Data Dictionary: | Income Limits and Fair Market Rent 2020 |
Data Source: | Social Explorer; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development |
Table: | T2. Median Family Income (2017 5-year ACS) [1] |
T2. | Median Family Income (2017 5-year ACS) | ||||
Universe: Median Family Income (2017 5-year ACS) | |||||
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Median Family Income (MFI) estimates from the 5-year ACS was used by HUD as the basis for calculating HUD's MFIs. Estimates of MFI from this tabulation are used if they are determined to be statistically reliable. The test for reliability is whether the margin of error for the estimate is less than 50% of the estimate itself and whether the ACS estimate is based on at least 100 survey cases.
If an area does not have a reliable 5-year estimate, HUD checks whether the area has had minimally reliable estimates in any of the past 3 years (a minimally reliable estimate is an estimate where the margin of error for the estimate is less than 50% of the estimate itself). If so, the MFI is the average of the inflated ACS estimates. In order to use as much local data as possible, HUD averages the minimally reliable estimates from the last three 5-year ACS estimates.
If an area has not had a minimally reliable estimate in the past 3 years, the estimate from the next larger encompassing geography is used. For example, sub-areas of metropolitan areas would be assigned the MFI estimate of the entire metropolitan area and for non-metropolitan counties, the estimate from all non-metrpolitan potions of the State (state non-metropolitan).
If there is a statistically reliable 1-year ACS estimate of median family income available, HUD replaces the 5-year data with the 1-year data.
Once the appropriate 2017 ACS data has been selected, an inflation factor based on the CBO projection of the national CPI for FY2020 is calculated to inflate the estimate from 2017 to April, 2020 (or mid FY2020). Note: The CPI projection used in this calculation is from the CBO's January 2020 release of it's 10-Year Economic Projections.
Excerpt from: | Methodology for Determining Section 8 Income Limits, Methodology for Calculating FY 2019 Medians, The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) |
Income Limits Technical Documentation -> Methodology for Calculating FY 2019 Medians |
HUD uses the Section 8 program's Fair Market Rent (FMR) area definitions for its median incomes, which means that medians are developed for each metropolitan area, parts of some metropolitan areas, and each non-metropolitan county. For FY 2019, there are two changes to the geographic area definitions used last year. First, the two counties (islands) that comprise the Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI will no longer have medians calculated separately by county; the names of these areas will change from the island names (Kalawao and Maui County) to the metropolitan in FY 2019. Second, Enid, OK is a new metropolitan area, formed out of nonmetropolitan Garfield County.
HUD uses median family income data (as opposed to median household income data) from the American Community Survey (ACS) for all areas in the United States. For Puerto Rico an annual survey is also conducted and is called the Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS). The FY2019 median incomes use survey data from the 2016 ACS and PRCS. The 2016 data are inflated using a Consumer Price Index (CPI) forecast from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) through the midpoint of FY 2019. Island areas (Guam, American Samoa, Northern Marianna Islands, and the Virgin Islands) use income data from a census conducted in 2010 of the previous year's (2009) income data, augmented by the change in the national income between 2009 and 2016 (from the ACS). The same CBO forecast is then applied from mid-2016 to the mid-point of the fiscal year, April 2019.
Footnotes:
1For metropolitan subareas without statistically significant five-year ACS data there is no averaging with past years; the larger metropolitan area is used, which is one-year ACS data.
The major steps for calculating medians2 are detailed below:
HUD uses 2016 ACS or PRCS median family incomes as the basis for FY 2019 medians for all areas designated as Fair Market Rent areas in the US and Puerto Rico. In areas where there is a statistically valid survey estimate using 2016 one-year ACS or PRCS data, that is used. If not, statistically valid 2016 five-year data is used. Where statistically valid five-year data is not available, HUD will average the valid income estimates from the previous three years of ACS or PRCS data or for two of these three years. This data from the current 2016 five-year data will be considered valid if the margin of error of the estimate is less than one-half of the estimate.
This same test will be applied to the 2015 five-year data and the 2014 five-year data, which will be inflated to 2016 using the change in national CPI calculated between 2014 or 2015 and 2016.
Metropolitan subareas, HUD Metro FMR Areas (HMFAs), do not use averaged data from the current and two previous years (adjusted to the current year) if the five-year data is not statistically valid. These subareas use the 2016 ACS data for the larger metropolitan area.
For all places in the US and Puerto Rico:
All estimates (using either one-year data or five-year data) are then trended from 2016 to April 2016, the midpoint of FY 2019.
