What HUD offices serve Gem County, Idaho?
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 Idaho Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Gem County.
How many renters live in Gem County, Idaho?
The County of Gem County has 19,250 people living in 7,196 households.
There are 4,913 renters living in 1,767 renter households in this County. Renters make up 25.52 percent of the population living in Gem County.
What is the rental market like in Gem County, Idaho?
There are an estimated 7,640 housing units in the Gem County area. Of these, 1,808 units are rental homes, making up 24 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Gem County, Idaho, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Gem County?
The rental vacancy rate in Gem 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 Gem County for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Gem County
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 115 | 326 | 841 | 389 | 96 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Gem County
A large number of apartments in Gem 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 Gem County are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 32 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 8 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 Gem County
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $764 to $1,703. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $764 |
| One BR | $814 |
| Two BR | $1,070 |
| Three BR | $1,403 |
| Four BR | $1,703 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Gem County, Idaho
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Gem 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 | 91 | 79 percent |
| One BR | 229 | 70 percent |
| Two BR | 544 | 65 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Gem County, Idaho
How many affordable rental units are in Gem County?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Gem County, Idaho including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 146 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 29 |
| Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities | 1 |
| USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing | 90 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Gem County, Idaho
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Gem County, Idaho
Gem County features 122 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 Gem County, Idaho
There are 72 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Gem County.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Gem County, Idaho
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Gem County landlords $600 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Gem County.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Gem County, Idaho for a two-bedroom apartment is between $963 and $1,177.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
