HUD data · FMR FY2026 · ACS 2019–2023 comparison
Will your Section 8 voucher cover the rent?
The plain-English guide to the Housing Choice Voucher program, every Public Housing Authority, every payment standard, every income limit, plus a read on how the 2-bedroom payment standard compares to the metro's median 2-bedroom rent.
Find HUD-listed Public Housing Authority records by state, compare payment standards and income limits by location, and see voucher-to-market rent gaps from HUD and Census data.
It depends on your metro, but usually yes. A Section 8 voucher caps your rent at HUD's local payment standard, and in most U.S. metros that standard already sits at or above the typical 2-bedroom rent. The catch: "typical" is the median across all current leases, while units listed today often ask more. PlainVoucher shows your own Public Housing Authority's payment standard, income limits, and how it compares with local market rent, so you can check before you apply.
The voucher-vs-rent picture
Across the 393 metros we track, the HUD 2-bedroom payment standard meets or exceeds the metro's median 2-bedroom gross rent in 95% of them, a typical cushion of 21% over the median rent. The margin is tightest in Jacksonville, FL, where the standard sits just 22% below the median rent.
- 3,780
- HUD-listed Public Housing Authority records
- 95%
- metros where the 2-BR payment standard ≥ median gross rent
- 21%
- typical cushion of the standard over median 2-BR rent
- 22%
- tightest margin (Jacksonville, FL)
Derived: HUD 2-bedroom payment standards vs. U.S. Census ACS 2-bedroom median gross rent, matched within each HUD FMR area. Median gross rent reflects rents paid by all current tenants; asking rents for newly available units typically run higher.
What you can do here
3,780
authorities across 55 states & territories
Find a PHA by state →
Browse HUD-listed Public Housing Authority records by state, with reported unit counts and source contact details.
2,622
HUD FMR areas mapped, by bedroom size
Payment standards →
Look up HUD's Fair Market Rent for your metro, the basis for what your voucher pays.
95%
of tracked metros where the 2-BR payment standard meets or beats median rent
Voucher-vs-market gap →
How the payment standard compares to the median 2-BR rent, HUD payment standards vs. Census ACS.
The biggest voucher programs in the country
Authorized Housing Choice Vouchers administered by a single Public Housing Authority
- New York City HA
New York City Housing Authority (NY)
122,210 vouchers
- Chicago HA
Chicago Housing Authority (IL)
54,082 vouchers
- HA Los Angeles
Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (CA)
53,428 vouchers
- NYS Housing Trust Fund Corporation
NYS Housing Trust Fund Corporation (NY)
52,084 vouchers
- NYC Dept of Housing Preservation and Dev 42,258
NYC Dept of Housing Preservation and Dev (NY)
42,258 vouchers
- Michigan State Housing Development Authority 32,308
Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MI)
32,308 vouchers
- Los Angeles County Development Authority 27,058
Los Angeles County Development Authority (CA)
27,058 vouchers
- State of Nj Dept. of Comm. Affairs 25,164
State of Nj Dept. of Comm. Affairs (NJ)
25,164 vouchers
- Philadelphia HA 25,063
Philadelphia Housing Authority (PA)
25,063 vouchers
- Exec. Office Housing & Livable Communities 23,073
Exec. Office Housing & Livable Communities (MA)
23,073 vouchers
What this shows A handful of big-city authorities run an outsized share of the nation's Section 8 vouchers. Most of the 3,780 PHAs are far smaller, county- or town-level offices.
Rent level vs. voucher shortfall
Each dot is one of the 60 largest metro markets by median rent. The crosshair splits them at the MEDIAN market rent ($1,651) and the median shortfall (+21.5%) across this set, not the simple min/max midpoint, so each quadrant holds a real share of the data.
How to read this
- Short of market
- Roughly balanced
- Generous vs market
Position = market rent (right is pricier) and shortfall (up is worse for voucher holders). Color = the same three-tier shortfall band shown on every metro gap page. The highlighted dot is Jacksonville, FL, this set's thinnest margin.
Where the voucher's margin is tightest
In these metros, the HUD 2-bedroom payment standard sits closest to (or, where the margin is negative, below) the metro's median 2-bedroom gross rent, the thinnest cushion for voucher holders. This is a derived PlainVoucher metric, not a HUD publication. Median gross rent reflects rents paid by all current tenants; asking rents for newly available units typically run higher.
| Metro | HUD 2-BR standard | Median 2-BR rent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville, FL Metro Area | $1,103 | $1,408 | −21.7% |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Metro Area | $1,095 | $1,382 | −20.8% |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX Metro Area | $1,098 | $1,332 | −17.6% |
| St. Louis, MO-IL Metro Area | $916 | $1,097 | −16.5% |
| Reno, NV Metro Area | $1,272 | $1,520 | −16.3% |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metro Area | $1,138 | $1,311 | −13.2% |
| Madison, WI Metro Area | $1,195 | $1,354 | −11.7% |
| Waco, TX Metro Area | $973 | $1,100 | −11.6% |
| Lubbock, TX Metro Area | $973 | $1,078 | −9.7% |
| Monroe, LA Metro Area | $834 | $890 | −6.3% |
Plain-English guides
Walkthroughs of the Section 8 / HCV program, how to apply, income limits, payment standards, waitlists, portability, inspections, landlord duties, and appeal rights. Every guide cites HUD regulations and is written by our editorial process from the official rules.
