Low Income Apartments For Rent in Salem, MA

There are 560 low-income apartments in Salem that offer reduced rents to eligible households. Low-income rents in Salem, Massachusetts can range from $600 to $1,250 depending on the number of bedrooms.

Rental assistance programs support 866 low-income homes in Salem where households pay rent based on how much they earn. For 2024, elgible households participating in federally assisted housing pay an average of $485 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 Salem, 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
Salem Housing Authority	Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Public Housing
Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities	Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV); Moving to Work
Massachusetts Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Centralized Waiting List	Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV)

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

Salem, Massachusetts Affordable Housing Data

Income Based Apartments in Salem, Massachusetts

Salem features 866 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 Salem, Massachusetts

There are 560 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Salem.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Salem, Massachusetts

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Salem landlords $1,000 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $500 towards rent in Salem.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Salem, Massachusetts for a two-bedroom apartment is between $2,544 and $3,110.

2024 Salem, Massachusetts 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
Salem, Massachusetts Fair Market Rent	$2,212	$2,377	$2,827	$3,418	$3,765
Salem, Massachusetts Payment Standard Range	$1,991 to $2,433	$2,139 to $2,615	$2,544 to $3,110	$3,076 to $3,760	$3,389 to $4,142

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.

Salem, MA Affordable Housing Snapshot

Total Affordable Apartment Properties 43

Total Low Income Apartments 1,542

Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance 866

Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters 51.89%

Average Renter Household Size 2.13

Average Household Size 2.25

Median Household Income $60,690 ±$3,147

Median Rent $1,096 ±$34

Percentage Of Renters Overburdened 48.48% ± 4.98pp

Total Population 42,499

Total Affordable Apartment Properties	43
Total Low Income Apartments	1,542
Total Housing Units with Rental Assistance	866
Percentage of Housing Units Occupied By Renters	51.89%
Average Renter Household Size	2.13
Average Household Size	2.25
Median Household Income	$60,690 ±$3,147
Median Rent	$1,096 ±$34
Percentage Of Renters Overburdened	48.48% ± 4.98pp
Total Population	42,499

Population and Household Demographics

Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts with a population of 42,499. There are 18,029 households in the city with an average household size of 2.25 persons. 51.89% of households in Salem are renters.

Income and Rent Overburden in Salem

The median gross income for households in Salem is $60,690 a year, or $5,058 a month. The median rent for the city is $1,096 a month.

Households who pay more than thirty percent of their gross income are considered to be Rent Overburdened. In Salem, a household making less than $3,653 a month would be considered overburdened when renting an apartment at or above the median rent. 48.48% of households who rent are overburdened in Salem.

Area Median Income In Salem

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

In Salem, 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 Salem

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 Salem

	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 Salem 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 Salem 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 Salem 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