Low Income Apartments For Rent in Pacifica, CA

Rental assistance programs support 144 low-income homes in Pacifica where households pay rent based on how much they earn. For 2024, elgible households participating in federally assisted housing pay an average of $583 towards rent each month.

Affordable rent data for some communities last confirmed on July 2nd, 2024. Subdsidized rents typically change once a year based on federal guidance.

Public Housing Agencies Serving Pacifica, California

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.

Housing Authority	Programs
Housing Authority of the County of San Mateo	Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Moving to Work

Go to the California Public Housing and Low-Income Apartments Waiting Lists page for openings near Pacifica.

Pacifica, California Affordable Housing Data

Income Based Apartments in Pacifica, California

Pacifica features 144 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 Pacifica, California

There are 265 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Pacifica.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Pacifica, California

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Pacifica landlords $1,500 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $600 towards rent in Pacifica.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Pacifica, California for a two-bedroom apartment is between $3,023 and $3,695.

2024 Pacifica, California Fair Market Rents and Housing Choice Voucher Payment Standards

Fair Market Rents can be used to better understand the average housing costs of an area. Fair Market Rents are used by HUD to establish payment and rent standards for federal rental assistance programs like the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.

	Studio	One BR	Two BR	Three BR	Four BR
Pacifica, California Fair Market Rent	$2,292	$2,818	$3,359	$4,112	$4,473
Pacifica, California Payment Standard Range	$2,063 to $2,521	$2,536 to $3,100	$3,023 to $3,695	$3,701 to $4,523	$4,026 to $4,920

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

Pacifica, CA Affordable Housing Snapshot

Total Affordable Apartment Properties 10

Total Low Income Apartments 420

Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance 144

Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters 31.72%

Average Renter Household Size 2.59

Average Household Size 2.73

Median Household Income $100,193 ±$4,414

Median Rent $1,875 ±$72

Percentage Of Renters Overburdened 43.42% ± 6.07pp

Total Population 38,665

Total Affordable Apartment Properties	10
Total Low Income Apartments	420
Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance	144
Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters	31.72%
Average Renter Household Size	2.59
Average Household Size	2.73
Median Household Income	$100,193 ±$4,414
Median Rent	$1,875 ±$72
Percentage Of Renters Overburdened	43.42% ± 6.07pp
Total Population	38,665

Population and Household Demographics

Pacifica is a city in San Mateo County, California with a population of 38,665. There are 14,101 households in the city with an average household size of 2.73 persons. 31.72% of households in Pacifica are renters.

Income and Rent Overburden in Pacifica

The median gross income for households in Pacifica is $100,193 a year, or $8,349 a month. The median rent for the city is $1,875 a month.

Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Pacifica, a household making less than $6,250 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 43.42% of households who rent are overburdened in Pacifica.

Area Median Income In Pacifica

Affordable housing program eligibility is always determined by one's income. Each household's income is compared to the incomes of all other households in the area. This is accomplished through a statistic established by the government called the Area Median Income, most often referred to as AMI. The AMI is calculated and published each year by HUD.

HUD often uses an area larger than a city to determine the AMI because HUD anticipates those searching for housing will look beyond individual cities during their housing search. For Pacifica, the AMI is calculated from all households within San Mateo County.

In Pacifica, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $175,000

Most affordable housing programs determine eligibility based on the percent of AMI a given household's income is. Among the programs that determine eligibility based on the AMI are Section 8, HOME, LIHTC, Section 515, 202 and 811.

Rental Assistance in Pacifica

Rental assistance is a type of housing subsidy that pays for a portion of a renter’s monthly housing costs, including rent and tenant paid utilities. This housing assistance can come in the form of Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, project-based Section 8 contracts, public housing, USDA Rental Assistance (in Section 515 properties) as well as HUD Section 202 and 811 properties for elderly and disabled households.

Income Qualifications for HUD Rental Assistance in Pacifica

	1 Person	2 Person	3 Person	4 Person	5 Person	6 Person	7 Person	8 Person
30% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 30% of the Pacifica AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households.	$39,050	$44,600	$50,200	$55,750	$60,250	$64,700	$69,150	$73,600
50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Pacifica AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households.	$65,050	$74,350	$83,650	$92,900	$100,350	$107,800	$115,200	$122,650
80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Pacifica AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households.	$104,100	$118,950	$133,800	$148,650	$160,550	$172,450	$184,350	$196,250