Section 8 income limits in Indiana: 2024-2025 guide

Last updated 2026-07-09

What are the Section 8 income limits in Indiana?

There is no single Indiana number. HUD publishes income limits every year, and they change by county because each county sits inside an "area" with its own median income. ^[1]

HUD sets three thresholds for the Housing Choice Voucher program:

• Extremely low income: 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for your county
• Very low income: 50% AMI
• Low income: 80% AMI

Qualifying means landing at or below 80% AMI. But federal law tells housing authorities to send at least 75% of new vouchers to households at or below 30% AMI. ^[2] So if your income sits between 50% and 80% AMI, you can technically qualify and still wait a very long time.

Here's the spread. In the Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson metro (Marion, Hamilton, Hendricks, Boone, and nearby counties), HUD's FY 2024 very low-income limit for a four-person household is $50,150. A single person's limit there is $35,150. Drop down to Muncie (Delaware County) and the four-person 50% limit falls to $33,900. Rural counties run lower still, though HUD applies a national floor so no area drops below a set minimum. ^[1]

The table below shows FY 2024 HUD income limits for selected Indiana areas at the 50% AMI (Very Low Income) line, which is the number most people mean when they ask about Section 8 eligibility:

Metro / County Area	1 Person	2 Person	4 Person	6 Person
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson	$35,150	$40,150	$50,150	$60,200
Fort Wayne (Allen Co.)	$30,450	$34,800	$43,450	$52,100
South Bend-Mishawaka	$29,050	$33,200	$41,500	$49,800
Evansville, IN-KY	$27,550	$31,500	$39,350	$47,200
Muncie (Delaware Co.)	$23,750	$27,150	$33,900	$40,700
Terre Haute (Vigo Co.)	$24,850	$28,400	$35,450	$42,550
Gary / Northwest Indiana	$30,450	$34,800	$43,450	$52,100
Non-metro rural Indiana	~$23,950	~$27,350	~$34,150	~$40,950

*Source: HUD FY 2024 Income Limits, Section 8 Program; figures rounded to nearest $50. Always verify at HUD's income limit tool for your exact county.* ^[1]

These numbers reset each year, usually in the spring. HUD released the FY 2025 limits in April 2025, and several areas saw modest bumps as area median incomes rose.

How does HUD calculate Indiana's area median income?

HUD builds each area's limit from Census data, then smooths it. It starts with American Community Survey (ACS) figures to estimate the median family income, applies statistical adjustments, and runs a "hold harmless" policy that keeps limits from falling sharply year to year. ^[3]

Indiana counties get grouped into metro statistical areas (MSAs) defined by the Office of Management and Budget. A county outside any MSA gets a statewide non-metro median, or a county-specific estimate if the data is strong enough. That grouping is why Allen County (Fort Wayne) and Marion County (Indianapolis) land on different limits even though both are big urban counties.

Once HUD has the AMI figure, it calculates the 30%, 50%, and 80% thresholds and adjusts each by household size on a fixed scale. A one-person household gets roughly 70% of the four-person limit; an eight-person household gets roughly 132%. ^[1] National income floors kick in at the bottom, which is why even the lowest-income rural counties don't sink below a set minimum.

The whole dataset is public. Look up any Indiana county at HUD's official income limits page and download the raw Excel file that covers every area in the country.

Which Indiana housing authority administers your voucher?

Where you want to live decides which office you deal with. Indiana has dozens of local public housing authorities (PHAs), and each one runs its own waitlist. The big ones:

• Indianapolis Housing Agency (IHA): Covers Marion County and is one of the largest in the state
• Fort Wayne Housing Authority: Covers Allen County
• South Bend Housing Authority: Covers St. Joseph County
• Gary Housing Authority: Covers Lake County
• Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA): A state-level authority that runs vouchers in some areas and manages the state's rental assistance programs

Each housing authority checks you against HUD's published limits for its own county or metro. Apply to the Indianapolis Housing Agency and your eligibility runs against the Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson limits, never the statewide average. ^[8]

That difference is real money. Someone earning $38,000 a year might be income-eligible in Indianapolis (where the four-person 50% AMI is $50,150) and over-income in Muncie (where it's $33,900). Same salary, different answer. Check the limits for the exact authority you're applying to.

VoucherReady's free eligibility screener tells you which Indiana PHAs have open waitlists and whether your income fits each one, so you skip the round of clicking through separate authority sites.

How do household size and composition affect Indiana income limits?

