Section 8 Housing: What You Qualify For and Where to Apply
Quick answer: Section 8 housing, officially the Housing Choice Voucher program, is a federal rental subsidy you use in privately owned housing. You generally pay about 30% of your adjusted monthly income toward rent and the voucher covers the rest, up to a Payment Standard set by your local Public Housing Authority. CheckMyVoucher is free and shows the HUD income limits and Fair Market Rents for your own county, estimates your voucher amount, and finds the housing authority that takes your application. No account, no fee, no personal information stored.
📊 Powered by HUD public data · ✅ No account required · 🆓 Always free · ⚠️ Not affiliated with any government agency
Who qualifies for Section 8 housing
Eligibility is set by income, household size, and where you live. In most counties your gross household income must be at or below 50% of the Area Median Income, and at least 75% of new vouchers must go to households at or below 30% of AMI. Because the limits are drawn county by county, the same income can qualify in one county and not in the next one over. HUD republishes every figure each spring, and CheckMyVoucher reads the current tables rather than a stored copy.
How the voucher amount is worked out
Your Public Housing Authority sets a Payment Standard, usually between 90% and 110% of the HUD Fair Market Rent for your area and bedroom size. You pay roughly 30% of adjusted monthly income and the voucher pays the difference up to that standard. If you rent above the standard, you pay the excess yourself. Enter your ZIP code, household size, and gross income to see the Fair Market Rent for your area and an estimate of both numbers.
How to apply, and what the waitlist means
You apply through a local Public Housing Authority, not through HUD directly, and each authority runs its own waitlist. Many are closed at any given time and open for a short window, sometimes only a few days. Waits run from about six months in smaller areas to more than ten years in the largest metros. The PHA lookup shows who serves your ZIP code, and the waitlist tracker lists the authorities we have confirmed are currently open.
Section 8 income limits by county
Income limits are published per county and metro area, which is the level that decides your eligibility. These are the counties people look up most.
Each city page carries the current Fair Market Rent for that metro by bedroom size, so you can see the rent ceiling a voucher is measured against before you apply.
Prefer to start at the state level and narrow down? Every state has its own page listing the Extremely Low, Very Low, and Low income thresholds by household size.
The same calculator also estimates SNAP, the federal food benefit, because most households applying for housing help qualify for it too. In 2026 the maximum SNAP benefit for a family of four is $975 a month, and several states run expanded versions such as CalFresh in California. Check your SNAP amount alongside your voucher estimate.
What is Section 8 housing?
Section 8 housing is the federal Housing Choice Voucher program. A local Public Housing Authority issues you a voucher, you find a rental on the private market whose landlord takes the program, and the PHA pays the landlord the difference between the rent and about 30% of your adjusted monthly income, up to the local Payment Standard. It is not one specific building; the voucher moves with you.
How do I qualify for Section 8?
Your gross household income must generally be at or below 50% of the Area Median Income for your county, and at least 75% of new vouchers go to households at or below 30% of AMI. You must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen and meet the background requirements your PHA sets. Because the limits are county level, check the limit for your own county rather than a national figure.
How long is the Section 8 waitlist?
It varies enormously. In high-demand metros such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington DC the wait can exceed ten years. In smaller cities and rural counties it may be six months to two years. Many PHAs close their lists when full and reopen for short windows, so the practical answer is to apply the moment a nearby list opens.
Is Section 8 the same as public housing?
No. Public housing is owned and run by the housing authority, and you live in one of its buildings. A Section 8 voucher is a subsidy you take to a privately owned rental of your choosing, as long as the landlord participates and the unit passes inspection. Some people are eligible for both and apply to both.
Does CheckMyVoucher apply for me or charge anything?
No. It is free, it does not require an account, and it does not store personal information. It is not affiliated with HUD or any government agency. It shows you the published HUD figures for your area and points you to the housing authority that accepts your application, which you submit yourself.