What HUD offices serve McDowell County, North Carolina?
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 North Carolina Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near McDowell County.
How many renters live in McDowell County, North Carolina?
The County of McDowell County has 44,629 people living in 18,184 households.
There are 11,217 renters living in 4,833 renter households in this County. Renters make up 25.13 percent of the population living in McDowell County.
What is the rental market like in McDowell County, North Carolina?
There are an estimated 21,328 housing units in the McDowell County area. Of these, 5,082 units are rental homes, making up 24 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in McDowell County, North Carolina, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in McDowell County?
The rental vacancy rate in McDowell 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 McDowell County for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in McDowell County
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97 | 917 | 1,888 | 1,816 | 55 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in McDowell County
A large number of apartments in McDowell 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 McDowell County are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 28 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 11 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 McDowell County
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $713 to $1,262. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $713 |
| One BR | $751 |
| Two BR | $856 |
| Three BR | $1,059 |
| Four BR | $1,262 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in McDowell County, North Carolina
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in McDowell 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 | 72 | 74 percent |
| One BR | 673 | 73 percent |
| Two BR | 1,180 | 63 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in McDowell County, North Carolina
How many affordable rental units are in McDowell County?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in McDowell County, North Carolina including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 250 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 107 |
| USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing | 132 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in McDowell County, North Carolina
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in McDowell County, North Carolina
McDowell County features 237 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 McDowell County, North Carolina
There are 248 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in McDowell County.
Housing Choice Vouchers in McDowell County, North Carolina
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay McDowell County landlords $500 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $200 towards rent in McDowell County.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in McDowell County, North Carolina for a two-bedroom apartment is between $770 and $942.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
