What HUD offices serve Clear Lake, Iowa?
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 Iowa Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Clear Lake.
How many renters live in Clear Lake, Iowa?
The City of Clear Lake has 7,642 people living in 3,402 households.
There are 1,063 renters living in 841 renter households in this City. Renters make up 13.91 percent of the population living in Clear Lake.
What is the rental market like in Clear Lake, Iowa?
There are an estimated 4,373 housing units in the Clear Lake area. Of these, 841 units are rental homes, making up 19 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Clear Lake, Iowa, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Clear Lake?
The rental vacancy rate in Clear Lake is 0 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 Clear Lake for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Clear Lake
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 | 328 | 295 | 123 | 17 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Clear Lake
A large number of apartments in Clear Lake 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 Clear Lake are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 41 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 18 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 Clear Lake
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $649 to $1,323. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $649 |
| One BR | $677 |
| Two BR | $889 |
| Three BR | $1,145 |
| Four BR | $1,323 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Clear Lake, Iowa
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Clear Lake?
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 | 23 | 41 percent |
| One BR | 199 | 61 percent |
| Two BR | 194 | 66 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Clear Lake, Iowa
How many affordable rental units are in Clear Lake?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Clear Lake, Iowa including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 87 |
| Public Housing | 11 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 56 |
| USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing | 72 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Clear Lake, Iowa
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Clear Lake, Iowa
Clear Lake features 128 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 Clear Lake, Iowa
There are 48 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Clear Lake.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Clear Lake, Iowa
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Clear Lake landlords $300 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Clear Lake.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Clear Lake, Iowa for a two-bedroom apartment is between $800 and $978.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