For the non-Puerto Rico Insular Areas of the United States,3 which currently lack the annual survey of ACS or PRCS, 2010 Decennial Census data were used for the first time in the FY 2016 medians and income limits. This continues to be the basis of the FY 2019 medians and income limits. National ACS income changes are used to update 2010 Decennial Census data to 2016 and then the same CPI forecast trend factor is applied to bring the data forward to the midpoint of FY 2019.
Attachment 1 shows the distribution of changes in median incomes between FY 2018 and FY 2019 for each state and the United States, overall. The distribution of changes is also shown separately for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan portions of each state and the United States.
Attachment 2 shows the median incomes by state and for the United States and the State Metropolitan median incomes and the State Nonmetropolitan medians.
Footnotes:
2Family refers to the Census definition of a family, which is a householder with one or more other persons living in the same household who are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. The definition of family excludes one-person households and multi-person households of unrelated individuals. 3The areas without ACS coverage are the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Marianas Islands. Puerto Rico is covered by the ACS-equivalent Puerto Rico Community Survey.
(100 Percent = FY 2018 Income Level)
Percent Change | ||||||||||||
STATE | less than 80% | 80% to 84.9% | 85% to 89.9% | 90% to 94.9% | 95% to 99.9% | 100% to 105% | 105.1% to 110% | 110.1% to 115% | 115.1% to 120% | 120.1% to 125% | 125.1% or more | Median |
2 | 4 | 1 | 105 | |||||||||
AK | 1 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 102 | ||||
AL | 2 | 6 | 25 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 105 | |||||
AR | 8 | 43 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 103 | ||||||
AZ | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 105 | |||||
CA | 1 | 5 | 20 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 105 | |||
CO | 1 | 1 | 14 | 30 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 103 | ||||
CT | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 104 | ||||||
DE | 1 | 1 | 99 | |||||||||
FL | 4 | 8 | 27 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 103 | |||||
GA | 1 | 7 | 14 | 45 | 23 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 104 | ||
GU | 1 | 105 | ||||||||||
HI | 1 | 3 | 103 | |||||||||
IA | 10 | 57 | 18 | 5 | 104 | |||||||
ID | 1 | 5 | 18 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 104 | |||||
IL | 13 | 53 | 13 | 2 | 103 | |||||||
IN | 1 | 4 | 41 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 104 | |||||
KS | 2 | 7 | 60 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 103 | |||||
KY | 1 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 45 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 103 | ||
LA | 1 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 19 | 8 | 1 | 102 | ||||
MA | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 106 | ||||||
MD | 1 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 103 | ||||||
ME | 2 | 13 | 4 | 104 | ||||||||
MI | 2 | 4 | 49 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 103 | |||||
MN | 1 | 52 | 16 | 1 | 104 | |||||||
MO | 3 | 13 | 58 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 103 | |||||
MS | 4 | 12 | 35 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 103 | |||||
MT | 1 | 7 | 24 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 104 | ||||
NC | 1 | 9 | 50 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 103 | |||||
ND | 2 | 4 | 28 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 103 | ||||
NE | 1 | 6 | 51 | 22 | 8 | 104 | ||||||
NH | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 104 | ||||||
NJ | 1 | 3 | 107 | |||||||||
NM | 1 | 3 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 102 | ||||||
NV | 1 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 105 | |||||||
NY | 2 | 2 | 31 | 10 | 2 | 103 | ||||||
OH | 1 | 7 | 41 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 103 | |||||
OK | 6 | 47 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 103 | |||||
OR | 2 | 1 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 104 | ||||
PA | 5 | 31 | 12 | 3 | 104 | |||||||
PR | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 110 | |||||
RI | 4 | 2 | 103 | |||||||||
SC | 1 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 104 | |||
SD | 1 | 1 | 10 | 28 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 103 | |||
