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What AMI actually means
Every income-restricted listing in Boston carries a percentage: 30% AMI, 60% AMI, 80% AMI. AMI stands for Area Median Income. Once a year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates the median family income for every metro area and publishes income limits built on it. Boston's figure comes from the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy HUD Metro FMR Area, which covers the city and most of the inner suburbs. The FY2026 limits took effect May 1, 2026, a month later than the usual April release.
The City of Boston then turns HUD's figures into the tiers you see on listings. For 2026, 100% of AMI for a family of four is $171,400. A “60% AMI” unit is reserved for households earning no more than 60% of that, adjusted for household size; a “30% AMI” unit is for households at or below 30%.
The percentage is a ceiling, not a target— earning less than the tier is fine as long as you can still afford the rent. And because the median covers Wellesley and Newton as well as Roxbury, the limits run higher than most people expect: a single person earning $95,000 is under the 80% AMI limit.
Boston's 2023 update to Inclusionary Zoning raised the required share of income-restricted units in new buildings from 13% to 17–20% and pushed the affordability target from 70% AMI down to an average of 50% or 60% AMI, effective October 2024. The practical result: most new income-restricted apartments in Boston are 60% AMI units.
2026 Boston income limits by household size
These are the 2026 AMI Boston income limits from the Mayor's Office of Housing's HUD income limits page (sheet dated June 15, 2026). Every figure is gross annual household income: before taxes, adding up everyone in the household who is 18 or older.
| Household size | 30% AMI | 50% AMI | 60% AMI | 80% AMI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $36,000 | $60,000 | $72,000 | $96,000 |
| 2 people | $41,150 | $68,600 | $82,320 | $109,700 |
| 3 people | $46,300 | $77,150 | $92,580 | $123,400 |
| 4 people | $51,400 | $85,700 | $102,840 | $137,100 |
| 5 people | $55,550 | $92,600 | $111,120 | $148,100 |
| 6 people | $59,650 | $99,450 | $119,340 | $159,050 |
Maximum gross annual household income, City of Boston 2026 Income & Rent Limits (CDBG/HOME columns); some programs on the same sheet round a few figures differently by $10–$70. Household size counts everyone who will live in the unit, including children.
The 60% AMI income limit in Boston, 2026
$72,000 for one person · $102,840 for four
Gross annual income, all household members 18 and over. This is the tier most new inclusionary units are set at.
The limits change every year. HUD normally publishes in April and the City updates its sheet soon after; in 2026 the release slipped to May and the City's rental limits took effect June 1. Check the City's page for the current year before you rule yourself in or out.
What income-restricted rent looks like
The most common misunderstanding: income-restricted is not the same as subsidized. In subsidized or public housing, your rent is usually about 30% of your income and a government agency pays the rest. In an income-restricted apartment, the rent is a fixed dollar cap tied to the unit's AMI tier and bedroom count, and you pay all of it. If your income drops, the rent does not follow. That is why the City's Metrolist portal, where these lotteries are posted, explicitly does not list subsidized housing, public housing, or market-rate units, even ones intended for voucher holders.
Here are the 2026 maximum monthly rents, with utilities included in the cap:
| Unit | 30% AMI | 50% AMI | 60% AMI | 80% AMI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $900 | $1,500 | $1,800 | $2,400 |
| 1 bedroom | $964 | $1,607 | $1,929 | $2,572 |
| 2 bedroom | $1,157 | $1,928 | $2,314 | $3,086 |
| 3 bedroom | $1,337 | $2,228 | $2,674 | $3,566 |
Maximum monthly rent with utilities included, City of Boston 2026 Income & Rent Limits. If the tenant pays some utilities directly, a utility allowance is subtracted.
A 60% AMI two-bedroom at $2,314 is built to be affordable near the top of the 60% band — almost exactly 30% of a $92,580 income for three people. A household earning well under the limit is still eligible, but still pays $2,314, which is why the minimum-income rule below exists. One cost you can rule out: since the 2025 Massachusetts broker fee law, a renter only pays a broker fee if they hired the broker themselves, and in an income-restricted lottery you never do.
The rules that trip people up
Most applications that fail, fail on the rules below, all of which come from the City's Housing Compliance FAQ, the document lottery agents actually work from.
1. Income is gross, and it is everyone's
The limit applies to pre-tax income from every household member 18 or older: wages, bonuses, commissions, gig work, cash benefits, and regular gifts. Income of members under 18 is excluded. The agent projects the coming twelve months, so a raise you have already been promised counts.
2. There is an asset test
- $75,000 for units at or below 80% AMI
- $100,000 for units above 80% AMI
- $250,000 if every member is 65 or older, or all household income is retirement or disability income
Retirement accounts are not counted unless you are drawing them down; checking, savings, brokerage, and crypto are. The cap applies only at initial eligibility, not at recertification.
3. There is usually a minimum income too
Because the rent is fixed, most owners screen out households whose rent would exceed 50% of gross income. The standard must be applied to every applicant the same way. Voucher holders are exempt— the voucher counts toward ability to pay, not as income.
4. No co-signers or guarantors
Income-restricted leases in Boston do not allow them; the household on the lease qualifies on its own.
5. Full-time students face extra limits
Households made up entirely of full-time students are generally ineligible, unless a member works at least 30 hours a week, the student applies together with a non-student, the household holds a housing voucher, or it receives government benefits.
6. Vouchers are welcome, and protected
Section 8 and MRVP voucher holders are encouraged to apply. Massachusetts fair housing law prohibits turning an applicant away because of a voucher or other public assistance, and Boston's rules exempt voucher holders from the minimum-income screen.
