What HUD offices serve Washington County, Minnesota?
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 Minnesota Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Washington County.
How many renters live in Washington County, Minnesota?
The County of Washington County has 275,912 people living in 106,606 households.
There are 42,345 renters living in 20,300 renter households in this County. Renters make up 15.35 percent of the population living in Washington County.
What is the rental market like in Washington County, Minnesota?
There are an estimated 104,880 housing units in the Washington County area. Of these, 20,008 units are rental homes, making up 19 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Washington County, Minnesota, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Washington County?
The rental vacancy rate in Washington County is 5 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 Washington County for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Washington County
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 689 | 5,391 | 7,841 | 3,438 | 1,133 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Washington County
A large number of apartments in Washington 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 Washington County are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 55 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 33 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 Washington County
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $1,174 to $2,478. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $1,174 |
| One BR | $1,327 |
| Two BR | $1,622 |
| Three BR | $2,188 |
| Four BR | $2,478 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Washington County, Minnesota
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Washington 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 | 271 | 39 percent |
| One BR | 2,714 | 50 percent |
| Two BR | 3,690 | 47 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Washington County, Minnesota
How many affordable rental units are in Washington County?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Washington County, Minnesota including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 2,566 |
| Public Housing | 49 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 1,016 |
| Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly | 49 |
| Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities | 24 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Washington County, Minnesota
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Washington County, Minnesota
Washington County features 937 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 Washington County, Minnesota
There are 2,169 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Washington County.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Washington County, Minnesota
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Washington County landlords $3,400 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Washington County.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Washington County, Minnesota for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,460 and $1,784.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
