In California's latest housing report shows that in counties like San Francisco, Marin, and Santa Clara, single individuals earning up to $111,700 now qualify for low-income housing programs

New figures from a California state report reveal that individuals earning more than $100,000 annually can still be classified as “low income” in four Bay Area counties.

According to the California Department of Housing and Community Development, a single person living in Marin, San Mateo, San Francisco, or Santa Clara counties can make six figures and still fall under the “low income” designation.

The most extreme example is in Santa Clara County, where individuals earning less than $111,700 a year are now officially considered low income.

“If you make $111,000 a year, you’ll still have a hard time getting a spot here,” said San Jose resident Samuel Carbajal.

To many outside the state, the number may seem shocking. But locals say it makes sense when taking the region’s sky-high housing prices into account.

“It’s not a livable situation,” said Kingsley Egbujor, a college student in San Jose. “People are having to start living outside in different areas like Hollister and Los Banos just to make ends meet. Buying a house is next to impossible. I’m working and going to school and I can barely afford to live here.”

Kayla Guerrero, who was in the South Bay visiting family, said she was priced out of the region entirely.

“I made the decision to leave to a different county, to Placer County,” she said. “It’s been a great experience. However, I’m away from family and friends and just everything that I knew as I was growing up.”

The housing nonprofit Silicon Valley at Home says these figures reflect how urgent the need is for more affordable housing. Executive Director Regina Celestin Williams says the new income thresholds show just how expensive life in the Bay Area has become.

“What that number really means is that, yes, the wealth is being generated and there’s still a lot of work to do to make sure that there’s enough homes, so that everyone can afford to live here,” Williams said.

Williams credited the state’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment for pressuring cities to expand their housing stock.

The Santa Clara County Housing Authority noted that while some residents who qualify as low income under the new thresholds may be eligible for local or state support programs, many still do not meet the income limits for federal housing aid, which is reserved for very low-income households and below.