Low Income Apartments For Rent in Essex, IA

Rental assistance programs support 15 low-income homes in Essex where households pay rent based on how much they earn. For 2024, elgible households participating in federally assisted housing pay an average of $-4 towards rent each month.

Affordable rent data for some communities last confirmed on October 30th, 2019. Subdsidized rents typically change once a year based on federal guidance.

Public Housing Agencies Serving Essex, Iowa

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
Southern Iowa Regional Housing Authority	Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing

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

Essex, Iowa Affordable Housing Data

Income Based Apartments in Essex, Iowa

Essex features 15 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 Essex, Iowa

There are 18 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Essex.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Essex, Iowa

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Essex landlords $0 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $0 towards rent in Essex.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Essex, Iowa for a two-bedroom apartment is between $776 and $948.

2024 Essex, Iowa 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
Essex, Iowa Fair Market Rent	$630	$656	$862	$1,081	$1,277
Essex, Iowa Payment Standard Range	$567 to $693	$590 to $722	$776 to $948	$973 to $1,189	$1,149 to $1,405

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

Essex, IA Affordable Housing Snapshot

Total Affordable Apartment Properties 2

Total Low Income Apartments 33

Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance 15

Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters 21.07%

Average Renter Household Size 1.84

Average Household Size 2.35

Median Household Income $48,500 ±$10,365

Median Rent $650 ±$255

Percentage Of Renters Overburdened 18.07% ± 17.23pp

Total Population 924

Total Affordable Apartment Properties	2
Total Low Income Apartments	33
Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance	15
Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters	21.07%
Average Renter Household Size	1.84
Average Household Size	2.35
Median Household Income	$48,500 ±$10,365
Median Rent	$650 ±$255
Percentage Of Renters Overburdened	18.07% ± 17.23pp
Total Population	924

Population and Household Demographics

Essex is a city in Page County, Iowa with a population of 924. There are 394 households in the city with an average household size of 2.35 persons. 21.07% of households in Essex are renters.

Income and Rent Overburden in Essex

The median gross income for households in Essex is $48,500 a year, or $4,042 a month. The median rent for the city is $650 a month.

Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Essex, a household making less than $2,167 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 18.07% of households who rent are overburdened in Essex.

Area Median Income In Essex

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 Essex, the AMI is calculated from all households within Page County.

In Essex, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $73,700

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 Essex

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 Essex

	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 Essex AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households.	$17,550	$20,050	$24,860	$30,000	$35,140	$40,280	$45,420	$50,560
50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Essex AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households.	$29,250	$33,400	$37,600	$41,750	$45,100	$48,450	$51,800	$55,150
80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Essex AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households.	$46,800	$53,450	$60,150	$66,800	$72,150	$77,500	$82,850	$88,200