What HUD offices serve Searsport, Maine?
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 Maine Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Searsport.
How many renters live in Searsport, Maine?
The City of Searsport has 1,053 people living in 629 households.
There are 524 renters living in 328 renter households in this City. Renters make up 49.76 percent of the population living in Searsport.
What is the rental market like in Searsport, Maine?
There are an estimated 787 housing units in the Searsport area. Of these, 378 units are rental homes, making up 48 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Searsport, Maine, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Searsport?
The rental vacancy rate in Searsport is 13 percent. This is a higher than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are high it means that there are a lot of available units and rents tend to be lower.
How many rental units are in Searsport for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Searsport
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | 89 | 124 | 39 | 0 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Searsport
A large number of apartments in Searsport 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 Searsport are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 52 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 5 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 Searsport
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $886 to $1,606. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $886 |
| One BR | $892 |
| Two BR | $1,160 |
| Three BR | $1,431 |
| Four BR | $1,606 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Searsport, Maine
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Searsport?
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 | 42 | 55 percent |
| One BR | 26 | 29 percent |
| Two BR | 91 | 73 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Searsport, Maine
How many affordable rental units are in Searsport?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Searsport, Maine including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 41 |
| USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing | 97 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Searsport, Maine
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Searsport, Maine
Searsport features 90 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 Searsport, Maine
There are 16 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Searsport.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Searsport, Maine
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Searsport landlords $600 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Searsport.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Searsport, Maine for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,044 and $1,276.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
