How many renters live in Muscle Shoals, Alabama?
The City of Muscle Shoals has 16,334 people living in 6,534 households.
There are 3,515 renters living in 1,748 renter households in this City. Renters make up 21.52 percent of the population living in Muscle Shoals.
What is the rental market like in Muscle Shoals, Alabama?
There are an estimated 6,976 housing units in the Muscle Shoals area. Of these, 1,807 units are rental homes, making up 26 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Muscle Shoals?
The rental vacancy rate in Muscle Shoals is 2 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.
How many rental units are in Muscle Shoals for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Muscle Shoals
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 139 | 1,058 | 507 | 19 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Muscle Shoals
A large number of apartments in Muscle Shoals have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.
How many renter households in Muscle Shoals are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 18 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 7 percent of households are extremely rent overburdened. When renters pay too much for their housing, it leaves little money for other necessities like food, clothes, or medicine.
The federal government says that renters are cost-burdened if they pay more than a third of their monthly income for rent and utilities.
How Much Is Rent in Muscle Shoals
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $664 to $1,425. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $664 |
| One BR | $720 |
| Two BR | $940 |
| Three BR | $1,157 |
| Four BR | $1,425 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Muscle Shoals?
Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.
These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:
| Unit Size | Count of Units Below FMR | Percentage of Total Units Below FMR |
| Studio | 16 | 64 percent |
| One BR | 72 | 52 percent |
| Two BR | 566 | 53 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
How many affordable rental units are in Muscle Shoals?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Muscle Shoals, Alabama including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Public Housing | 18 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 62 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals features 60 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
Low Rent Apartments in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
There are 0 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Muscle Shoals.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Muscle Shoals, Alabama
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Muscle Shoals landlords $500 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Muscle Shoals.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Muscle Shoals, Alabama for a two-bedroom apartment is between $846 and $1,034.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
