Low Income Apartments For Rent in Sterling, IL

Rental assistance programs support 143 low-income homes in Sterling where households pay rent based on how much they earn. For 2024, elgible households participating in federally assisted housing pay an average of $308 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 Sterling, 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
Whiteside County Housing Authority	Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing
White County Housing Authority	Public Housing

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

Sterling, Illinois Affordable Housing Data

Income Based Apartments in Sterling, Illinois

Sterling features 143 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 Sterling, Illinois

There are 252 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Sterling.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Sterling, Illinois

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

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Sterling, Illinois for a two-bedroom apartment is between $761 and $931.

2024 Sterling, 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
Sterling, Illinois Fair Market Rent	$589	$644	$846	$1,033	$1,127
Sterling, Illinois Payment Standard Range	$530 to $648	$580 to $708	$761 to $931	$930 to $1,136	$1,014 to $1,240

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

Sterling, IL Affordable Housing Snapshot

Total Affordable Apartment Properties 10

Total Low Income Apartments 397

Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance 143

Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters 35.99%

Average Renter Household Size 2.25

Average Household Size 2.42

Median Household Income $39,679 ±$2,660

Median Rent $627 ±$29

Percentage Of Renters Overburdened 44.15% ± 7.98pp

Total Population 15,170

Total Affordable Apartment Properties	10
Total Low Income Apartments	397
Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance	143
Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters	35.99%
Average Renter Household Size	2.25
Average Household Size	2.42
Median Household Income	$39,679 ±$2,660
Median Rent	$627 ±$29
Percentage Of Renters Overburdened	44.15% ± 7.98pp
Total Population	15,170

Population and Household Demographics

Sterling is a city in Whiteside County, Illinois with a population of 15,170. There are 6,129 households in the city with an average household size of 2.42 persons. 35.99% of households in Sterling are renters.

Income and Rent Overburden in Sterling

The median gross income for households in Sterling is $39,679 a year, or $3,307 a month. The median rent for the city is $627 a month.

Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Sterling, a household making less than $2,090 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 44.15% of households who rent are overburdened in Sterling.

Area Median Income In Sterling

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 Sterling, the AMI is calculated from all households within Whiteside County.

In Sterling, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $83,700

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 Sterling

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 Sterling

	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 Sterling AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households.	$16,950	$19,720	$24,860	$30,000	$35,140	$40,280	$45,420	$50,560
50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Sterling AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households.	$28,250	$32,250	$36,300	$40,300	$43,550	$46,750	$50,000	$53,200
80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Sterling AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households.	$45,150	$51,600	$58,050	$64,500	$69,700	$74,850	$80,000	$85,150