How many people live in subsidized housing in ?

In 2025, about 369 people lived in subsidized housing in McDowell County, WV. This was equivalent to 1.4 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, residents in 2025 have lived in their units for 5 years and 2 months.
In 2025

369

people lived in subsidized housing in McDowell County, WV
In 2025

2.2%

of the McDowell County, WV 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 McDowell County, 2.2% of people live in subsidized housing versus the West Virginia average of 2.9%.

Share of population living in subsidized housing, by county (2025)

How much do people living in subsidized housing earn?

People who live in subsidized housing share one thing: incomes low enough to qualify for housing assistance. In 2025, HUD classified 99% of households in subsidized housing as very low income and 81% as extremely low income.

The average household in subsidized housing earned $11,292 in annual income. Across all subsidized housing, 100% of households earned less than $40,000.

55% of households with subsidies earned $10K to <$15K in annual income.

McDowell County, WV households in subsidized housing, by annual income (2025)

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What are the main sources of income for people in subsidized housing?

Renters in subsidized housing earn income from different sources. Welfare is the main income source for 1% of households. According to HUD and the Census Bureau, “welfare” includes the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, general assistance, or emergency assistance payments. Another 9% of households earn the majority of their income through wages, salaries, and business income. Finally, for 79% of households living in subsidized housing, the majority of income comes from other sources, a broad category that includes Social Security payments; insurance benefits; pensions; interest or dividends; and payments in lieu of salary like worker’s compensation, severance, unemployment, or disability. The remaining 11% is unaccounted for in the data.

Welfare assistance programs were the primary source of income for 1% of households in subsidized housing.

Sources of income for McDowell County, WV households in subsidized housing (2025)

Households living in subsidized housing contribute to their rent. In 2025, households living in subsidized housing in McDowell County, WV paid average monthly rent of $284, which translates to an average of $3,408 per year, or 30.2% of the average household’s annual income. HUD contributed $579 per household per month, on average.

Who lives in subsidized housing?

Households that qualify for subsidies have a variety of family structures. HUD data focuses on homes with children, female-headed households, and households that include people with disabilities. In 2025:
  • 16% of households had one or more children under 18 years, and about 81.3% of these were headed by single parents.
  • 64% of households were headed by women, and 13% were headed by women with children.
  • 50% of all people living in subsidized housing had a disability.
Thirty-two percent of households living in subsidized housing are headed by people age 62 and older, the youngest age when people can qualify for Social Security. People aged 25 to 50 are considered “prime-age workers,” and households led by this group make up 41% of all households in subsidized housing.

Subsidized households were most often headed by those 25 to 50.

McDowell County, WV households in subsidized housing, by householder age (2025)

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

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.