What HUD offices serve Suffolk 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.
Go to the Massachusetts Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Suffolk County.
How many renters live in Suffolk County, Massachusetts?
The County of Suffolk County has 766,381 people living in 330,101 households.
There are 434,679 renters living in 210,982 renter households in this County. Renters make up 56.72 percent of the population living in Suffolk County.
What is the rental market like in Suffolk County, Massachusetts?
There are an estimated 357,351 housing units in the Suffolk County area. Of these, 222,668 units are rental homes, making up 62 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Suffolk County?
The rental vacancy rate in Suffolk County is 4 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 Suffolk County for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Suffolk County
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21,143 | 64,332 | 71,615 | 40,990 | 10,213 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Suffolk County
A large number of apartments in Suffolk 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 Suffolk County are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 51 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 25 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 Suffolk County
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $2,212 to $3,765. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $2,212 |
| One BR | $2,377 |
| Two BR | $2,827 |
| Three BR | $3,418 |
| Four BR | $3,765 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Suffolk County, Massachusetts
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Suffolk 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 | 7,479 | 35 percent |
| One BR | 23,014 | 36 percent |
| Two BR | 24,854 | 35 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Suffolk County, Massachusetts
How many affordable rental units are in Suffolk County?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Suffolk County, Massachusetts including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 21,312 |
| Public Housing | 8,654 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 21,937 |
| Mod Rehab Project-Based Rental Assistance | 453 |
| Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly | 1,438 |
| Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities | 223 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Suffolk County features 23,964 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 Suffolk County, Massachusetts
There are 8,164 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Suffolk County.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Suffolk County, Massachusetts
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Suffolk County landlords $1,200 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $500 towards rent in Suffolk County.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Suffolk County, Massachusetts for a two-bedroom apartment is between $2,544 and $3,110.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
