What HUD offices serve Otero County, New Mexico?
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 New Mexico Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Otero County.
How many renters live in Otero County, New Mexico?
The County of Otero County has people living in households.
There are renters living in renter households in this County. Renters make up 27.6 percent of the population living in Otero County.
What is the rental market like in Otero County, New Mexico?
There are an estimated housing units in the Otero County area. Of these, units are rental homes, making up percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Otero County, New Mexico, there are 1.19 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Otero County?
The rental vacancy rate in Otero 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 Otero County for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Otero County
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 239 | 841 | 2,845 | 3,398 | 791 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Otero County
A large number of apartments in Otero County have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.
How Much Is Rent in Otero County
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $609 to $1,488. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $609 |
| One BR | $722 |
| Two BR | $877 |
| Three BR | $1,236 |
| Four BR | $1,488 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Otero County, New Mexico
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Otero 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 | 148 | 62 percent |
| One BR | 499 | 59 percent |
| Two BR | 1,682 | 59 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Otero County, New Mexico
How many affordable rental units are in Otero County?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Otero County, New Mexico including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | |
| Public Housing | |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | |
| USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Otero County, New Mexico
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Otero County, New Mexico
Otero County features 320 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 Otero County, New Mexico
There are 200 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Otero County.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Otero County, New Mexico
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Otero County landlords $500 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Otero County.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Otero County, New Mexico for a two-bedroom apartment is between $789 and $965.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.