Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Mendocino County, CA

Discover affordable housing in Mendocino County where there are 36+ 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.

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In Mendocino County, California
$28.18/hour
$12.18 (+76%) more than California minimum wage and $20.93 (+289%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Mendocino County, California Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve Mendocino 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.

Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Public Housing programs for Mendocino County, California.

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

How many renters live in Mendocino County, California?

The County of Mendocino County has 89,783 people living in 34,998 households.

There are 35,245 renters living in 13,184 renter households in this County. Renters make up 39.26 percent of the population living in Mendocino County.

What is the rental market like in Mendocino County, California?

There are an estimated 41,380 housing units in the Mendocino County area. Of these, 13,942 units are rental homes, making up 34 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Mendocino County, California, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Mendocino County?

The rental vacancy rate in Mendocino County is 2 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 Mendocino County for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Mendocino County
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
968 3,185 4,787 3,486 643
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Mendocino County

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

Among renter households in this market, 52 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 Mendocino County

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $1,119 to $2,525. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $1,119
One BR $1,132
Two BR $1,488
Three BR $2,097
Four BR $2,525
2024 Fair Market Rents in Mendocino County, California

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Mendocino 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 735 76 percent
One BR 1,613 51 percent
Two BR 3,168 66 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Mendocino County, California

How many affordable rental units are in Mendocino County?

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

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 834
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 447
Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly 22
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities 11
USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing 672
USDA Section 514 Farm Labor Housing 72
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Mendocino County, California

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

Income Based Apartments in Mendocino County, California

Mendocino County features 690 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 Mendocino County, California

There are 669 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Mendocino County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Mendocino County, California

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Mendocino County landlords $700 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Mendocino County.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Mendocino County, California for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,339 and $1,637.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.