TN | 1 | 1 | 10 | 40 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 103 | ||||
TX | 1 | 5 | 34 | 111 | 42 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 104 | |||
UT | 7 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 103 | ||||||
VA | 1 | 10 | 29 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 104 | |||||
VI | 3 | 105 | ||||||||||
VT | 1 | 9 | 2 | 103 | ||||||||
WA | 1 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 105 | |||||
WI | 1 | 1 | 2 | 43 | 14 | 1 | 103 | |||||
WV | 2 | 9 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 103 | ||||
WY | 5 | 15 | 3 | 102 | ||||||||
US | 1 | 4 | 9 | 63 | 311 | 1444 | 543 | 159 | 40 | 14 | 10 | 103 |
(100 Percent = FY 2018 Income Level)
Metropolitan Areas
Percent Change | ||||||||||||
STATE | less than 80% | 80% to 84.9% | 85% to 89.9% | 90% to 94.9% | 95% to 99.9% | 100% to 105% | 105.1% to 110% | 110.1% to 115% | 115.1% to 120% | 120.1% to 125% | 125.1% or more | Median |
2 | 1 | 105 | ||||||||||
AK | 1 | 2 | 101 | |||||||||
AL | 3 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 106 | ||||||
AR | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 104 | |||||||
AZ | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 106 | |||||||
CA | 2 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 106 | |||||
CO | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 104 | |||||||
CT | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 104 | ||||||
DE | 1 | 1 | 99 | |||||||||
FL | 1 | 3 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 104 | |||||
GA | 2 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 105 | |||||
HI | 2 | 103 | ||||||||||
IA | 4 | 4 | 4 | 108 | ||||||||
ID | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 105 | ||||||
IL | 3 | 13 | 3 | 102 | ||||||||
IN | 2 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 104 | ||||||
KS | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 107 | ||||||
KY | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 107 | |||||||
LA | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 99 | |||||||
MA | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 106 | ||||||
MD | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 102 | ||||||
ME | 1 | 7 | 103 | |||||||||
MI | 1 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 105 | |||||
MN | 7 | 3 | 105 | |||||||||
MO | 2 | 11 | 2 | 103 | ||||||||
MS | 1 | 3 | 3 | 105 | ||||||||
MT | 2 | 1 | 1 | 108 | ||||||||
NC | 4 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 103 | |||||||
ND | 1 | 2 | 2 | 103 | ||||||||
NE | 5 | 3 | 105 | |||||||||
NH | 1 | 1 | 1 | 102 | ||||||||
NJ | 1 | 3 | 107 | |||||||||
NM | 2 | 2 | 107 | |||||||||
NV | 1 | 1 | 1 | 106 | ||||||||
NY | 2 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 104 | |||||||
OH | 1 | 4 | 11 | 2 | 102 | |||||||
OK | 6 | 2 | 1 | 104 | ||||||||
OR | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 106 | |||||||
PA | 3 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 105 | |||||||
PR | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 110 | |||||
RI | 4 | 2 | 103 | |||||||||
SC | 2 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 104 | ||||||
SD | 1 | 1 | 2 | 106 | ||||||||
TN | 1 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 105 | |||||
TX | 1 | 2 | 8 | 22 | 7 | 3 | 103 | |||||
UT | 5 | 2 | 103 | |||||||||
VA | 3 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 104 | ||||||
VT | 1 | 99 | ||||||||||
WA | 7 | 5 | 3 | 107 | ||||||||
WI | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 103 | ||||||
WV | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 103 | |||||||
WY | 1 | 1 | 99 | |||||||||
US | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 70 | 304 | 146 | 58 | 18 | 4 | 5 | 104 |
(100 Percent = FY 2018 Income Level)
Non-metropolitan Areas
Percent Change | ||||||||||||
STATE | less than 80% | 80% to 84.9% | 85% to 89.9% | 90% to 94.9% | 95% to 99.9% | 100% to 105% | 105.1% to 110% | 110.1% to 115% | 115.1% to 120% | 120.1% to 125% | 125.1% or more | Median |
2 | 2 | 102 | ||||||||||
AK | 1 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 102 | ||||
AL | 2 | 3 | 21 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 104 | |||||
AR | 6 | 38 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 103 | ||||||
AZ | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 101 | |||||||
CA | 1 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 103 | |||||
CO | 1 | 1 | 12 | 26 | 4 | 3 | 102 | |||||
CT | 1 | 104 | ||||||||||
FL | 3 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 102 | |||||||
