California defines income levels by how they compare with the area’s median income. In areas with unusually low or high housing costs, however, those definitions are often tweaked to reflect the reality for area residents. That allows for the scenarios where someone earning $100,000 could be above the area’s median income line but also 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.
[Three] Southern California counties share one thing in common: soaring home values, even by California’s lofty standards.
- In Santa Barbara County, the low-income threshold increased 48% from 2020 to 2025, ending up at $98,850.
- Orange County saw a more modest 32% five-year increase to $94,750.
- San Diego County was not far behind, with a 43% hike in the low-income threshold to $92,700.
If current growth rates continue, each of these counties would see their thresholds for what qualifies as low-income for a single person cross the six-figure mark before the next assessment. They would join Northern California’s Marin, San Mateo, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties, which all crossed the six-figure threshold in 2025, as first reported by SFGate.
