California · San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area
LIHTC income and rent limits: Santa Clara County, CA
For 2026, a household of four in Santa Clara County qualifies for a 60% tax credit unit with income up to $123,300, or $102,750 for a 50% unit. The most a 60% two-bedroom can charge in gross rent, utilities included, is $2,775 a month. HUD's area median family income here is $205,500.
Four-person limits by income level
- 20% $41,100
- 30% $61,650
- 40% $82,200
- 50% $102,750
- 60% $123,300
- 70% $143,850
- 80% $164,400
| Level | 1 person | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people | 5 people | 6 people | 7 people | 8 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20% AMI | $28,780 | $32,880 | $37,000 | $41,100 | $44,400 | $47,680 | $50,980 | $54,260 |
| 30% AMI | $43,170 | $49,320 | $55,500 | $61,650 | $66,600 | $71,520 | $76,470 | $81,390 |
| 40% AMI | $57,560 | $65,760 | $74,000 | $82,200 | $88,800 | $95,360 | $101,960 | $108,520 |
| 50% AMI | $71,950 | $82,200 | $92,500 | $102,750 | $111,000 | $119,200 | $127,450 | $135,650 |
| 60% AMI | $86,340 | $98,640 | $111,000 | $123,300 | $133,200 | $143,040 | $152,940 | $162,780 |
| 70% AMI | $100,730 | $115,080 | $129,500 | $143,850 | $155,400 | $166,880 | $178,430 | $189,910 |
| 80% AMI | $115,120 | $131,520 | $148,000 | $164,400 | $177,600 | $190,720 | $203,920 | $217,040 |
| Level | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 5 BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20% AMI | $719 | $770 | $925 | $1,068 | $1,192 | $1,315 |
| 30% AMI | $1,079 | $1,156 | $1,387 | $1,603 | $1,788 | $1,973 |
| 40% AMI | $1,439 | $1,541 | $1,850 | $2,137 | $2,384 | $2,631 |
| 50% AMI | $1,798 | $1,926 | $2,312 | $2,671 | $2,980 | $3,288 |
| 60% AMI | $2,158 | $2,312 | $2,775 | $3,206 | $3,576 | $3,946 |
| 70% AMI | $2,518 | $2,697 | $3,237 | $3,740 | $4,172 | $4,604 |
| 80% AMI | $2,878 | $3,083 | $3,700 | $4,275 | $4,768 | $5,262 |
Source: HUD FY2026 Multifamily Tax Subsidy Project income limits (MTSP-Data-FY26 and MTSP-IncAvg-Data-FY26, HUD files dated March 27, 2026). Rents: 30% of the limit for 1 person (studio) or 1.5 people per bedroom, averaging adjacent sizes for fractional counts, divided by 12 and rounded down (IRS Publication 5913, Form 8823 Guide). State agencies publish their own charts and audit against them; some round differently.
HERA Special limits apply in this area. This is a "HUD hold harmless impacted" area under IRC 142(d)(2)(E), so projects placed in service here by December 31, 2008 use these higher limits instead: four-person $133,740 at 60% and $111,450 at 50%, which puts a 60% two-bedroom at $3,010. Projects placed in service after 2008 use the regular limits above.
For developers
66 census tracts in Santa Clara County are Qualified Census Tracts on HUD's 2027 list. 25 ZIP code areas in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area are 2027 Small DDAs. Check a specific site with the QCT and DDA lookup, then size the credits in the estimator.
For renters
HUD's database lists 292 tax credit properties in Santa Clara County still monitored by the state, with 29,147 income-restricted apartments. Each unit is set at one of the levels above, most often 60%, and its rent is capped by its size, not set by your income.
Properties by city: San Jose (172), Morgan Hill (21), Gilroy (20), Mountain View (18), Santa Clara (18), Palo Alto (14), Sunnyvale (12), Campbell (7).
All 4,764 areas as one file: MTSP limits download (CSV and JSON).