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

Discover affordable housing in San Marcos where there are 26+ 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.

Melrose Villas ( Fka University Commons )

1820 Melrose Dr, San Marcos, California 92078

switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
accessibility Accessible

Rancho Santa Fe Village

500 S Rancho Santa Fe Rd, San Marcos, California 92078

switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
accessibility Accessible

Grandon Village Apartments

1605 Grandon Ave, San Marcos, California 92078

switch_access_shortcut Short Wait
accessibility Accessible

Downtown San Marcos

2248 Tierra Verde, San Marcos, California 92069

accessibility Accessible

Firebird

438 Firebird Ln, San Marcos, California 92069

switch_access_shortcut Short Wait

Casa Del West

1649 Capalina Rd, San Marcos, California 92069

How To Identify Affordable Housing in San Marcos, 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.

Badge Description
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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Reported On February 23rd, 2024 by Lorena Bentley

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In San Marcos, 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 Marcos, California Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve San Marcos, 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 Marcos, California.

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

How many renters live in San Marcos, California?

The City of San Marcos has people living in households.

There are renters living in renter households in this City. Renters make up 39.38 percent of the population living in San Marcos.

What is the rental market like in San Marcos, California?

There are an estimated housing units in the San Marcos area. Of these, units are rental homes, making up percent of the housing market. For every renter household in San Marcos, California, there are 0.96 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in San Marcos?

The rental vacancy rate in San Marcos 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 Marcos for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in San Marcos
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
509 2,243 5,078 2,851 713
Occupied Rental Units by Size in San Marcos

A large number of apartments in San Marcos 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 Marcos

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 Size 2024 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 Marcos, California

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in San Marcos?

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 157 31 percent
One BR 517 23 percent
Two BR 1,021 20 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in San Marcos, California

How many affordable rental units are in San Marcos?

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

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities
Tracked Units by Federal Program in San Marcos, California

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

Income Based Apartments in San Marcos, California

San Marcos features 62 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 Marcos, California

There are 1,778 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in San Marcos.

Housing Choice Vouchers in San Marcos, California

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay San Marcos landlords $1,100 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in San Marcos.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in San Marcos, 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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