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

Discover affordable housing in Whatcom County where there are 71+ 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.

Woodrose Apartments

3353 Racine St, Bellingham, Washington 98226

Apple Valley Apartments

8611 Depot Road, Lynden, Washington 98264

Sterling Meadows Apartments

500 Sterling Dr, Bellingham, Washington 98226

Sterling Senior Housing

528 Sterling Dr, Bellingham, Washington 98226

Ferndale Square

2254 Main St, Ferndale, Washington 98248

Ferndale Villa

2348 Main St, Ferndale, Washington 98248

Boundary Village

730 A St, Blaine, Washington 98230

Blair Gardens Apartments

112 Blair Drive, Everson, Washington 98247

Walton Phase I

1511 N State St, Bellingham, Washington 98225

Walton Place Two

1505 N State St, Bellingham, Washington 98225

Varsity Village

2400 McKenzie Ave, Bellingham, Washington 98225

Larkin Place

355 Meadowbrook Ct, Bellingham, Washington 98226

Catherine May Apartments

202 N 34th St, Bellingham, Washington 98225

Birchwood Manor

1308 Birchwood Ave, Bellingham, Washington 98225

Washington Plaza

2027 Washington St, Ferndale, Washington 98248

Bayview Plaza

714 H ST, Blaine, Washington 98230

Ferndale Manor

2075 Vista Dr, Ferndale, Washington 98248

Blaine Manor

210 B St, Blaine, Washington 98230

Eleanor Apartments

1510 N Forest St, Bellingham, Washington 98225

River House Apartments

100 Riverview Rd., Lynden, Washington 98264

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In Whatcom County, Washington
$29.75/hour
$13.47 (+83%) more than Washington minimum wage and $22.50 (+310%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Whatcom County, Washington Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve Whatcom 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), Public Housing programs for Whatcom County, Washington.
Operates the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Public Housing, Section 8 Project-Based Voucher (PBV) programs for Whatcom County, Washington.

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

How many renters live in Whatcom County, Washington?

The County of Whatcom County has 230,677 people living in 94,813 households.

There are 67,040 renters living in 32,944 renter households in this County. Renters make up 29.06 percent of the population living in Whatcom County.

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

There are an estimated 103,719 housing units in the Whatcom County area. Of these, 34,962 units are rental homes, making up 34 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Whatcom County, Washington, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Whatcom County?

The rental vacancy rate in Whatcom County is 3 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 Whatcom County for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Whatcom County
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
4,961 7,089 13,034 6,010 1,387
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Whatcom County

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

Among renter households in this market, 58 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 30 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 Whatcom County

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $1,254 to $2,666. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $1,254
One BR $1,306
Two BR $1,571
Three BR $2,214
Four BR $2,666
2024 Fair Market Rents in Whatcom County, Washington

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Whatcom 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 2,853 58 percent
One BR 3,772 53 percent
Two BR 7,867 60 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Whatcom County, Washington

How many affordable rental units are in Whatcom County?

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

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 2,742
Public Housing 567
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 237
Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly 20
USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing 158
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Whatcom County, Washington

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

Income Based Apartments in Whatcom County, Washington

Whatcom County features 1,027 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 Whatcom County, Washington

There are 1,937 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Whatcom County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Whatcom County, Washington

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Whatcom County landlords $700 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Whatcom County.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Whatcom County, Washington for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,414 and $1,728.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.