Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Shelby County, AL

Discover affordable housing in Shelby County where there are 13+ 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.

Mountain View Village

99 Eagle Ln, Columbiana, Alabama 35051

Shelby Woods Apartments

100 Collins St, Columbiana, Alabama 35051

Shoals Mill Apartments

55 Coby Ln, Columbiana, Alabama 35051

Cobblestone Cove Apartments

1001 Cobblestone Ln, Montevallo, Alabama 35115

Ridge View Apartments

100 Egg and Butter Rd, Columbiana, Alabama 35051

Cobblestone Creek

1501 Cobblestone Crk, Montevallo, Alabama 35115

Columbiana Villas

22055 Highway 25, Columbiana, Alabama

Montevallo Villas

10 Montevallo Circle, Montevallo, Alabama

Briarwood Apts

535- a Hicks Street, Montevallo, Alabama

Scott Village

1195 Island St, Montevallo, Alabama 35115

John Sparkman Court

1 John Sparkman Ct, Vincent, Alabama 35178

Clear Spring Apartments

515 Old Highway 25 W, Columbiana, Alabama 35051

Mountain View Apartments

22 Cay Clark Apartments, Alabaster, Alabama 35007

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In Shelby County, Alabama
$23.58/hour
$16.33 (+225%) more than Alabama minimum wage and $16.33 (+225%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Shelby County, Alabama Affordable Housing ↓

How many renters live in Shelby County, Alabama?

The County of Shelby County has 230,115 people living in 87,755 households.

There are 37,360 renters living in 16,671 renter households in this County. Renters make up 16.24 percent of the population living in Shelby County.

What is the rental market like in Shelby County, Alabama?

There are an estimated 92,222 housing units in the Shelby County area. Of these, 17,523 units are rental homes, making up 19 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Shelby County, Alabama, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Shelby County?

The rental vacancy rate in Shelby County is 3 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 Shelby County for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Shelby County
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
385 2,268 6,897 5,201 983
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Shelby County

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

Among renter households in this market, 50 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 25 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 Shelby County

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $983 to $1,752. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $983
One BR $1,109
Two BR $1,245
Three BR $1,570
Four BR $1,752
2024 Fair Market Rents in Shelby County, Alabama

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Shelby 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 141 37 percent
One BR 857 38 percent
Two BR 3,507 51 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Shelby County, Alabama

How many affordable rental units are in Shelby County?

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

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 331
Public Housing 234
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 53
USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing 185
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Shelby County, Alabama

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

Income Based Apartments in Shelby County, Alabama

Shelby County features 467 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 Shelby County, Alabama

There are 254 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Shelby County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Shelby County, Alabama

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Shelby County landlords $600 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Shelby County.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Shelby County, Alabama for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,121 and $1,370.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.