How to Apply for Section 8: A Step-by-Step Guide
Walk-through of the HCV application process, from finding a PHA to joining a waitlist.
Income Limits Explained, Are You Eligible?
How HUD sets voucher income limits and what counts toward eligibility.
Payment Standards vs. Fair Market Rent
How PHAs set payment standards from HUD FMR, and what that means for tenants.
Waitlist Strategy, Multiple PHAs
Why applying to multiple PHAs cuts wait time, and how to manage overlapping waitlists.
Moving With Your Voucher, Portability
Rules and procedures for porting a Housing Choice Voucher to a new jurisdiction.
What to Expect in a Section 8 Inspection
HQS inspection steps, common fail items, and how landlords prepare.
Landlords: Should You Accept Section 8?
Pros, cons, and practicalities for landlords considering HCV tenants.
Appeals and Grievances
Your rights when a PHA denies, terminates, or reduces your voucher.
How PlainVoucher works
PlainVoucher is an independent publication. All data is sourced directly from HUD open-data endpoints, the PIH Public Housing Authority directory, HUDUSER Fair Market Rent and Income Limits, and HUD's HCV tract-density ArcGIS feed. Every page cites its source by agency name and vintage year. See methodology for the full pipeline and about for our publisher information.
We are not affiliated with HUD or any local Public Housing Authority. We do not process applications, manage waitlists, or determine eligibility. Everything here is informational.
What to do with this desk
PlainVoucher holds 3,780 HUD PHA directory records and metro FMR / gap boards built from public HUD and Census sources.
- Look up a Public Housing Authority by name or state in the directory. PHA finder
- Start with the tightest voucher-vs-market margins (e.g. Jacksonville, FL Metro Area on the gap board). Tightest-gap metro
- Open a metro Fair Market Rent schedule when you need the HUD 2-BR reference and 90-110% payment-standard band. Payment standards
- Read how figures are compiled before quoting them. Methodology
Independent publication - not HUD and not a PHA. Nothing here is an eligibility decision, waitlist status, or application route.
About this data
How PlainVoucher works, and why you can trust these figures
What this site is
PlainVoucher is a plain-English data site for the Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher program, built from HUD public data. We cover PHAs, payment standards, income limits, and a Census-ACS voucher-vs-market rent margin analysis. We are not affiliated with HUD or any local Public Housing Authority.
Editorial process
- Source. Ingest HUD PIH Open Data (PHA directory), HUDUSER Fair Market Rent and Income Limits tables, HUD ArcGIS HCV tract concentration, and U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates.
- Verify. Load figures directly from each official source, we do not hand-enter figures or interpolate missing values.
- Publish. Compute the gap rankings and PHA directory directly from the published HUD and Census data, and publish per-metro and per-PHA pages linking back to the source.
Editorial independence & corrections
PlainVoucher is an independent publication, not affiliated with HUD or any local Public Housing Authority. Found an error? Get in touch via the contact page. See our methodology for full source attribution.
Frequently asked
What is PlainVoucher?
PlainVoucher is a plain-English data site for the Section 8 / Housing Choice Voucher program, built from HUD public data. We cover PHAs, payment standards, income limits, and voucher-vs-market rent analysis.
Are you part of HUD or an official PHA?
No. PlainVoucher is an independent publication. We are not affiliated with HUD or any local Public Housing Authority. We do not process applications, waitlists, or eligibility determinations.
Where does the data come from?
HUD PIH Open Data (PHA directory), HUDUSER (Fair Market Rent and Income Limits), HUD ArcGIS FeatureServer (HCV tract concentration), and the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (median 2-bedroom gross rent, for the voucher-vs-market margin). See methodology .
Is this free to use?
Yes. All data and tools are free. No login, no paywall. The site is supported by display advertising.
Source and method. PlainVoucher compiles public HUD and U.S. Census release data into a searchable reference. Release periods and source boundaries are identified on each data surface; PlainVoucher does not determine eligibility, waitlist status, payment standards, or local PHA rules. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy, methodology, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-09-02.