7. Boston residency is a preference, not a requirement
Current Boston residents are ranked ahead of non-residents for the same unit, which matters in an oversubscribed lottery, but a household from Quincy or Lowell is fully eligible. If you claim the preference, expect to prove it with two documents.
8. You recertify every year, with a cushion
You confirm your income annually and stay eligible until it passes the unit's tier plus 40 percentage points: in a 60% AMI apartment, until your household earns more than 100% of AMI, or $171,400 for a family of four in 2026.
Asset cap, units at or below 80% AMI
$75,000
retirement accounts excluded
Minimum-income screen
Rent ≤ 50% of gross
voucher holders exempt
Stay eligible until
Tier + 40 points
a 60% unit lasts to 100% AMI
How the Boston lottery works
Nearly every income-restricted apartment in Boston is filled through a lottery. The City's income-restricted housing guide lays out the process:
- Find the listing on Metrolist. Each posting shows the AMI tier, rent, application deadline and lottery date, and links to the online application (paper applications come in eleven languages).
- Apply before the deadline. Household members, income, assets, and the preferences you are claiming. If something is missing, the lottery agent lets you fix it before the drawing.
- Wait for your lottery number. Drawings are held remotely on the posted date, and your number is emailed within ten days.
- Your number is not your rank. The agent combines lottery numbers with preferences — Boston resident, veteran, elderly household, certified artist, household needing an accessible unit, households directly displaced and severely rent burdened — to produce the final ranking. A Boston resident with number 300 can be ranked ahead of a non-resident with number 12.
- Document screening, in rank order. If you are reached, you submit full documentation for everyone in the household: last federal tax return, W-2s or 1099s, recent pay stubs, bank statements from the last 60 days, voucher proof, and two proofs of Boston residency if you claimed the preference. This is where most applications drop out.
- Approval, viewing, lease. Once eligibility is confirmed, you view the unit and sign at the capped rent. Everyone else goes onto a waitlist the building draws from as units turn over.
Before you apply: a checklist
The households that get through screening had their paperwork ready before their number came up:
- ✓Add up gross income for everyone 18+. Wages before tax, second jobs, gig work, benefits, regular gifts, against the limit for your household size and tier.
- ✓Add up countable assets. Checking, savings, brokerage, crypto. Leave out retirement accounts you are not drawing on. Check the $75,000 or $100,000 cap.
- ✓Run the minimum-income check. Rent times 24 must not exceed your gross annual income, unless you hold a voucher.
- ✓Last federal tax return. For every adult in the household, all schedules.
- ✓W-2s, 1099s, and recent pay stubs. Plus an offer letter if anyone is newly hired.
- ✓Bank and investment statements. All pages, from the last 60 days, for every account.
- ✓Voucher documentation. Your voucher letter or a statement from the housing authority.
- ✓Two proofs of Boston residency. Only if claiming the resident preference: lease, utility bill, or government ID with your Boston address.
- ✓Student status. If anyone is a full-time student, know which exception applies before you apply.
For deposits, leases, and what a landlord can and cannot ask for, our Renter's Guide to Greater Boston covers it. And if anything in a screening feels like it is about who you are rather than what you earn, read our post on fair housing rules in Massachusetts: source of income, family status, and disability are all protected classes here.
A note on sources. Income and rent figures are from the City of Boston's 2026 Income & Rent Limits sheet and HUD's FY2026 income limits, checked September 22, 2026; eligibility rules are summarized from the City's Housing Compliance FAQ. Buildings can set tighter standards within those rules, so confirm against the listing you apply to. Zenith Residential Properties is an Equal Housing Opportunity brokerage.
Frequently asked questions
What does “60% AMI” mean on a Boston apartment listing?
The unit is reserved for households earning no more than 60% of the Boston area median income for their household size, and the rent is capped at the 60% tier. In 2026 that limit is $72,000 for one person, $82,320 for two, $92,580 for three and $102,840 for four, and a 60% one-bedroom rents for no more than $1,929 a month with utilities.
Is income-restricted housing the same as Section 8 or subsidized housing?
No. In subsidized or public housing your rent is usually about 30% of your income and the government pays the rest. In an income-restricted unit the rent is a fixed cap tied to the AMI tier, and you pay all of it. Metrolist, where Boston’s lotteries are posted, does not list subsidized or public housing.
Do I have to live in Boston to apply?
No. Boston residency is a lottery preference, not a requirement: current residents are ranked ahead of non-residents for the same unit. If you claim it, you will need two proofs of Boston residency at document screening.
Can I use a housing voucher in an income-restricted apartment?
Yes. Voucher holders are encouraged to apply, and Massachusetts law prohibits turning an applicant away because of a voucher or other public assistance. The voucher counts toward your ability to pay rent, not as income, and voucher holders are exempt from the minimum-income screen.
What happens if my income goes up after I move in?
You recertify every year and stay eligible until your income passes the unit’s tier plus 40 percentage points. In a 60% AMI unit, that means you keep the apartment until your household earns more than 100% of AMI. There is no asset cap at recertification.
Can a parent or friend co-sign the lease for me?
No. Co-signers and guarantors are not permitted on income-restricted leases in Boston. The household on the lease has to qualify on its own income, and only the people who will live in the unit are counted.
I am a full-time student. Can I apply?
Usually not on your own. All-student households are generally ineligible unless a member works at least 30 hours a week, the student applies with a non-student, the household holds a housing voucher, or it receives government benefits.
How long does the Boston income-restricted lottery take?
Each listing sets its own deadline and lottery date. Your lottery number is emailed within ten days of the drawing, but your final rank depends on preferences. Applicants are screened in rank order and the rest go on a waitlist, so plan on a few months from application to keys.