How many people live in subsidized housing in Harris County, TX?
Data updated August 21, 2024
About 81,000 people in 2023, or about 2.2 people per unit. Subsidized housing options vary by location, ranging from high-rise or garden-style apartments to single-family dwellings, duplexes, and more. On average, 2023 residents lived in their units for eight years and eight months.
Showing data for
In 2023
80.8K
people lived in subsidized housing in Harris County, TX
In 2023
1.7%
of the Harris County, TX population lived in subsidized housing
Federally subsidized rental housing began with 1937’s US Housing Act, which created the United States Housing Authority and provided financial assistance to state and local governments for housing low-income people. Since then, the government has provided housing assistance to low-income renters through programs overseen by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
In Harris County, 1.7% of people live in subsidized housing versus the Texas average of 1.9%.
Share of population living in subsidized housing in 2023, by county
People who live in subsidized housing share one thing: incomes low enough to qualify for housing assistance. In Harris County, TX, HUD classified 96% of households in subsidized housing as very low income and 81% as extremely low income. The average household in subsidized housing earned $14,849 in annual income. Across all subsidized housing, 74% of households earned less than $20,000.
38% of households with subsidies earned $10K–$15K in annual income.
Harris County, TX, 2023
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Renters living in subsidized housing earn income from different sources. Wages, salaries, and business income are the main income source for 26% of households. Another 67% of households earn the majority of their income from other sources, which include Social Security payments; insurance benefits; pensions; interest or dividends; and payments in lieu of salary like worker’s compensation, severance, unemployment, or disability. Welfare, defined by HUD and the Census Bureau as including the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, general assistance, or emergency assistance payments, is not the primary source of income for any households in Harris County, TX. The remaining 7% of income sources are not specified in the data.
Wages, salaries, and business income were the primary source of income for 26% of households in subsidized housing.
Harris County, TX, 2023
Households living in subsidized housing contribute to their rent. In 2023, households living in subsidized housing in Harris County, TX paid average monthly rent of $378, which translates to an average of $4,536 per year, or approximately 31% of the average household’s annual income. HUD contributed $972 per household per month, on average.
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
United States Census Bureau
Population Estimates Program
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Policy Development and Research
