In these parts of California, earning less than $100,000 makes you 'low income'
As the cost of living rises, driven by a housing affordability crisis, the very definition of being “low income” is changing.
In Orange, Santa Barbara and San Diego counties, the threshold for a low-income single-person household will soon surpass $100,000 if current trends continue, according to data published by the California Department of Housing and Community Development in April.
They would join three Bay Area counties that already hit that bureaucratic threshold.
California defines income levels by how they compare with the area’s median income. But in areas with unusually low or high housing costs, those definitions are often tweaked to reflect the reality on the ground for residents. Therefore, someone earning $100,000 could be above the area’s median income line but be considered low-income because of the high cost of housing. A number of government programs use these income designations to determine who qualifies for benefits such as housing assistance.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-05-13/in-three-socal-counties-six-figure-salaries-will-soon-be-low-income-for-single-earners
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will soon join this group, I knew that the Bay Area was already there. Unfortunately, as a long time Bay Area resident this is "old news", but the ramifications can be very serious. I know I've felt them throughout my life. 