Section 8 Vouchers by State: Households and Rates Compared

The Housing Choice Voucher program, commonly known as Section 8, helps low-income households pay rent in privately owned housing. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) counts the households that use a voucher in each state.¹

This analysis compares the 50 states and the District of Columbia by the number of voucher households and by the number per 1,000 renter households. The figures describe households that already hold a voucher, not the households that qualify or the households on a waiting list.

Key findings

1. 2,301,736 households in the 50 states and the District of Columbia used a Housing Choice Voucher on December 31, 2025. California, New York and Texas had the most, with 316,630, 247,467 and 150,345 households. #
2. The ten states with the most voucher households account for 58% of all voucher households, and California alone accounts for 14%. The median state has 27,752 voucher households, and nine states have fewer than 10,000. #
3. Nationally, there are 50 voucher households for every 1,000 renter households, and the median state has 50. Vermont, Massachusetts and Louisiana have the highest rates, at 96, 87 and 84, and Arizona, Kansas and Idaho have the lowest, at 24, 28 and 32. #
4. Rank by household count and rank by rate differ. Of the ten states with the most voucher households, two are also among the ten with the highest rate. California ranks 1st by households and 21st by rate, New York ranks 2nd by households and 8th by rate and Texas ranks 3rd by households and 45th by rate. #
5. The average monthly federal payment per voucher household ranges from $586 in Arkansas to $1,780 in California, with a median of $926. #
6. The average monthly rent and utility contribution of a voucher household ranges from $346 in the District of Columbia to $625 in Hawaii, with a median of $451. #
7. Households admitted to the program had waited 23 months on average in the median state, from 10 months in West Virginia and Wyoming to 62 months in Maryland. Seven states average 36 months or more: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. The figure covers households that were admitted and excludes agencies that do not report waiting list dates, so it does not predict the wait of a new applicant. Alaska did not report the figure. #
8. Households headed by a female with children are 35% of voucher households in the median state, from 17% in Oregon to 53% in Alabama. #

Each state is counted once, regardless of population. A state with many renters has more voucher households, so the rate in finding 3 is the fairer comparison of program size.

Highest and lowest voucher rates

The rate divides voucher households by renter-occupied households. It describes the size of the program relative to the number of renters, and it does not give the chance that a household receives a voucher. Many renters do not qualify, and waiting lists may be closed.

All states, highest rate first

Each state links to its state page. For the count of voucher households ranked from highest to lowest, with average income and rent paid, see Section 8 vouchers by state. To check an income limit and Fair Market Rent for a county, use the Section 8 calculator.

FAQ

Suggested citation

Single Mother Guide. “Section 8 Vouchers by State: Households and Rates Compared.” November 2026. https://singlemotherguide.com/research/section-8-vouchers

A plain-text copy of this analysis is available as Markdown.