What HUD offices serve Waco, Texas?
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 Texas Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Waco.
How many renters live in Waco, Texas?
The City of Waco has 143,987 people living in 53,623 households.
There are 63,562 renters living in 28,390 renter households in this City. Renters make up 44.14 percent of the population living in Waco.
What is the rental market like in Waco, Texas?
There are an estimated 59,427 housing units in the Waco area. Of these, 29,717 units are rental homes, making up 50 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Waco, Texas, there are 1 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Waco?
The rental vacancy rate in Waco 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 Waco for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Waco
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 785 | 6,164 | 13,044 | 5,596 | 2,766 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Waco
A large number of apartments in Waco 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 Waco are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 53 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 29 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 Waco
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $875 to $1,686. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $875 |
| One BR | $1,011 |
| Two BR | $1,266 |
| Three BR | $1,632 |
| Four BR | $1,686 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Waco, Texas
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Waco?
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 | 646 | 82 percent |
| One BR | 2,986 | 48 percent |
| Two BR | 7,526 | 58 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Waco, Texas
How many affordable rental units are in Waco?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Waco, Texas including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 1,604 |
| Public Housing | 530 |
| Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance | 676 |
| Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly | 130 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Waco, Texas
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Waco, Texas
Waco features 1,902 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 Waco, Texas
There are 1,054 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Waco.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Waco, Texas
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Waco landlords $500 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Waco.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Waco, Texas for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,139 and $1,393.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