The limit climbs with household size, and it climbs faster than most people guess. A family of six in Indianapolis has a 50% AMI limit of $60,200. A family of four sits at $50,150. A single person, $35,150. ^[1]

HUD counts everyone who will live in the unit: children, elderly parents, and live-in aides for people with disabilities. But it leaves out income from certain sources:

• Income of children under 18
• Earned income of full-time students above a small threshold
• Some disability assistance payments
• Other deductions spelled out in 24 CFR Part 5 ^[5]

HUD's definition of "annual income" under 24 CFR 5.609 covers wages, salaries, tips, net self-employment income, Social Security, pensions, and most regular payments. It excludes temporary employment income and most lump-sum payments. The math gets fiddly, and the PHA is the final judge of what counts. If you're self-employed or your income jumps around, expect the authority to ask for multiple years of tax returns.

One thing people mix up: the income limit is not the payment standard, and it's not the rent you'll pay. The income limit only decides whether you can get on the waitlist. What you actually pay depends on your household's adjusted income, the local payment standard, and the unit's rent.

What is the income limit for Section 8 in Indiana for 2024 vs. 2023?

HUD releases updated limits each fiscal year, usually in March or April, and the FY 2024 numbers took effect April 1, 2024. Most Indiana metros saw 50% AMI limits rise roughly 5 to 9% over FY 2023, a reflection of wage growth pushing area median incomes up since the pandemic. ^[1]

Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson moved from about $46,850 in FY 2023 to $50,150 in FY 2024 for a four-person household, a jump near 7%. Fort Wayne's four-person 50% limit went from roughly $40,600 to $43,450. Slower markets like Muncie and Terre Haute saw smaller increases, because their median incomes grew less.

FY 2025 limits, out in spring 2025, follow the same shape. Were you borderline ineligible in 2023? Recheck. The rising limits may have pulled you back into range.

For current figures, use HUD's official income limits tool, not any third-party source (this article included; it reflects 2024 data as published). Treat the numbers here as orientation. The HUD page is the governing document.

How do Indiana income limits compare to other states?

Indiana sits in the middle of the pack, well below the coasts. People search for section 8 NJ income limits, minnesota section 8 income limits, or maryland section 8 income limits to size up Indiana against them, and the gap is wide.

For a four-person household at 50% AMI:

State / Metro	4-Person 50% AMI Limit (approx. FY 2024)
Newark, NJ (Essex Co.)	$68,950
Bergen Co., NJ	$87,300
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN	$65,600
Baltimore, MD	$68,400
Indianapolis, IN	$50,150
Fort Wayne, IN	$43,450
Rural Indiana	~$34,150

*Sources: HUD FY 2024 Income Limits by metro area.* ^[1]

The gap matters for two reasons. If you're thinking about porting a voucher from Indiana to New Jersey or Minnesota, your voucher was issued under Indiana limits but you'd spend it in a far pricier market. Porting is allowed under the housing choice voucher program, and the receiving PHA recalculates your subsidy against its own payment standard, not Indiana's. The second reason: a salary that makes you over-income in Bergen County, NJ can make you easily eligible in Muncie, IN.

So Indiana's limits are moderate. Below the big coastal metros, roughly in line with the rest of the Midwest. Someone earning $40,000 a year could qualify in most Indiana counties, though that same income puts a single-person applicant over the line in many rural counties.

What other eligibility requirements apply beyond income?

Income gets you through the first door. It doesn't get you the voucher on its own. Indiana PHAs also check: ^[8]

Citizenship or immigration status. At least one household member has to be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen. Mixed-status households can get prorated assistance.

Social Security numbers. Every family member has to provide an SSN, with limited exceptions for non-citizens without eligible status.

Criminal background. PHAs can deny applicants over certain drug-related or violent convictions. Indiana PHAs differ on how far back they look and which offenses trigger a denial. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) shields survivors of domestic violence from some of these denials. ^[10]

Prior lease violations or unpaid housing authority debt. Owe money to a past housing authority, or get evicted from a housing authority unit for cause, and you'll likely be turned down.

Student status. A full-time student who isn't living with parents, isn't a veteran, isn't married, and doesn't meet certain other conditions is ineligible. This one blindsides a lot of applicants.

Most PHAs lay out their exact requirements in their administrative plan, a public document you can request. Read it before you apply.

How do you apply for Section 8 in Indiana?

You apply straight to a local PHA, not to HUD and not to the state. And you can only apply when a waiting list is open. Most Indiana lists have stayed closed for years, opening for a short window (sometimes just a few days) when a PHA figures it can serve new applicants within a reasonable time. ^[8]

To find open lists right now, check open Section 8 waiting lists resources, the IHCDA website, or call individual PHAs. The Indianapolis Housing Agency announces openings on its site and takes online applications.

When you apply, you'll hand over:

• Names, dates of birth, and SSNs for everyone in the household
• Proof of current income (pay stubs, benefit award letters, tax returns)
• Current address and landlord contact
• Any documents for special preferences (veteran status, disability, current homelessness)

The PHA puts you on the waitlist. When you reach the top, they verify your income and eligibility then, not at the time you applied. So if your income shifts between application and selection, they re-run the math with current figures.