GA | 1 | 7 | 12 | 32 | 19 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 104 | ||
GU | 1 | 105 | ||||||||||
HI | 1 | 1 | 99 | |||||||||
IA | 10 | 53 | 14 | 1 | 103 | |||||||
ID | 4 | 16 | 10 | 2 | 104 | |||||||
IL | 10 | 40 | 10 | 2 | 103 | |||||||
IN | 1 | 2 | 30 | 11 | 4 | 104 | ||||||
KS | 1 | 7 | 58 | 16 | 3 | 103 | ||||||
KY | 1 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 42 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 103 | ||
LA | 1 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 102 | |||||
MA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 106 | ||||||||
MD | 1 | 5 | 104 | |||||||||
ME | 1 | 6 | 4 | 105 | ||||||||
MI | 1 | 2 | 42 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 103 | |||||
MN | 1 | 45 | 13 | 1 | 104 | |||||||
MO | 3 | 11 | 47 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 103 | |||||
MS | 4 | 11 | 32 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 103 | |||||
MT | 1 | 7 | 22 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 104 | |||||
NC | 1 | 5 | 34 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 103 | |||||
ND | 1 | 4 | 26 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 104 | ||||
NE | 1 | 6 | 46 | 19 | 8 | 104 | ||||||
NH | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 105 | |||||||
NM | 1 | 3 | 18 | 4 | 102 | |||||||
NV | 1 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 103 | |||||||
NY | 1 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 103 | |||||||
OH | 3 | 30 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 104 | ||||||
OK | 6 | 41 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 103 | ||||||
OR | 1 | 1 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 104 | |||||
PA | 2 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 104 | |||||||
PR | 1 | 106 | ||||||||||
SC | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 102 | ||||
SD | 1 | 1 | 9 | 27 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 103 | |||
TN | 1 | 9 | 28 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 103 | |||||
TX | 3 | 26 | 89 | 35 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 104 | ||||
UT | 7 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 103 | ||||||
VA | 1 | 7 | 21 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 105 | |||||
VI | 3 | 105 | ||||||||||
VT | 9 | 2 | 103 | |||||||||
WA | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 104 | |||||
WI | 1 | 1 | 36 | 8 | 103 | |||||||
WV | 2 | 7 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 102 | ||||||
WY | 4 | 14 | 3 | 104 | ||||||||
US | 3 | 8 | 46 | 241 | 1140 | 397 | 101 | 22 | 10 | 5 | 103 |
--------FY 2019-------- | |||
TOTAL | METRO | NONMETRO | |
Alabama | 63500 | 68100 | 51500 |
Alaska | 94200 | 99700 | 83400 |
Arizona | 67900 | 69100 | 49700 |
Arkansas | 59000 | 64400 | 52100 |
California | 82200 | 82800 | 64800 |
Colorado | 85800 | 88300 | 68100 |
Connecticut | 100400 | 100300 | 100900 |
Delaware | 78900 | 78900 | 60600* |
District of Columbia | 104700 | 104700 | 60600* |
Florida | 65100 | 65500 | 51700 |
Georgia | 69100 | 73600 | 52100 |
Hawaii | 92200 | 97300 | 74600 |
Idaho | 67200 | 70100 | 62100 |
Illinois | 81800 | 85000 | 66300 |
Indiana | 70200 | 72300 | 64500 |
Iowa | 76900 | 83700 | 69400 |
Kansas | 75200 | 83700 | 61500 |
Kentucky | 62700 | 72700 | 51200 |
Louisiana | 61100 | 63900 | 50900 |
Maine | 72600 | 78200 | 64800 |
Maryland | 101300 | 102300 | 68400 |
Massachusetts | 101200 | 101400 | 91500 |
Michigan | 71600 | 74800 | 61100 |
Minnesota | 88600 | 95000 | 72400 |
Mississippi | 56000 | 64300 | 49500 |
Missouri | 69100 | 75000 | 55200 |
Montana | 70500 | 74300 | 68700 |
Nebraska | 78100 | 84600 | 70000 |
Nevada | 69500 | 69500 | 69700 |
New Hampshire | 92100 | 101100 | 81600 |
New Jersey | 100500 | 100500 | 60600* |
New Mexico | 60400 | 63700 | 53100 |
New York | 82200 | 84300 | 66200 |
North Carolina | 66200 | 70100 | 55200 |
North Dakota | 84500 | 86400 | 81900 |
Ohio | 70900 | 72900 | 65400 |
Oklahoma | 65500 | 70000 | 57000 |
Oregon | 75400 | 79400 | 57500 |
Pennsylvania | 76900 | 79300 | 63200 |
Rhode Island | 82800 | 82800 | 60600* |
South Carolina | 65400 | 68400 | 52300 |
South Dakota | 75300 | 79900 | 70600 |
Tennessee | 64500 | 69300 | 52500 |
Texas | 71200 | 73300 | 58700 |
Utah | 78800 | 80200 | 68800 |
Vermont | 79500 | 91600 | 73600 |
Virginia | 88500 | 95300 | 57400 |
Washington | 86300 | 89100 | 64300 |
West Virginia | 60300 | 64700 | 54200 |
Wisconsin | 77500 | 81900 | 68400 |
Wyoming | 78200 | 76400 | 79700 |
US | 75500 | 77900 | 60600 |
* US non-metropolitan median |