Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Worcester, MA

Discover affordable housing in Worcester where there are 82+ 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.

Open Until Further Notice

Reported On February 23rd, 2024 by Nathan Brunet

calendar_today Opened: Jan 6
Open Until Further Notice

Reported On February 23rd, 2024 by Nathan Brunet

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In Worcester, Massachusetts
$31.46/hour
$16.46 (+110%) more than Massachusetts minimum wage and $24.21 (+334%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Worcester, Massachusetts Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve Worcester, 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.

Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Public Housing programs for Worcester, Massachusetts.
Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Moving to Work programs for Worcester, Massachusetts.
Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) programs for Worcester, Massachusetts.

Go to the Massachusetts Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Worcester.

How many renters live in Worcester, Massachusetts?

The City of Worcester has 205,317 people living in 80,177 households.

There are 112,175 renters living in 49,423 renter households in this City. Renters make up 54.64 percent of the population living in Worcester.

What is the rental market like in Worcester, Massachusetts?

There are an estimated 84,771 housing units in the Worcester area. Of these, 47,669 units are rental homes, making up 56 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Worcester, Massachusetts, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Worcester?

The rental vacancy rate in Worcester 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 Worcester for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Worcester
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
2,199 11,979 16,698 14,351 3,351
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Worcester

A large number of apartments in Worcester 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 Worcester are overburdened by housing costs?

Among renter households in this market, 53 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 28 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 Worcester

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $1,282 to $2,212. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $1,282
One BR $1,292
Two BR $1,661
Three BR $2,008
Four BR $2,212
2024 Fair Market Rents in Worcester, Massachusetts

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Worcester?

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 1,665 76 percent
One BR 7,698 64 percent
Two BR 10,299 62 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Worcester, Massachusetts

How many affordable rental units are in Worcester?

There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Worcester, Massachusetts including the following:

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 2,876
Public Housing 2,439
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 2,954
Mod Rehab Project-Based Rental Assistance 49
Section 236 Rental Assistance 1,213
Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly 108
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Worcester, Massachusetts

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

Income Based Apartments in Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester features 7,215 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 Worcester, Massachusetts

There are 853 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Worcester.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Worcester, Massachusetts

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Worcester landlords $800 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Worcester.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Worcester, Massachusetts for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,495 and $1,827.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.