Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Columbia County, FL

Discover affordable housing in Columbia County where there are 9+ 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.

Windsong Apartments

2580 SW Windsong Cir, Lake City, Florida 32025

Lakewood Apartments

1198 SW Anniston Circle, Lake City, Florida 32025

Cedar Park Apartments

377 NW Bascom Norris Dr, Lake City, Florida 32055

LAKE CITY VOA LIVING CENTER

1079 NW MINEART LN, Lake City, Florida 32055

Lake City Villas

1344 SW Zesty Cir, Lake City, Florida 32025

Lake City Village

1461 SW Haygood Loop, Lake City, Florida 32025

Thornwood Terrace

1015 SW Thornwood Cir, Lake City, Florida 32025

Carc Housing

286 SE Lochlynn Ter, Lake City, Florida 32025

Lakewood II

905 NE Lake Desoto Cir, Lake City, Florida 32055

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In Columbia County, Florida
$19.73/hour
$7.73 (+64%) more than Florida minimum wage and $12.48 (+172%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Columbia County, Florida Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve Columbia County, Florida?

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 Public Housing programs for Columbia County, Florida.

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

How many renters live in Columbia County, Florida?

The County of Columbia County has 71,908 people living in 27,963 households.

There are 19,307 renters living in 8,394 renter households in this County. Renters make up 26.85 percent of the population living in Columbia County.

What is the rental market like in Columbia County, Florida?

There are an estimated 29,835 housing units in the Columbia County area. Of these, 7,883 units are rental homes, making up 26 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Columbia County, Florida, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Columbia County?

The rental vacancy rate in Columbia 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 Columbia County for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Columbia County
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
304 556 3,362 2,960 317
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Columbia County

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

Among renter households in this market, 53 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 30 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 Columbia County

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $788 to $1,388. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $788
One BR $793
Two BR $1,042
Three BR $1,268
Four BR $1,388
2024 Fair Market Rents in Columbia County, Florida

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Columbia 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 142 47 percent
One BR 372 67 percent
Two BR 2,312 69 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Columbia County, Florida

How many affordable rental units are in Columbia County?

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

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 500
Public Housing 80
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 85
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities 13
USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing 240
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Columbia County, Florida

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

Income Based Apartments in Columbia County, Florida

Columbia County features 254 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 Columbia County, Florida

There are 180 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Columbia County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Columbia County, Florida

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Columbia County landlords $600 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Columbia County.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Columbia County, Florida for a two-bedroom apartment is between $938 and $1,146.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.