Apply to Cook County Apartment Waiting Lists
There are 36,421 low-income apartments in Cook County that offer reduced rents to eligible households. Low-income rents in Cook County, Illinois can range from $555 to $2,525 depending on the number of bedrooms.
Rental assistance programs support 65,953 low-income homes in Cook County where households pay rent based on how much they earn. For 2024, elgible households participating in federally assisted housing pay an average of $372 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 Cook County, Illinois
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 Cook County | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing; Section 8 Project-Based Voucher (PBV) |
Cook County, Illinois Affordable Housing Data
Income Based Apartments in Cook County, Illinois
Cook County features 65,953 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 Cook County, Illinois
There are 36,421 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Cook County.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Cook County, Illinois
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Cook County landlords $800 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Cook County.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Cook County, Illinois for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,543 and $1,885.
2024 Cook County, Illinois 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County, Illinois Fair Market Rent | $1,399 | $1,507 | $1,714 | $2,182 | $2,583 |
| Cook County, Illinois Payment Standard Range | $1,259 to $1,539 | $1,356 to $1,658 | $1,543 to $1,885 | $1,964 to $2,400 | $2,325 to $2,841 |
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
Cook County, IL Affordable Housing Snapshot
| Total Affordable Apartment Properties | 999 |
|---|---|
| Total Low Income Apartments | 104,357 |
| Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance | 65,953 |
| Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters | 43% |
| Average Renter Household Size | 2.46 |
| Average Household Size | 2.65 |
| Median Household Income | $55,251 ±$327 |
| Median Rent | $980 ±$3 |
| Percentage Of Renters Overburdened | 48.86% ± 0.44pp |
| Total Population | 5,236,393 |
Population and Household Demographics
Cook County is a county in Illinois with a population of 5,236,393. There are 1,942,959 households in the county with an average household size of 2.65 persons. 43% of households in Cook County are renters.
Income and Rent Overburden in Cook County
The median gross income for households in Cook County is $55,251 a year, or $4,604 a month. The median rent for the county is $980 a month.
Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Cook County, a household making less than $3,267 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 48.86% of households who rent are overburdened in Cook County.
Area Median Income In Cook County
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.
In Cook County, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $112,300
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 Cook County
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 Cook County
| 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 Cook County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households. |
$23,200 | $26,500 | $29,800 | $33,100 | $35,750 | $40,280 | $45,420 | $50,560 |
| 50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Cook County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households. |
$38,650 | $44,150 | $49,650 | $55,150 | $59,600 | $64,000 | $68,400 | $72,800 |
| 80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Cook County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households. |
$61,800 | $70,600 | $79,450 | $88,250 | $95,350 | $102,400 | $109,450 | $116,500 |
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