What HUD offices serve Mason City, 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 Mason City.
How many renters live in Mason City, Iowa?
The City of Mason City has 27,271 people living in 12,728 households.
There are 7,858 renters living in 4,087 renter households in this City. Renters make up 28.81 percent of the population living in Mason City.
What is the rental market like in Mason City, Iowa?
There are an estimated 14,123 housing units in the Mason City area. Of these, 4,234 units are rental homes, making up 30 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Mason City, Iowa, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Mason City?
The rental vacancy rate in Mason City 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 Mason City for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Mason City
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 113 | 1,154 | 1,520 | 763 | 357 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Mason City
A large number of apartments in Mason City 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 Mason City are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 30 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 14 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 Mason City
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 Mason City, Iowa
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Mason City?
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 | 57 | 50 percent |
| One BR | 602 | 52 percent |
| Two BR | 925 | 61 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Mason City, Iowa
How many affordable rental units are in Mason City?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Mason City, Iowa including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 318 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 283 |
| Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly | 29 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Mason City, Iowa
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Mason City, Iowa
Mason City features 432 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 Mason City, Iowa
There are 227 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Mason City.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Mason City, Iowa
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Mason City landlords $300 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Mason City.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Mason City, Iowa for a two-bedroom apartment is between $800 and $978.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