Wait times swing hard. The Indianapolis Housing Agency has run waitlists measured in years. Smaller rural PHAs sometimes move faster, but they hold far fewer vouchers. There's no shortcut past the waitlist except a local preference category. Many PHAs bump homeless individuals, veterans, or people displaced by disasters to the front.

Does working affect your Section 8 eligibility in Indiana?

Yes, and this trips people up more than almost anything else. On the waitlist, your income at selection decides whether you're still eligible. Once you have the voucher and you're housed, your income sets your share of the rent, not whether you keep the voucher.

Earn more while you hold a voucher and your rent contribution rises. Earn enough to cover the full rent and, technically, you no longer need the subsidy, but the voucher doesn't switch off on its own. Most PHAs run annual reviews and would zero out the subsidy at that point. If your income drops later, the subsidy can start again.

The HCV program has an "earned income disallowance" for persons with disabilities: for up to 24 months, earned income from new employment or a raise doesn't count toward your rent. It's a real reason to take a job, and a lot of people never hear about it. ^[5]

For most non-disabled adult voucher holders, federal HCV rules carry no strict work requirement, though some PHAs run self-sufficiency programs and some local preferences favor working families. Working never disqualifies you. It just raises your rent share on a sliding scale.

How do Indiana income limits work for landlords accepting Section 8?

If you rent property in Indiana and you're weighing a voucher tenant, the income limits matter to you as background, not as a task. They're the hurdle tenants clear before they get a voucher. By the time a voucher holder calls you, the PHA has already found them income-eligible.

Here's what actually touches your bottom line. The PHA pays its share of rent directly to you, based on the local payment standard (a separate figure from the income limit, set by each PHA as a percentage of fair market rent). ^[9] The tenant pays the rest. For a fuller walk through the landlord side, the HUD housing program pages and our landlord kit cover the inspection process, lease terms, and payment timing.

Renting to Section 8 houses for rent applicants in Indiana has gotten easier to manage in recent years. Several Indiana cities have passed source-of-income protections, so you may not be allowed to refuse a tenant solely because they hold a voucher. Check your city and county ordinances before you post a listing.

The VoucherReady landlord kit has a plain-language checklist for setting up your first voucher tenant, including the HAP contract, inspection prep, and what to do when a payment runs late.

Where can you find the official Indiana Section 8 income limit numbers?

HUD's official income limits page is the one source that matters, and it updates every spring. ^[1] The page at huduser.gov lets you pull any Indiana county or metro by name and read the exact dollar thresholds for every household size at all three income levels (30%, 50%, 80% AMI).

A few other spots worth a look:

• IHCDA (Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority): ihcda.in.gov has state-specific resources and links to local PHA contacts
• Individual PHA websites: The Indianapolis Housing Agency, Fort Wayne Housing Authority, and others post administrative plans that cite the current limits
• 24 CFR Part 5, Subpart F: The federal rule defining how income is calculated and what counts ^[5]

The statutory basis sits in the U.S. Housing Act of 1937, as amended, at 42 U.S.C. 1437a, which directs HUD to set the low-income ceiling at 80% of area median income and the very low-income ceiling at 50%. ^[2] Later amendments added the 30% threshold to push the most need-intensive households to the front of the line.

Want the raw data? HUD releases the full income limits dataset as an Excel file on huduser.gov each year. It covers every county, metro, and non-metro area in the country, so you can cross-check Indiana against NJ, Minnesota, Maryland, and the rest in one file. ^[11]

Frequently asked questions

What is the income limit for Section 8 in Indiana for a family of four in 2024?

For most Indiana counties in 2024, a family of four has to earn at or below about $50,150 (Indianapolis metro) down to $33,900 (Muncie area) to qualify at the very low-income (50% AMI) level. The exact number depends on your county. Use HUD's income limits tool at huduser.gov to look up your specific area.

What is the income limit for a single person applying for Section 8 in Indiana?

For a one-person household, Indiana 50% AMI limits run from about $23,750 in the lowest-income counties to $35,150 in the Indianapolis metro. That's the very low-income threshold. You may technically qualify up to 80% AMI, but most vouchers go to applicants at or below 30% AMI because of federal targeting rules.

How often do Indiana Section 8 income limits change?

HUD updates income limits each fiscal year, releasing new figures in March or April. For most Indiana areas, limits have risen roughly 5 to 9% per year lately as area median incomes climb. FY 2025 limits replaced FY 2024 limits in spring 2025. Check HUD's official page rather than leaning on figures that may be a year or two old.

Does Indiana count all income sources when determining Section 8 eligibility?

