How many renters live in Rice County, Kansas?
The County of Rice County has 9,441 people living in 3,763 households.
There are 1,813 renters living in 916 renter households in this County. Renters make up 19.2 percent of the population living in Rice County.
What is the rental market like in Rice County, Kansas?
There are an estimated 4,395 housing units in the Rice County area. Of these, 1,002 units are rental homes, making up 23 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Rice County, Kansas, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Rice County?
The rental vacancy rate in Rice County is 8 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 Rice County for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Rice County
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 234 | 335 | 305 | 41 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Rice County
A large number of apartments in Rice 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 Rice County are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 21 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 8 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 Rice County
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $633 to $1,244. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $633 |
| One BR | $730 |
| Two BR | $882 |
| Three BR | $1,243 |
| Four BR | $1,244 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Rice County, Kansas
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Rice 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 |
| One BR | 212 | 91 percent |
| Two BR | 232 | 69 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Rice County, Kansas
How many affordable rental units are in Rice County?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Rice County, Kansas including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 42 |
| Public Housing | 132 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 17 |
| USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing | 16 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Rice County, Kansas
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Rice County, Kansas
Rice County features 166 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 Rice County, Kansas
There are 40 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Rice County.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Rice County, Kansas
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Rice County landlords $0 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $0 towards rent in Rice County.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Rice County, Kansas for a two-bedroom apartment is between $794 and $970.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
