Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Douglas County, WI

Discover affordable housing in Douglas County where there are 31+ 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 Douglas County, Wisconsin
$21.08/hour
$13.83 (+191%) more than Wisconsin minimum wage and $13.83 (+191%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Douglas County, Wisconsin Affordable Housing ↓

How many renters live in Douglas County, Wisconsin?

The County of Douglas County has 44,092 people living in 18,916 households.

There are 10,444 renters living in 5,588 renter households in this County. Renters make up 23.69 percent of the population living in Douglas County.

What is the rental market like in Douglas County, Wisconsin?

There are an estimated 22,951 housing units in the Douglas County area. Of these, 5,879 units are rental homes, making up 26 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Douglas County, Wisconsin, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Douglas County?

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

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Douglas County
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
400 1,818 2,157 954 207
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Douglas County

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

Among renter households in this market, 38 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 16 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 Douglas County

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $762 to $1,889. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $762
One BR $868
Two BR $1,113
Three BR $1,485
Four BR $1,889
2024 Fair Market Rents in Douglas County, Wisconsin

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Douglas 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 330 83 percent
One BR 1,250 69 percent
Two BR 1,429 66 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Douglas County, Wisconsin

How many affordable rental units are in Douglas County?

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

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 356
Public Housing 266
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 691
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities 27
USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing 36
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Douglas County, Wisconsin

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

Income Based Apartments in Douglas County, Wisconsin

Douglas County features 1,415 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 Douglas County, Wisconsin

There are 356 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Douglas County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Douglas County, Wisconsin

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Douglas County landlords $500 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Douglas County.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Douglas County, Wisconsin for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,002 and $1,224.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.