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Renting · Section 8

Data from November 2026

Renting in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania

Jefferson County has a HUD fair market rent of $1,014 a month for 2 bedrooms (Fiscal year 2027). Renter households here pay a typical rent of $750 a month (Average 2020–2024). Paying the fair market rent without going over 30% of income takes $19.50 an hour, full time.

Figure your move-in cash Section 8 here
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Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,014
a month, HUD, Fiscal year 2027
34% less than in Pennsylvania
Typical rent
$750
a month, Census, Average 2020–2024
38% less than in Pennsylvania
Wage needed
$19.50
an hour, 2 bedrooms
Or $40,560 a year, to spend no more than 30% of income on rent.
Rent-burdened households
44%
spend 30% or more of income on rent
9% less than in Pennsylvania

Source: Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates Average 2020–2024 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates

Only here

Renting in Jefferson County: what sets it apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Jefferson County has the 4th lowest typical rent of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania ($750).

  2. Jefferson County has the 5th lowest typical household income of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania ($58,686).

  3. 13% of households in Jefferson County have no internet at home, against 8% in Pennsylvania.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

Fair market rent

What HUD sets for each size

Every year HUD (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) publishes a Fair Market Rent (FMR) for each home size in Jefferson County. It is used to work out how much a Section 8 voucher covers. The table shows what you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income.

The fair market rent covers rent plus basic utilities, except the phone. HUD generally sets it at the 40th percentile: 4 in 10 standard-quality homes rented recently cost less. 24 CFR §888.113(a)

Fair market rent and wage needed To pay the fair market rent without spending more than 30% of income, working full time (40 hours a week).
Size Fair rent per month Hourly wage Income needed per year
Studio $706 $13.58 $28,240
1 bedroom $807 $15.52 $32,280
2 bedrooms $1,014 $19.50 $40,560
3 bedrooms $1,301 $25.02 $52,040
4 bedrooms $1,438 $27.65 $57,520

HUD area: Jefferson County, PA. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

The fair market rent for your ZIP code

HUD also publishes fair market rents by ZIP code (Small Area FMRs) for 36 ZIP codes in Jefferson County (Fiscal year 2027). Type yours to see it.

For 2 bedrooms they run from $1,010 in 15744 to $1,230 in 15840. 23 ZIP codes are above the county's fair market rent ($1,014).

Where HUD designates these areas, or where the housing agency chooses to use them, the voucher is figured on the ZIP code's rent instead of the county's. Ask your agency which one it uses. 24 CFR §982.503(a)(1)

Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD)

Rent burden

How many households spend too much

HUD counts rent as a burden when it reaches 30% of income or more. In Jefferson County, 44% of renter households are in that position; in Pennsylvania, 48%, and nationwide, 51% (Average 2020–2024, Census).

Paying too much rent leaves little for food, transportation and savings. If that is you, the agencies below can guide you for free.

44%

of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent.

4,602 households rent in Jefferson County

  • Spend half or more of their income 20%
  • Spend 30% or more, but less than half 24%
  • Spend less than 30% 56%

Compared with the state and the country

  • Jefferson 44%
  • Pennsylvania 48%
  • United States 51%

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Jefferson County

HUD lists 13 properties with homes for low-income households in Jefferson County: tax-credit apartments (LIHTC), HUD-assisted buildings and public housing. They run from the most low-income homes to the fewest.

with tax credits (LIHTC)
7
HUD-assisted
5
public housing
2

627 homes in all; 573 of them low-income, according to HUD.

