What HUD offices serve Fort Dodge, Iowa?
Public Housing Agencies operate federally assisted affordable housing programs at local levels on behalf of HUD. Notably, housing agencies are responsible for managing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, and Project-Based Voucher waiting lists within their jurisdiction.
Go to the Iowa Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Fort Dodge.
How many renters live in Fort Dodge, Iowa?
The City of Fort Dodge has 24,850 people living in 10,402 households.
There are 7,363 renters living in 3,822 renter households in this City. Renters make up 29.63 percent of the population living in Fort Dodge.
What is the rental market like in Fort Dodge, Iowa?
There are an estimated 11,297 housing units in the Fort Dodge area. Of these, 3,924 units are rental homes, making up 35 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Fort Dodge, Iowa, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Fort Dodge?
The rental vacancy rate in Fort Dodge 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 Fort Dodge for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Fort Dodge
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 212 | 1,021 | 1,798 | 569 | 189 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Fort Dodge
A large number of apartments in Fort Dodge 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 Fort Dodge are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 38 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 19 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 Fort Dodge
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $652 to $1,465. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $652 |
| One BR | $657 |
| Two BR | $863 |
| Three BR | $1,159 |
| Four BR | $1,465 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Fort Dodge, Iowa
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Fort Dodge?
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 | 120 | 57 percent |
| One BR | 597 | 58 percent |
| Two BR | 1,029 | 57 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Fort Dodge, Iowa
How many affordable rental units are in Fort Dodge?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Fort Dodge, Iowa including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 320 |
| Public Housing | 135 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 250 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Fort Dodge, Iowa
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Fort Dodge, Iowa
Fort Dodge features 340 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 Fort Dodge, Iowa
There are 156 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Fort Dodge.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Fort Dodge, Iowa
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Fort Dodge landlords $400 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Fort Dodge.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Fort Dodge, Iowa for a two-bedroom apartment is between $777 and $949.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
