Edmands House
Parkside Village
Morton and Etta Shillman House
Appleton Mills
Machado House at Peters Grove
Ashland Commons
There are 7,822 low-income apartments in Middlesex County that offer reduced rents to eligible households. Low-income rents in Middlesex County, Massachusetts can range from $665 to $3,600 depending on the number of bedrooms.
Rental assistance programs support 19,166 low-income homes in Middlesex County where households pay rent based on how much they earn. For 2023, elgible households participating in federally assisted housing pay an average of $467 towards rent each month.
Affordable rent data for some communities last confirmed on September 13th, 2023. Subdsidized rents typically change once a year based on federal guidance.
Public Housing Agencies Serving Middlesex County, Massachusetts
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.
| Housing Authority | Programs |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Moving to Work |
Middlesex County, Massachusetts Affordable Housing Data
Income Based Apartments in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Middlesex County features 19,166 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 Middlesex County, Massachusetts
There are 7,822 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Middlesex County.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Middlesex County landlords $1,100 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $500 towards rent in Middlesex County.
2023 Middlesex County, Massachusetts Fair Market Rents
Fair Market Rents, often abbreviated as FMR, can be used to better understand the average housing costs of an area. Fair Market Rents are used to establish the payment standards for the Housing Choice Voucher Program, maximum rents in HOME financed rental projects and initial rents for Section 8 project based assistance.
| Town/Area | Studio | One BR | Two BR | Three BR | Four BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acton town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Arlington town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Ashby town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Ashland town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Ayer town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Bedford town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Belmont town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Billerica town | $1,340 | $1,490 | $1,955 | $2,379 | $2,626 |
| Boxborough town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Burlington town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Cambridge city | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Carlisle town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Chelmsford town | $1,340 | $1,490 | $1,955 | $2,379 | $2,626 |
| Concord town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Dracut town | $1,340 | $1,490 | $1,955 | $2,379 | $2,626 |
| Dunstable town | $1,340 | $1,490 | $1,955 | $2,379 | $2,626 |
| Everett city | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Framingham city | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Groton town | $1,340 | $1,490 | $1,955 | $2,379 | $2,626 |
| Holliston town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Hopkinton town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Hudson town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Lexington town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Lincoln town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Littleton town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Lowell city | $1,340 | $1,490 | $1,955 | $2,379 | $2,626 |
| Malden city | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Marlborough city | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Maynard town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Medford city | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Melrose city | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Natick town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Newton city | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| North Reading town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Pepperell town | $1,340 | $1,490 | $1,955 | $2,379 | $2,626 |
| Reading town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Sherborn town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Shirley town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Somerville city | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Stoneham town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Stow town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Sudbury town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Tewksbury town | $1,340 | $1,490 | $1,955 | $2,379 | $2,626 |
| Townsend town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Tyngsborough town | $1,340 | $1,490 | $1,955 | $2,379 | $2,626 |
| Wakefield town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Waltham city | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Watertown city | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Wayland town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Westford town | $1,340 | $1,490 | $1,955 | $2,379 | $2,626 |
| Weston town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Wilmington town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Winchester town | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
| Woburn city | $2,025 | $2,198 | $2,635 | $3,207 | $3,540 |
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
Middlesex County, MA Affordable Housing Snapshot
| Total Affordable Apartment Properties | 329 |
|---|---|
| Total Low Income Apartments | 27,772 |
| Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance | 19,166 |
| Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters | 37.59% |
| Average Renter Household Size | 2.21 |
| Average Household Size | 2.56 |
| Median Household Income | $85,118 ±$757 |
| Median Rent | $1,341 ±$10 |
| Percentage Of Renters Overburdened | 44.18% ± 0.89pp |
| Total Population | 1,556,116 |
Population and Household Demographics
Middlesex County is a county in Massachusetts with a population of 1,556,116. There are 585,642 households in the county with an average household size of 2.56 persons. 37.59% of households in Middlesex County are renters.
Income and Rent Overburden in Middlesex County
The median gross income for households in Middlesex County is $85,118 a year, or $7,093 a month. The median rent for the county is $1,341 a month.
Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Middlesex County, a household making less than $4,470 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 44.18% of households who rent are overburdened in Middlesex County.
Area Median Income In Middlesex County
Affordable housing program eligibility is always determined by one's income. Each household's income is compared to the incomes of all other households in the area. This is accomplished through a statistic established by the government called the Area Median Income, most often referred to as AMI. The AMI is calculated and published each year by HUD.
In Middlesex County, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $149,300
Most affordable housing programs determine eligibility based on the percent of AMI a given household's income is. Among the programs that determine eligibility based on the AMI are Section 8, HOME, LIHTC, Section 515, 202 and 811.
Rental Assistance in Middlesex County
Rental assistance is a type of housing subsidy that pays for a portion of a renter’s monthly housing costs, including rent and tenant paid utilities. This housing assistance can come in the form of Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, project-based Section 8 contracts, public housing, USDA Rental Assistance (in Section 515 properties) as well as HUD Section 202 and 811 properties for elderly and disabled households.
Income Qualifications for HUD Rental Assistance in Middlesex County
| 1 Person | 2 Person | 3 Person | 4 Person | 5 Person | 6 Person | 7 Person | 8 Person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 30% of the Middlesex County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households. |
$31,150 | $35,600 | $40,050 | $44,500 | $48,100 | $51,650 | $55,200 | $58,750 |
| 50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Middlesex County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households. |
$51,950 | $59,400 | $66,800 | $74,200 | $80,150 | $86,100 | $92,050 | $97,950 |
| 80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Middlesex County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households. |
$82,950 | $94,800 | $106,650 | $118,450 | $127,950 | $137,450 | $146,900 | $156,400 |
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