California's Department of Housing & Community Development has issued new income limits for 2026 that define low-income in several counties at six-figure salaries. This adjustment impacts state housing assistance programs. Seven counties, including Santa Cruz, San Francisco, San Mateo, Marin, Santa Clara, Orange, and Santa Barbara, now have high six-figure cutoffs for what is considered low income for a single-person household. Santa Cruz County has the highest cutoff at $122,200, representing a nearly 10 percent increase from the previous year. The income limits are adjusted for household size, with larger families having higher cutoffs and smaller families having lower ones. Several other coastal counties follow Santa Cruz closely with their own six-figure low-income thresholds. In contrast, Solano and Shasta counties are maintaining their previous year's lower income limits. These figures highlight California's persistent housing affordability crisis, where home prices significantly outpace the national average. Homeownership rates are declining, and rental costs are considerably higher than the national average, prompting many residents to consider leaving the state. The increasing housing costs, which have outpaced income growth, mean fewer households can afford mid-tier homes. Coastal cities experience the highest costs, driving some residents inland, where housing supply struggles to meet demand.