Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Palo Alto County, IA

Discover affordable housing in Palo Alto County where there are 6+ 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.

North Valley Apartments

702 N Vangordon St, Graettinger, Iowa 0

Ruthven Apartments

2701 Mitchell St, Ruthven, Iowa 51358

Emmetsburg Group Homes

1501 Palmer St, Emmetsburg, Iowa 50536

Roscommon Apartments

2805 Schroeder Dr, Emmetsburg, Iowa 50536

M. Peter Hart I

212 N State St, Emmetsburg, Iowa 50536

Country Home Builders Apartments

210 N State St, Emmetsburg, Iowa 50536

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In Palo Alto County, Iowa
$16.33/hour
$9.08 (+125%) more than Iowa minimum wage and $9.08 (+125%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Palo Alto County, Iowa Affordable Housing ↓

How many renters live in Palo Alto County, Iowa?

The County of Palo Alto County has 8,938 people living in 3,635 households.

There are 1,735 renters living in 868 renter households in this County. Renters make up 19.41 percent of the population living in Palo Alto County.

What is the rental market like in Palo Alto County, Iowa?

There are an estimated 4,509 housing units in the Palo Alto County area. Of these, 972 units are rental homes, making up 22 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Palo Alto County, Iowa, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Palo Alto County?

The rental vacancy rate in Palo Alto County is 11 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 Palo Alto County for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Palo Alto County
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
13 261 276 196 85
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Palo Alto County

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

Among renter households in this market, 33 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 10 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 Palo Alto County

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $630 to $1,156. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $630
One BR $656
Two BR $862
Three BR $1,152
Four BR $1,156
2024 Fair Market Rents in Palo Alto County, Iowa

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Palo Alto 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 7 54 percent
One BR 195 75 percent
Two BR 200 72 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Palo Alto County, Iowa

How many affordable rental units are in Palo Alto County?

There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Palo Alto County, Iowa including the following:

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 67
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 16
Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly 14
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Palo Alto County, Iowa

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

Income Based Apartments in Palo Alto County, Iowa

Palo Alto County features 123 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 Palo Alto County, Iowa

There are 67 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Palo Alto County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Palo Alto County, Iowa

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Palo Alto County landlords $400 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Palo Alto County.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Palo Alto County, Iowa for a two-bedroom apartment is between $776 and $948.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.