What HUD offices serve Alameda County, California?
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 California Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Alameda County.
How many renters live in Alameda County, California?
The County of Alameda County has 1,628,997 people living in 596,614 households.
There are 657,889 renters living in 268,342 renter households in this County. Renters make up 40.39 percent of the population living in Alameda County.
What is the rental market like in Alameda County, California?
There are an estimated 633,865 housing units in the Alameda County area. Of these, 284,049 units are rental homes, making up 45 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Alameda County, California, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Alameda County?
The rental vacancy rate in Alameda 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 Alameda County for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Alameda County
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29,337 | 80,340 | 98,912 | 43,171 | 13,002 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Alameda County
A large number of apartments in Alameda 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 Alameda County are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 50 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 27 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 Alameda County
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $1,825 to $3,954. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $1,825 |
| One BR | $2,131 |
| Two BR | $2,590 |
| Three BR | $3,342 |
| Four BR | $3,954 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Alameda County, California
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Alameda 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 | 12,465 | 42 percent |
| One BR | 25,307 | 31 percent |
| Two BR | 15,476 | 16 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Alameda County, California
How many affordable rental units are in Alameda County?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Alameda County, California including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 19,442 |
| Public Housing | 1,449 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 6,010 |
| Mod Rehab Project-Based Rental Assistance | 233 |
| Section 236 Rental Assistance | 142 |
| Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly | 1,043 |
| Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities | 159 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Alameda County, California
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Alameda County, California
Alameda County features 12,536 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 Alameda County, California
There are 15,180 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Alameda County.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Alameda County, California
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Alameda County landlords $1,300 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $500 towards rent in Alameda County.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Alameda County, California for a two-bedroom apartment is between $2,331 and $2,849.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
