Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Rensselaer County, NY

Discover affordable housing in Rensselaer County where there are 51+ 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.

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In Rensselaer County, New York
$26.02/hour
$11.02 (+73%) more than New York minimum wage and $18.77 (+259%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Rensselaer County, New York Affordable Housing ↓

How many renters live in Rensselaer County, New York?

The County of Rensselaer County has 159,853 people living in 66,238 households.

There are 47,253 renters living in 24,285 renter households in this County. Renters make up 29.56 percent of the population living in Rensselaer County.

What is the rental market like in Rensselaer County, New York?

There are an estimated 74,186 housing units in the Rensselaer County area. Of these, 26,478 units are rental homes, making up 36 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Rensselaer County, New York, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Rensselaer County?

The rental vacancy rate in Rensselaer County is 6 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 Rensselaer County for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Rensselaer County
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
563 6,418 11,872 4,586 739
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Rensselaer County

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

Among renter households in this market, 46 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 21 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 Rensselaer County

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $1,011 to $1,830. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $1,011
One BR $1,131
Two BR $1,374
Three BR $1,661
Four BR $1,830
2024 Fair Market Rents in Rensselaer County, New York

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Rensselaer 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 3 1 percent
One BR 4,181 65 percent
Two BR 6,696 56 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Rensselaer County, New York

How many affordable rental units are in Rensselaer County?

There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Rensselaer County, New York including the following:

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 611
Public Housing 171
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 871
Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly 2
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities 24
USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing 54
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Rensselaer County, New York

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

Income Based Apartments in Rensselaer County, New York

Rensselaer County features 2,444 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 Rensselaer County, New York

There are 574 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Rensselaer County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Rensselaer County, New York

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Rensselaer County landlords $600 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Rensselaer County.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Rensselaer County, New York for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,237 and $1,511.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.