What HUD offices serve Linn County, 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 Linn County.
How many renters live in Linn County, Iowa?
The County of Linn County has 229,033 people living in 94,976 households.
There are 45,270 renters living in 24,198 renter households in this County. Renters make up 19.77 percent of the population living in Linn County.
What is the rental market like in Linn County, Iowa?
There are an estimated 102,698 housing units in the Linn County area. Of these, 29,227 units are rental homes, making up 28 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Linn County, Iowa, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Linn County?
The rental vacancy rate in Linn County is 14 percent. This is a higher than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are high it means that there are a lot of available units and rents tend to be lower.
How many rental units are in Linn County for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Linn County
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,864 | 7,073 | 10,503 | 3,273 | 1,258 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Linn County
A large number of apartments in Linn 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 Linn County are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 41 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 20 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 Linn County
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $638 to $1,597. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $638 |
| One BR | $716 |
| Two BR | $941 |
| Three BR | $1,326 |
| Four BR | $1,597 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Linn County, Iowa
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Linn 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 | 996 | 53 percent |
| One BR | 4,054 | 57 percent |
| Two BR | 5,499 | 52 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Linn County, Iowa
How many affordable rental units are in Linn County?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Linn County, Iowa including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 2,479 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 960 |
| Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly | 183 |
| Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities | 18 |
| USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing | 192 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Linn County, Iowa
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Linn County, Iowa
Linn County features 1,254 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 Linn County, Iowa
There are 2,552 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Linn County.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Linn County, Iowa
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Linn County landlords $500 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Linn County.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Linn County, Iowa for a two-bedroom apartment is between $847 and $1,035.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
