Chestnut Gardens
Neptune Lynn Towers
Boston Street Crossing
Auburn Apartments
Loring Towers
Presidential Gardens
Conifer Hill Commons
Harbor Crossing
American Training Homes of Care (scattered sites)
There are 4,048 low-income apartments in Essex County that offer reduced rents to eligible households. Low-income rents in Essex County, Massachusetts can range from $600 to $1,250 depending on the number of bedrooms.
Rental assistance programs support 10,069 low-income homes in Essex County where households pay rent based on how much they earn. For 2024, elgible households participating in federally assisted housing pay an average of $436 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 Essex County, Massachusetts
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 |
|---|---|
| Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities | Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Moving to Work |
Essex County, Massachusetts Affordable Housing Data
Income Based Apartments in Essex County, Massachusetts
Essex County features 10,069 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 County, Massachusetts
There are 4,048 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Essex County.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Essex County, Massachusetts
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Essex County landlords $1,000 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Essex County.
2024 Essex County, Massachusetts Fair Market Rents
Fair Market Rents, often abbreviated as FMR, can be used to better understand the average housing costs of an area. Fair Market Rents are used to establish the payment standards for the Housing Choice Voucher Program, maximum rents in HOME financed rental projects and initial rents for Section 8 project based assistance.
| Town/Area | Studio | One BR | Two BR | Three BR | Four BR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amesbury Town city | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Andover town | $1,299 | $1,483 | $1,917 | $2,329 | $2,553 |
| Beverly city | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Boxford town | $1,299 | $1,483 | $1,917 | $2,329 | $2,553 |
| Danvers town | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Essex town | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Georgetown town | $1,299 | $1,483 | $1,917 | $2,329 | $2,553 |
| Gloucester city | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Groveland town | $1,299 | $1,483 | $1,917 | $2,329 | $2,553 |
| Hamilton town | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Haverhill city | $1,299 | $1,483 | $1,917 | $2,329 | $2,553 |
| Ipswich town | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Lawrence city | $1,299 | $1,483 | $1,917 | $2,329 | $2,553 |
| Lynn city | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Lynnfield town | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Manchester-by-the-Sea town | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Marblehead town | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Merrimac town | $1,299 | $1,483 | $1,917 | $2,329 | $2,553 |
| Methuen city | $1,299 | $1,483 | $1,917 | $2,329 | $2,553 |
| Middleton town | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Nahant town | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Newbury town | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Newburyport city | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| North Andover town | $1,299 | $1,483 | $1,917 | $2,329 | $2,553 |
| Peabody city | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Rockport town | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Rowley town | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Salem city | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Salisbury town | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Saugus town | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Swampscott town | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Topsfield town | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| Wenham town | $2,212 | $2,377 | $2,827 | $3,418 | $3,765 |
| West Newbury town | $1,299 | $1,483 | $1,917 | $2,329 | $2,553 |
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
Essex County, MA Affordable Housing Snapshot
| Total Affordable Apartment Properties | 385 |
|---|---|
| Total Low Income Apartments | 14,637 |
| Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance | 10,069 |
| Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters | 37.03% |
| Average Renter Household Size | 2.33 |
| Average Household Size | 2.59 |
| Median Household Income | $69,068 ±$1,020 |
| Median Rent | $1,076 ±$10 |
| Percentage Of Renters Overburdened | 50.25% ± 1.3pp |
| Total Population | 763,849 |
Population and Household Demographics
Essex County is a county in Massachusetts with a population of 763,849. There are 287,912 households in the county with an average household size of 2.59 persons. 37.03% of households in Essex County are renters.
Income and Rent Overburden in Essex County
The median gross income for households in Essex County is $69,068 a year, or $5,756 a month. The median rent for the county is $1,076 a month.
Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Essex County, a household making less than $3,587 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 50.25% of households who rent are overburdened in Essex County.
Area Median Income In Essex 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 Essex County, HUD calculates the Area Median Income for a family of four as $149,300
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 Essex 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 Essex 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 Essex County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Extremely Low Income households. |
$31,150 | $35,600 | $40,050 | $44,500 | $48,100 | $51,650 | $55,200 | $58,750 |
| 50% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 50% of the Essex County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Very Low Income households. |
$51,950 | $59,400 | $66,800 | $74,200 | $80,150 | $86,100 | $92,050 | $97,950 |
| 80% AMI Income Limits Renters earning up to 80% of the Essex County AMI may qualify for rental assistance programs that target Low Income households. |
$82,950 | $94,800 | $106,650 | $118,450 | $127,950 | $137,450 | $146,900 | $156,400 |
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