Income-Restricted Apartments Hold 4.6% of Listings

Renters on tight budgets should check whether their target city has income-restricted units, since availability and rents vary widely by market.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Apartments

Isometric editorial illustration of a grid of identical apartment modules, with a small oxblood-accented cluster standing apart from the rest. — Income-restricted apartment listings made up 4.6% of rentals across the 50 largest U.S. metro areas in the third quarter of 2026, according to Apartments.com. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you think affordable rental options for lower-income renters are getting better in your area?

Income-restricted apartment listings made up 4.6% of rentals across the 50 largest U.S. metro areas in the third quarter of 2026, according to Apartments.com. Renters seeking subsidized or tax-credit units in some markets now have more options than in others, with the picture varying sharply by city.

Why it matters

For renters and families on tight budgets, income-restricted housing can mean rents well below market, but availability depends heavily on where you live. Average income-restricted rent fell year over year in 13 of the 50 markets, compared with only three markets where market-rate rent fell, which suggests subsidized rents are moving differently from the broader rental market.

Washington, D.C. has the most available income-restricted units at 227, while San Antonio had the highest share at 12.4% of its listings, followed by Austin at 11.7%. Income-restricted rent averages $988 per month in Detroit, the lowest of the 50 markets, and the sample covered more than 70,000 active listings out of over one million apartments.

The players

Apartments.com

A major online rental listings platform that publishes market data on apartment inventory and rents across U.S. metro areas.

The details

Apartments.com drew its findings from a sample of more than 70,000 active listings, a fraction of the over one million apartments it tracks. Income-restricted listings include public housing, housing vouchers, and tax-credit properties, which are rentals with limits tied to tenant income rather than set by the open market. Richmond and Norfolk, Virginia each had 10% of listings income-restricted, while the San Francisco Bay Area had 4.2%, showing how much the share varies from one metro to another.

Third quarter 2026: income-restricted listings measured at 4.6% across the 50 largest metros.
Year over year: income-restricted rent declined in 13 of the 50 markets studied.

The Home Front

Income-restricted housing, which includes public housing, vouchers, and tax-credit properties, forms a distinct segment of the rental market with its own pricing rules. This quarter's Apartments.com sample shows that segment's rents falling in more metros than market-rate rents, a pattern worth tracking against broader rent trends.

If you rent or are looking for a unit, check whether listings in your metro include income-restricted options, since availability varies widely from one city to the next. Ask a local housing authority or property manager about eligibility requirements before you apply, and consider a licensed housing counselor for guidance on subsidized programs.

The takeaway

Income-restricted rent in Detroit averages $988 per month, far below the $1,756 market-rate average across these metros, so eligibility can make a large budget difference. Check whether your target city has restricted listings and ask a housing counselor about the requirements before you apply.