Median Income

Median income is the income level that splits a group in half, with as many households above it as below. Housing programs use the median for a metro area, adjusted for family size, to set eligibility limits and rents.

Income-restricted apartments are tied to it. A unit reserved for households at 60% of area median income has a ceiling on what tenants may earn, while the landlord's 3x rent rule sets a floor. An applicant has to land between the two.

The same benchmark appears in local screening law. Portland, Oregon uses rent affordable at 80% of median family income as its dividing line: below it a landlord may require up to 2.5 times the rent, and above it no more than 2 times. See the 2.5x rent calculator.