tables as local PHAs, assigned by county. For rural non-metro areas, MFA uses the statewide non-metro limits, the lowest in the state: about $29,050 for a family of four at the 50% AMI level in 2024.
Is there a minimum income requirement for Section 8 in New Mexico?
No. The program has income ceilings, not floors, so there's no federal minimum. Households with zero income can qualify. In practice, a zero-income household pays a minimum rent set by the PHA (often $25 to $50 per month under local policy) rather than nothing, but that minimum rent is not an income requirement for eligibility.
How do New Mexico Section 8 income limits compare to New York State?
New York's limits run much higher. In New York City, the 2024 Very Low Income limit for a family of four is about $76,400, against $38,800 in Albuquerque and $29,050 in rural New Mexico. That reflects the huge gap in Area Median Income between New York's metros and New Mexico's markets. Even upstate New York areas average around $46,900 for a four-person household at 50% AMI.
What is the income limit for Section 8 in rural New Mexico counties?
For non-metropolitan counties, HUD uses a statewide non-metro income limit. In 2024, the Very Low Income (50% AMI) limit is about $20,350 for a single person and $29,050 for a four-person household. That's the lowest ceiling in the state, and it applies to any county not folded into a named MSA.
Do Native American households on tribal land in New Mexico use different Section 8 income limits?
Tribal housing authorities that run their own HCV programs may use Tribal-specific income limits set by HUD's Office of Native American Programs (ONAP), which can differ from the county-level limits regular PHAs use. If you're applying through a Tribal housing entity like the Navajo Housing Authority, ask which limits they use, since ONAP limits publish separately from the standard HUD dataset.
How long is the Section 8 waitlist in New Mexico, and does my current income affect my place on the list?
Waitlists can run two to five years or more when open. Your current income doesn't affect your position; PHAs order by lottery or date of application, modified by local preferences like veteran or displaced-family status. Your income at the time your name is called, not when you applied, decides eligibility. If your income has climbed above the VLI limit by then, you won't qualify.
Can a single person qualify for Section 8 in New Mexico, and what is the income limit?
Yes, single-person households qualify. For 2024, the one-person Very Low Income limit is $27,200 in the Albuquerque MSA, $38,350 in the Santa Fe MSA, $23,550 in the Las Cruces MSA, and about $20,350 in rural non-metro areas. A single person typically gets a voucher for a studio or one-bedroom, which also affects the payment standard.
Sources
- U.S. Code, 42 U.S.C. § 1437f (Housing Act of 1937, Section 8 statutory authority): VLI (50% AMI) is the statutory income ceiling for most HCV admissions; at least 75% of new vouchers must go to ELI (30% AMI) households
- HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY2024 Income Limits documentation: FY2024 Very Low Income and Extremely Low Income limits by metro/non-metro area for all U.S. counties including New Mexico
- New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, Housing Choice Voucher Program: MFA administers the statewide HCV program for New Mexico areas not served by a local PHA
- Code of Federal Regulations, 24 CFR Part 5, Subpart F (HUD definition of annual income and deductions): HUD's definition of gross income under 24 CFR § 5.609 and allowable deductions including elderly/disabled deductions under § 5.611
- HUD, Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA) implementation guidance, PIH Notice 2023-34: HOTMA permits biennial recertification for fixed-income elderly and disabled households
- New Mexico Human Rights Bureau, protected classes and housing: New Mexico Human Rights Act and local interpretation regarding source of income as a protected class in housing
- HUD, Housing Choice Voucher Program regulations, 24 CFR Part 982: Rent reasonableness requirements and payment standard rules that cap what HUD pays toward rent in the HCV program
- HUD, How Income Limits Are Calculated (methodology document): HUD uses ACS median family income data with trend factor adjustments and hold-harmless provisions to calculate AMI-based limits