A six-figure salary is considered 'low income' in San Francisco, and the threshold is rising

Habitat for Humanity of Greater San Francisco unveiled new low income homes in the Oceanview neighborhood of San Francisco, CA on Saturday, January 28, 2017. Habitat for Humanity of Greater San Francisco unveiled new low income homes in the Oceanview neighborhood of San Francisco, CA on Saturday, January 28, 2017. Photo: Michael Short, Special To The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Michael Short, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 14 Caption Close A six-figure salary is considered 'low income' in San Francisco, and the threshold is rising 1 / 14 Back to Gallery

The Bay Area is so expensive, earning $117,400 a year qualifies you as "low income" in some counties.

Every year the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development releases "income limits," the minimum income level required to qualify for some affordable housing programs.

To be considered "low income" in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties, a family of four must earn $117,400 a year. "Very low income" is considered $73,300.

The Bay Area figures are the highest in the country and continue to increase year over year. Income limits in some Bay Area cities increased by 10 percent just in the last year.

Most residents will roll their eyes at such figures — they're used to seeing the cost of rent and home ownership increase with the years. In May, the median home price in the Bay Area hit a record high at $935,000.

The high cost of living likely accounts for what some perceive to be a "Bay Area exodus." It's hard to quantify such a trend with limited census data, but multiple reports imply Bay Area residents are at least thinking about leaving. Real estate site Redfin determined the Bay Area as the top region for "outward migration" in the nation by analyzing where people were searching for homes.

"Jobs and housing are really the primary criteria driving people's decisions," Hans Johnson, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, told The Chronicle in March. "It's kind of a balancing act between the two. If jobs predominate, people are moving in. If housing predominates, you have less people moving in."

Here's the list of counties and the annual salaries that qualify as low income for a four-person family:

Alameda County: $89,600

Contra Costa County: $89,600

Marin County: $117,400

Napa County: $73,450

San Francisco County: $117,400

San Mateo County: $117,400

Santa Clara County: $94,450

Solano County: $66,950

Sonoma County: $78,550

Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf.