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

Discover affordable housing in Monroe County where there are 15+ 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 Monroe County, Wisconsin
$18.90/hour
$11.65 (+161%) more than Wisconsin minimum wage and $11.65 (+161%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Monroe County, Wisconsin Affordable Housing ↓

What HUD offices serve Monroe County, Wisconsin?

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 Monroe County, Wisconsin.

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

How many renters live in Monroe County, Wisconsin?

The County of Monroe County has 46,208 people living in 17,992 households.

There are 11,539 renters living in 5,125 renter households in this County. Renters make up 24.97 percent of the population living in Monroe County.

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

There are an estimated 19,804 housing units in the Monroe County area. Of these, 5,467 units are rental homes, making up 28 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Monroe County, Wisconsin, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Monroe County?

The rental vacancy rate in Monroe County is 6 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 Monroe County for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Monroe County
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
259 725 2,257 1,364 422
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Monroe County

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

Among renter households in this market, 34 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 12 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 Monroe County

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $676 to $1,427. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $676
One BR $811
Two BR $998
Three BR $1,297
Four BR $1,427
2024 Fair Market Rents in Monroe County, Wisconsin

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Monroe 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 144 56 percent
One BR 462 64 percent
Two BR 1,495 66 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Monroe County, Wisconsin

How many affordable rental units are in Monroe County?

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

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 50
Public Housing 84
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 193
USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing 148
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Monroe County, Wisconsin

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

Income Based Apartments in Monroe County, Wisconsin

Monroe County features 370 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 Monroe County, Wisconsin

There are 106 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Monroe County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Monroe County, Wisconsin

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Monroe County landlords $400 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $300 towards rent in Monroe County.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Monroe County, Wisconsin for a two-bedroom apartment is between $898 and $1,098.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.