Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Winnebago County, IL

Discover affordable housing in Winnebago County where there are 64+ 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 Winnebago County, Illinois
$19.53/hour
$5.53 (+39%) more than Illinois minimum wage and $12.28 (+169%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Winnebago County, Illinois Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve Winnebago County, Illinois?

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 Winnebago County, Illinois.

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

How many renters live in Winnebago County, Illinois?

The County of Winnebago County has 282,188 people living in 115,061 households.

There are 84,237 renters living in 37,724 renter households in this County. Renters make up 29.85 percent of the population living in Winnebago County.

What is the rental market like in Winnebago County, Illinois?

There are an estimated 124,989 housing units in the Winnebago County area. Of these, 38,894 units are rental homes, making up 31 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Winnebago County, Illinois, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Winnebago County?

The rental vacancy rate in Winnebago County is 3 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 Winnebago County for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Winnebago County
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
1,310 8,220 15,908 8,446 3,250
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Winnebago County

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

Among renter households in this market, 44 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 24 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 Winnebago County

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $699 to $1,423. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $699
One BR $785
Two BR $1,031
Three BR $1,380
Four BR $1,423
2024 Fair Market Rents in Winnebago County, Illinois

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Winnebago 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 456 35 percent
One BR 5,406 66 percent
Two BR 9,919 62 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Winnebago County, Illinois

How many affordable rental units are in Winnebago County?

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

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 1,625
Public Housing 1,500
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 1,817
Mod Rehab Project-Based Rental Assistance 38
Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly 177
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities 81
USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing 154
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Winnebago County, Illinois

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

Income Based Apartments in Winnebago County, Illinois

Winnebago County features 3,093 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 Winnebago County, Illinois

There are 1,713 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Winnebago County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Winnebago County, Illinois

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

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Winnebago County, Illinois for a two-bedroom apartment is between $928 and $1,134.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.