Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Cowlitz County, WA

Discover affordable housing in Cowlitz County where there are 19+ 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 Cowlitz County, Washington
$25.40/hour
$9.12 (+56%) more than Washington minimum wage and $18.15 (+250%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Cowlitz County, Washington Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve Cowlitz County, Washington?

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.

Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) programs for Cowlitz County, Washington.

Go to the Washington Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Cowlitz County.

How many renters live in Cowlitz County, Washington?

The County of Cowlitz County has 111,956 people living in 44,049 households.

There are 29,356 renters living in 12,642 renter households in this County. Renters make up 26.22 percent of the population living in Cowlitz County.

What is the rental market like in Cowlitz County, Washington?

There are an estimated 45,540 housing units in the Cowlitz County area. Of these, 14,906 units are rental homes, making up 33 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Cowlitz County, Washington, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Cowlitz County?

The rental vacancy rate in Cowlitz 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 Cowlitz County for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Cowlitz County
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
889 3,076 5,858 3,545 963
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Cowlitz County

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

Among renter households in this market, 55 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 33 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 Cowlitz County

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $909 to $2,276. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $909
One BR $1,109
Two BR $1,341
Three BR $1,890
Four BR $2,276
2024 Fair Market Rents in Cowlitz County, Washington

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Cowlitz 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 620 70 percent
One BR 2,275 74 percent
Two BR 4,382 75 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Cowlitz County, Washington

How many affordable rental units are in Cowlitz County?

There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Cowlitz County, Washington including the following:

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 675
Public Housing 116
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 199
USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing 151
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Cowlitz County, Washington

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

Income Based Apartments in Cowlitz County, Washington

Cowlitz County features 468 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 Cowlitz County, Washington

There are 418 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Cowlitz County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Cowlitz County, Washington

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Cowlitz County landlords $600 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Cowlitz County.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Cowlitz County, Washington for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,207 and $1,475.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.