Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Buncombe County, NC

Discover affordable housing in Buncombe County where there are 64+ 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 Buncombe County, North Carolina
$31.82/hour
$24.57 (+339%) more than North Carolina minimum wage and $24.57 (+339%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Buncombe County, North Carolina Affordable Housing ↓

How many renters live in Buncombe County, North Carolina?

The County of Buncombe County has 273,589 people living in 103,428 households.

There are 82,066 renters living in 35,833 renter households in this County. Renters make up 30 percent of the population living in Buncombe County.

What is the rental market like in Buncombe County, North Carolina?

There are an estimated 134,673 housing units in the Buncombe County area. Of these, 42,603 units are rental homes, making up 32 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Buncombe County, North Carolina, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Buncombe County?

The rental vacancy rate in Buncombe County is 16 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 Buncombe County for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Buncombe County
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
4,817 5,708 16,407 7,575 1,172
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Buncombe County

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

Among renter households in this market, 47 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 Buncombe County

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $1,428 to $2,851. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $1,428
One BR $1,496
Two BR $1,680
Three BR $2,160
Four BR $2,851
2024 Fair Market Rents in Buncombe County, North Carolina

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Buncombe 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 3,618 75 percent
One BR 4,275 75 percent
Two BR 11,563 70 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Buncombe County, North Carolina

How many affordable rental units are in Buncombe County?

There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Buncombe County, North Carolina including the following:

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 2,943
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 930
Section 236 Rental Assistance 27
Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly 50
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities 40
USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing 326
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Buncombe County, North Carolina

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

Income Based Apartments in Buncombe County, North Carolina

Buncombe County features 2,967 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 Buncombe County, North Carolina

There are 1,808 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Buncombe County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Buncombe County, North Carolina

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Buncombe County landlords $600 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $200 towards rent in Buncombe County.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Buncombe County, North Carolina for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,512 and $1,848.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.