Interactive tools · HUD data

Tools for navigating Section 8

Three interactive planners built on HUD's open data, find the authorities that serve you, look up your payment standard, and estimate how a voucher splits the rent.

3
Interactive tools
3,780
PHAs searchable
4,764
Payment standards
Search PHA finder Pick a state and see every Public Housing Authority that runs vouchers there, ranked by size. Open tool → Lookup Payment standard lookup Search HUD Fair Market Rent for any metro or county, by bedroom size, the basis for your subsidy. Open tool → Calculator Rent-share estimator Estimate how a voucher splits the rent: what you pay, what it covers, and the 40% move-in cap. Open tool →

PHA directory

Browse all 3,780 U.S. Public Housing Authorities, filter by state, and jump to detail pages with contact information and application guidance. Use this to identify every PHA that serves your area (or a destination under portability).

Payment standards by metro

Look up HUD Fair Market Rent for any of the 4,764 metros we track, by bedroom size (0-BR through 4-BR). Each page cross-references with PlainRent's advertised-rent median so you can see whether the voucher covers market.

Voucher-vs-market gap

Gap analysis shows where the HUD Fair Market Rent falls short of advertised market rent (and where it comfortably covers). Use this to plan moves under voucher portability.

Income limits

HUD's income limits directory lists Extremely Low (30% AMI), Very Low (50% AMI), and Low (80% AMI) thresholds by metro and county. These are the cutoffs that determine Section 8 eligibility.

Guides

Every tool links to related guides, the applied-to-the-rules version of what you see in the data.

Source: HUD PIH Open Data, HUD USER FMR, HUD USER Income Limits, PlainRent HUD PIH Open Data, HUD USER FMR, HUD USER Income Limits, PlainRent All current as of FY25

⚠ Disclaimer. Tools are for informational planning. Actual PHA decisions (eligibility, payment standard, waitlist) are made by each local PHA. PlainVoucher is not affiliated with HUD or any PHA.