How many renters live in Lee County, Alabama?
The County of Lee County has 180,773 people living in 71,830 households.
There are 55,037 renters living in 24,281 renter households in this County. Renters make up 30.45 percent of the population living in Lee County.
What is the rental market like in Lee County, Alabama?
There are an estimated 79,626 housing units in the Lee County area. Of these, 27,748 units are rental homes, making up 35 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Lee County, Alabama, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Lee County?
The rental vacancy rate in Lee County is 8 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 Lee County for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Lee County
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,003 | 4,699 | 8,095 | 7,872 | 2,481 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Lee County
A large number of apartments in Lee 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 Lee County are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 52 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 33 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 Lee County
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $801 to $1,617. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $801 |
| One BR | $901 |
| Two BR | $1,099 |
| Three BR | $1,487 |
| Four BR | $1,617 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Lee County, Alabama
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Lee 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 | 810 | 81 percent |
| One BR | 2,595 | 55 percent |
| Two BR | 4,954 | 61 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Lee County, Alabama
How many affordable rental units are in Lee County?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Lee County, Alabama including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 1,001 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 826 |
| Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly | 24 |
| USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing | 32 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Lee County, Alabama
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Lee County, Alabama
Lee County features 1,828 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 Lee County, Alabama
There are 1,457 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Lee County.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Lee County, Alabama
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Lee County landlords $500 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Lee County.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Lee County, Alabama for a two-bedroom apartment is between $989 and $1,209.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
