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

Discover affordable housing in San Diego County where there are 552+ 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.

Image of Chevy Chase

Chevy Chase

3753 Fairway Dr, La Mesa, California

bed 1
payment $1300/mo.
Image of Studio 15

Studio 15

1476 Imperial Ave, San Diego, California 92101

switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
payment Subsidized
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers
payment Income Based
accessibility Accessible
Image of Sorrento Towers

Sorrento Towers

2875 Cowley Way, San Diego, California 92110

bed Studio-1
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
payment Subsidized
accessibility Accessible
Image of Lexington Green

Lexington Green

1415 E Lexington Avenue, El Cajon, California 92019

bed 2-3
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
payment Subsidized
accessibility Accessible
Image of Laurel Park Senior Apartments

Laurel Park Senior Apartments

10122 Buena Vista Avenue, Santee, California 92071

bed 1-2
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
payment Subsidized
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers
payment Income Based
accessibility Accessible
Image of Del Sol Apartments

Del Sol Apartments

3690 Del Sol Blvd., San Diego, California 92154

bed 1-3
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
payment Subsidized
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers
payment Income Based
accessibility Accessible
Image of The Springs

The Springs

8070 Orange Avenue, La Mesa, California 91942

bed 1-2
payment Subsidized
accessibility Accessible
Image of Summercrest Apartments

Summercrest Apartments

2615 E Plaza Blvd, National City, California 91950

bed Studio-3
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
accessibility Accessible
Image of San Diego Square

San Diego Square

1055 9th Ave, San Diego, California 92101

bed 1
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
accessibility Accessible
Image of Villa Nueva

Villa Nueva

3604 Beyer Blvd, San Diego, California 92173

bed 2-4
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers
accessibility Accessible
Image of Golden Age Gardens Apartments

Golden Age Gardens Apartments

740 S 36th St, San Diego, California 92113

bed 1
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers
accessibility Accessible
Image of Alabama Manor Apartments

Alabama Manor Apartments

3836 Alabama St, San Diego, California 92104

bed 1
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers
accessibility Accessible
Image of Meadowbrook Apartments

Meadowbrook Apartments

7844 Paradise Valley Rd, San Diego, California 92139

bed 2-3
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
payment Subsidized
accessibility Accessible
Image of Garden Villas Apartments

Garden Villas Apartments

1260 3rd Ave, Chula Vista, California 91911

bed 1
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
accessibility Accessible
Image of Connections Housing

Connections Housing

1250 6th Ave, San Diego, California 92101

bed Studio
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers
accessibility Accessible
Image of Ventaliso

Ventaliso

609 Richmar Ave, San Marcos, California 92069

bed 1-3
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
accessibility Accessible
Image of Mission Cove Family

Mission Cove Family

3247 Anchor Way, Oceanside, California 92054

bed 1-3
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers
Image of Cathedral Plaza

Cathedral Plaza

1551 3rd Ave, San Diego, California 92101

bed Studio-1
payment Subsidized
Image of Mason

Mason

1345 5th Ave, San Diego, California 92101

bed Studio
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers
Image of Parker Kier

Parker Kier

2172 Front St, San Diego, California 92101

bed Studio-1
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers

How To Identify Affordable Housing in San Diego County, California

Look for program and preference badges on affordable apartment listings. These badges can help you identify the types of low income housing each apartment offers and if you may be eligbile for rental assistance or reduced rents.

BadgeDescription
switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
Low income apartments with no or short waiting lists.
payment Subsidized
Low income housing where the rent is subsidized and the renter pays only a portion of total rent.
real_estate_agent Accepts Vouchers
Apartments that accept Section 8 vouchers near you
elderly Senior
Rental housing for seniors who are 55 (or sometimes 62) and older.
payment Income Based
Affordable apartments where the rent paid is based on renter income.
accessibility Accessible
Meets Accessibilty Requirements of the Fair Housing Act, the ADA, or HUD policy.
accessible_forward Disability
Apartments for individuals or families with disabilities.
real_estate_agent Naturally Affordable
Naturally Occuring Affordable Housing - or NOAH - is any housing unit that offers affordable rent without participating in a rent subsidy program.
calendar_today Opened: Sep 1
Open Until Further Notice
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calendar_month

Reported On February 23rd, 2024 by Lorena Bentley

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In San Diego County, California
$53.66/hour
$37.66 (+235%) more than California minimum wage and $46.41 (+640%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About San Diego County, California Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve San Diego 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, Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH), Section 8 Project-Based Voucher (PBV), Moderate Rehabilitation, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) programs for San Diego County, California.

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

How many renters live in San Diego County, California?

The County of San Diego County has people living in households.

There are renters living in renter households in this County. Renters make up 41.56 percent of the population living in San Diego County.

What is the rental market like in San Diego County, California?

There are an estimated housing units in the San Diego County area. Of these, units are rental homes, making up percent of the housing market. For every renter household in San Diego County, California, there are 1.05 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in San Diego County?

The rental vacancy rate in San Diego County is 4 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 San Diego County for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in San Diego County
StudioOne-BedroomTwo-BedroomThree-BedroomFour+ Bedrooms
43,339132,076222,38797,82830,927
Occupied Rental Units by Size in San Diego County

A large number of apartments in San Diego County have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.

How Much Is Rent in San Diego County

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $2,062 to $4,638. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio$2,062
One BR$2,248
Two BR$2,833
Three BR$3,819
Four BR$4,638
2024 Fair Market Rents in San Diego County, California

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in San Diego 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 SizeCount of Units Below FMRPercentage of Total Units Below FMR
Studio17,69641 percent
One BR41,71032 percent
Two BR36,22316 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in San Diego County, California

How many affordable rental units are in San Diego County?

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

Federal ProgramUnit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit
Public Housing
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance
Mod Rehab Project-Based Rental Assistance
Section 236 Rental Assistance
Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities
USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing
USDA Section 514 Farm Labor Housing
Tracked Units by Federal Program in San Diego County, California

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

Income Based Apartments in San Diego County, California

San Diego County features 10,876 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 San Diego County, California

There are 24,458 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in San Diego County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in San Diego County, California

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay San Diego County landlords $900 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $500 towards rent in San Diego County.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in San Diego County, California for a two-bedroom apartment is between $2,550 and $3,116.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

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