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.
Estimate My Voucher →Find My Housing Authority →Income Limits by State →

📊 Powered by HUD public data  ·  ✅ No account required  ·  🆓 Always free  ·  ⚠️ Not affiliated with any government agency

Watch: what you will actually pay in rent

A short video on this page walks through the voucher math and the five steps to your estimate. Here is what it says:

The call finally came. Your name came up on the Section 8 waitlist. And now one question keeps you up at night. What will I actually pay in rent? The paperwork talks about adjusted income and payment standards. None of it tells you the number on rent day. You generally pay about thirty percent of your adjusted income toward rent. The voucher covers the rest, up to a local limit. CheckMyVoucher shows you your share of the rent, in plain English. It is free. No signup, no name, and no social security number. Five quick steps. ZIP code. Household size. Income. Bedrooms. Then your result. It starts with your ZIP code, because Section 8 rules change depending on where you live. It reads the HUD income limits and Fair Market Rents for your own county. The same income can qualify in one county, and not the next. You see an estimate of your share, and the voucher's share, so you can plan your budget. Your housing authority sets a payment standard. Rent above it, and you pay the extra yourself. It is an estimate. Your housing authority decides, and CheckMyVoucher is not a government agency. Next, find the housing authority for your ZIP code. You apply there, not through HUD. Many waitlists are closed. The waitlist tracker shows the status we have verified, with the date we checked. The same calculator can also estimate SNAP, the federal food benefit. And the Know Your Rights page shows if your state protects you from landlords who refuse vouchers. CheckMyVoucher. Free, no account, built on HUD data.

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.

Los Angeles County, CACook County, ILHarris County, TXMaricopa County, AZSan Diego County, CAKings County, NYMiami-Dade County, FLDallas County, TXQueens County, NYRiverside County, CASan Bernardino County, CASuffolk County, NYClark County, NVKing County, WAWayne County, MIPhiladelphia County, PA

Section 8 calculator by city

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.

New York, NYLos Angeles, CAChicago, ILHouston, TXPhoenix, AZPhiladelphia, PASan Antonio, TXSan Diego, CADallas, TXJacksonville, FLColumbus, OHCharlotte, NCDetroit, MIMemphis, TNLouisville, KYBaltimore, MD

Section 8 income limits by state

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.

CaliforniaTexasNew YorkFloridaIllinoisPennsylvaniaOhioGeorgiaWashingtonColorado

Every free tool on CheckMyVoucher

Section 8 CalculatorFind My PHAIncome Limits by StateWaitlist TrackerKnow Your RightsHow It WorksSNAP Calculator

SNAP food benefits

The same calculator also estimates SNAP, the federal food benefit, because most households applying for housing help qualify for it too. For FY2027 (Oct. 1, 2026 through Sept. 30, 2027) the maximum SNAP benefit for a family of four is $1,023 a month in the lower 48 states and DC, 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.
Estimate My Voucher →Find My Housing Authority →

Related free tools: CheckMyBenefits (benefits eligibility)

Get Section 8 waitlist alerts

Subscribe for PHA waitlist openings, income limit changes, and benefit updates.

Privacy Policy  ·  Terms of Service  ·  Disclaimer

Free Section 8 Move-In Pack

Printable checklists for your voucher briefing, your unit inspection and move-in day, plus a contact sheet. Get the free Section 8 Move-In Pack (English and Spanish).