Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Polk County, TN

Discover affordable housing in Polk County where there are 4+ housing opportunities based on income and household needs like accessible units for seniors or persons with disabilities. Find and apply to these low income apartments now.

Blue Ridge Landing

118 Chilhowee Cir, Benton, Tennessee 37307

Benton Elderly Housing

401 Highland Dr, Benton, Tennessee 37307

Walnut Creek Apartments

1725 Benton Station Rd, Benton, Tennessee 37307

Ducktown Apt C/O Sheryl Miller

172 Roebuck Rd, Ducktown, Tennessee

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In Polk County, Tennessee
$21.10/hour
$13.85 (+191%) more than Tennessee minimum wage and $13.85 (+191%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Polk County, Tennessee Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve Polk County, Tennessee?

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.

Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Family Self-Sufficiency programs for Polk County, Tennessee.

Go to the Tennessee Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Polk County.

How many renters live in Polk County, Tennessee?

The County of Polk County has 17,620 people living in 7,101 households.

There are 3,359 renters living in 1,500 renter households in this County. Renters make up 19.06 percent of the population living in Polk County.

What is the rental market like in Polk County, Tennessee?

There are an estimated 8,681 housing units in the Polk County area. Of these, 1,582 units are rental homes, making up 18 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Polk County, Tennessee, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Polk County?

The rental vacancy rate in Polk County is 5 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 Polk County for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Polk County
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
7 193 536 558 136
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Polk County

A large number of apartments in Polk County 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 Polk County are overburdened by housing costs?

Among renter households in this market, 30 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 16 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 Polk County

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $789 to $1,529. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $789
One BR $848
Two BR $1,114
Three BR $1,462
Four BR $1,529
2024 Fair Market Rents in Polk County, Tennessee

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Polk County?

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 1 14 percent
One BR 139 72 percent
Two BR 464 87 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Polk County, Tennessee

How many affordable rental units are in Polk County?

There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Polk County, Tennessee including the following:

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 48
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 25
Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly 20
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities 1
USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing 72
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Polk County, Tennessee

Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.

Income Based Apartments in Polk County, Tennessee

Polk County features 120 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 Polk County, Tennessee

There are 0 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Polk County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Polk County, Tennessee

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Polk County landlords $0 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $0 towards rent in Polk County.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Polk County, Tennessee for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,003 and $1,225.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.