Most regular income counts: wages, self-employment, Social Security, pensions, child support, and similar payments. Some sources don't: income of children under 18, a portion of earned income for persons with disabilities under the earned income disallowance, and other deductions under 24 CFR Part 5. Self-employment income is figured as net profit, and PHAs usually average it over two years.

Can I get Section 8 in Indiana if I'm a full-time college student?

Generally no, if you're a single full-time student who doesn't meet an exception. Federal rules exclude most full-time students unless they're married, have dependent children living with them, are a veteran, or meet certain other criteria. This rule is national, not specific to Indiana. Check with the specific PHA for how it reads edge cases.

Are Indiana Section 8 income limits the same as income limits for public housing?

No. Public housing and the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program both use HUD's income limits framework, but eligibility cutoffs and prioritization can differ a bit between programs. For HCV, the key threshold is 50% AMI for initial eligibility, with 75% of new vouchers reserved for households at or below 30% AMI. Public housing may apply different preferences.

How do Indiana Section 8 income limits compare to New Jersey's limits?

New Jersey limits run much higher because NJ area median incomes are higher. A four-person household in Newark has a 50% AMI limit around $68,950; Bergen County is about $87,300. Indianapolis sits at $50,150 for the same size. Someone earning $55,000 a year would likely be over-income in most of Indiana but could still qualify in parts of NJ.

Can I transfer (port) my Indiana Section 8 voucher to another state?

Yes. After 12 months of holding a voucher (or immediately if you're moving closer to a job or for other approved reasons), you can port to another state. The receiving PHA applies its own payment standards and income limits going forward. Your subsidy amount can change a lot if you move to a higher-cost area like NJ or the Minneapolis metro.

What happens to my Section 8 if my income goes up after I get a voucher in Indiana?

You report the income change at your annual recertification, or sooner per your PHA's rules. Your rent contribution goes up, because you pay roughly 30% of your adjusted monthly income. The voucher doesn't vanish unless your income rises high enough to cover the full rent, at which point the subsidy drops to zero. It can restart if income falls again.

Do Indiana PHAs give any preference to working families or veterans when income limits are the same?

Many do. Local preferences are set by each PHA in its administrative plan. Common ones include veteran status, current homelessness, persons with disabilities, and residents of the PHA's jurisdiction. Some PHAs also prefer working families. These preferences move you up the waitlist relative to others at the same income level, but you still have to meet the income limits.

Is there an asset limit for Section 8 in Indiana in addition to income limits?

The Housing Choice Voucher program has no hard asset limit, but assets generate income that counts toward your annual income. For households with net assets over $5,000, HUD rules require PHAs to impute a return on those assets (using HUD's passbook savings rate) and count it as income. That can affect both eligibility and rent share for households with real savings or property.

Where can I find Indiana PHAs with open Section 8 waitlists right now?

Start with the IHCDA website (ihcda.in.gov) and individual PHA sites. Indianapolis Housing Agency, Fort Wayne Housing Authority, and others post waitlist status. HUD also runs a resource locator at hud.gov. Lists open and close without much warning, so check often. Some PHAs use lotteries when they open, so applying on day one still helps.

Do Section 8 income limits in Indiana apply differently to elderly or disabled households?

The income thresholds don't change for elderly or disabled status, but these households get extra deductions when the PHA calculates adjusted income for rent, including a $400 household deduction and allowances for medical expenses above 3% of annual income. These deductions lower the rent you pay. They don't move the eligibility cutoff you have to meet at application.

Sources

1. HUD User, FY 2024 Income Limits Documentation: FY 2024 Section 8 income limits by county and metro area for Indiana and all U.S. areas, including 30%, 50%, and 80% AMI thresholds by household size
2. U.S. Code, Housing Act of 1937, 42 U.S.C. 1437a: Federal law setting the 80% low-income and 50% very low-income ceilings and requiring at least 75% of new vouchers to go to households at or below 30% of area median income
3. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey: HUD uses ACS data as the base for calculating area median income used in income limit determinations
4. HUD, 24 CFR Part 5 Subpart F, Income and Rent: Federal regulation defining annual income inclusions and exclusions, earned income disallowance for persons with disabilities, and asset income imputation rules for HCV
5. HUD, Housing Choice Voucher Program: Overview of HCV program structure, including how PHAs administer vouchers, income targeting rules, and eligibility checks beyond income
6. HUD, FY 2024 Fair Market Rents for Indiana: HUD Fair Market Rents for Indiana metro and non-metro areas, used by PHAs to set payment standards
7. U.S. Department of Justice, Violence Against Women Act: VAWA housing protections for survivors of domestic violence, including limits on denials and terminations in federally assisted housing
8. HUD User, Income Limits Datasets: HUD methodology for calculating income limits including hold-harmless provisions and national floor adjustments, plus the downloadable full dataset