What HUD offices serve Columbia County, Oregon?
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 Oregon Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Columbia County.
How many renters live in Columbia County, Oregon?
The County of Columbia County has 52,865 people living in 20,335 households.
There are 11,759 renters living in 4,758 renter households in this County. Renters make up 22.24 percent of the population living in Columbia County.
What is the rental market like in Columbia County, Oregon?
There are an estimated 21,773 housing units in the Columbia County area. Of these, 4,846 units are rental homes, making up 22 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Columbia County, Oregon, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Columbia County?
The rental vacancy rate in Columbia County is 2 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 Columbia County for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Columbia County
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 291 | 635 | 1,937 | 1,328 | 352 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Columbia County
A large number of apartments in Columbia 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 Columbia County are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 48 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 18 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 Columbia County
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $1,650 to $3,254. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $1,650 |
| One BR | $1,776 |
| Two BR | $2,024 |
| Three BR | $2,809 |
| Four BR | $3,254 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Columbia County, Oregon
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Columbia 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 | 178 | 61 percent |
| One BR | 535 | 84 percent |
| Two BR | 1,387 | 72 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Columbia County, Oregon
How many affordable rental units are in Columbia County?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Columbia County, Oregon including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 166 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 32 |
| USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing | 128 |
| USDA Section 514 Farm Labor Housing | 22 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Columbia County, Oregon
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Columbia County, Oregon
Columbia County features 150 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 Columbia County, Oregon
There are 313 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Columbia County.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Columbia County, Oregon
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Columbia County landlords $600 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Columbia County.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Columbia County, Oregon for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,822 and $2,226.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