  • Cascade Village Public housing 715 Grant St, Reynoldsville 15851 169 homes, 168 low-income · Run by Housing Authority of the County of Jefferson · Average payment: $376 a month · Average wait: 13 months · (814) 938-7140
  • Jefferson Street Hi-Rise Public housing 201 N Jefferson St, Punxsutawney 15767 118 homes, 114 low-income · Run by Housing Authority of the County of Jefferson · Average payment: $333 a month · Average wait: 16 months · (814) 938-7140
  • Mahoning Towers HUD-assisted 300 E Mahoning St, Punxsutawney 15767 100 low-income homes · For older adults · (814) 938-7033
  • North Fork Heights HUD-assisted 22 Spruce St, Brookville 15825 57 homes, 56 low-income · For older adults · (814) 849-0814
  • Punxsutawney Sycamore Apts. HUD-assisted 502 Sycamore St, Punxsutawney 15767 40 low-income homes · For families · (814) 938-9482
  • Ridgewood Greene Tax credit (LIHTC) · HUD-assisted 200 Zambori St, Reynoldsville 15851 40 low-income homes · 1 bd: 8 · 2 bd: 16 · 3 bd: 16 · In service since 2008 · For families · (412) 551-5183
  • Sycamore Apts. II HUD-assisted 505 Sycamore St, Punxsutawney 15767 22 low-income homes · For families · (814) 938-9482
  • Villg @ Laurelbrook LNDNG III Tax credit (LIHTC) 57 Village Ln, Brookville 15825 13 homes, 11 low-income · 1 bd: 6 · 2 bd: 7 · In service since 2008 · For older adults
  • Village at Laurelbrook Landing Tax credit (LIHTC) 1 E Main St, Brookville 15825 11 low-income homes · 1 bd: 7 · 2 bd: 4 · In service since 2002 · For older adults
  • Village at Laurelbrook Landing II Tax credit (LIHTC) 50 Village Ln, Brookville 15825 11 low-income homes · 1 bd: 7 · 2 bd: 4 · In service since 2005 · For older adults
  • Grace Place-Punxsutawney Tax credit (LIHTC) 105 N Gilpin St, Punxsutawney 15767 24 homes
  • Villg @ Laurelbrook LNDNG I Tax credit (LIHTC) Village LN, Brookville 15825 11 homes
  • Villg @ Laurelbrook LNDNG II Tax credit (LIHTC) Village LN, Brookville 15825 11 homes

One property has two programs at the same address and appears once. Search HUD's map

Source: HUD, retrieved November 6, 2026. LIHTC database, updated May 14, 2025; Assisted multifamily properties, updated October 23, 2026; Public housing developments, updated October 23, 2026.

Section 8

The Section 8 voucher in Jefferson County

The Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) pays part of your rent on a home you choose. Your public housing agency runs it. 1 agency serves in Jefferson County. Here is what the rules say:

The rules, with their source

  1. You apply at the public housing agency. If you qualify, your name usually goes on a waiting list. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or noncitizens with eligible status as HUD defines it. HUD

  2. Generally, your family must have very low income: no more than 50% of the area median income, by family size (the middle column of the table). 24 CFR §5.603, §982.201(b)

  3. Each year, at least 75% of the families an agency admits from its list must have extremely low income (the 30% column). 24 CFR §982.201(b)(2)

  4. If the rent is below the payment standard, the family generally pays 30% of its adjusted monthly income. If it is above, the family pays more. 24 CFR §982.1(a)(3)

  5. When you move in, if the rent is above the payment standard, your share cannot go over 40% of your adjusted monthly income. 24 CFR §982.508

  6. Each agency sets a payment standard for each size. Without asking HUD, it can go from 90% to 110% of the fair market rent. 24 CFR §982.503(b), (c)

Mixed-status families: how assistance is figured
HUD income limits Yearly income of the whole family, before taxes.
People Extremely low (30%) Very low (50%) Low
$18,100 $30,200 $48,300
$21,640 $34,500 $55,200
$27,320 $38,800 $62,100
$33,000 $43,100 $68,950
$38,680 $46,550 $74,500
$44,360 $50,000 $80,000
$50,040 $53,450 $85,500
$55,720 $56,900 $91,050

Area median income: $77,600. HUD income limits by family size, Fiscal year 2026. Area: Jefferson County, PA. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2026

How much can you earn? Check your case

Possible payment standard

  • Studio $635 – $777
  • 1 bedroom $726 – $888
  • 2 bedrooms $913 – $1,115
  • 3 bedrooms $1,171 – $1,431
  • 4 bedrooms $1,294 – $1,582

The range the rule allows: 90% to 110% of the county's fair market rent. Your agency publishes its own.

Housing agencies that serve this place

Housing agencies in Pennsylvania Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Your rights as a tenant in Pennsylvania

What Pennsylvania law says about deposits, notices and eviction, with the citation for each rule.

See your rights, rule by rule

Compare these rules with other states →

A summary of state law, not legal advice. Cities may have additional rules.

How much can they charge for a deposit?
Up to 2 months of rent
68 P.S. §250.511a(a)-(b)
When must they return my deposit?
30 days
68 P.S. §250.512(a)
If I fall behind on rent, what notice must I get?
10 days
68 P.S. §250.501(b)
How much notice ends a month-to-month rental?
15 days
68 P.S. §250.501(b)
  • Only a court order can remove you68 P.S. §250.501 et seq.; 68 P.S. §399.1 et seq.

Help

Where to get help with rent in Jefferson County

This is the nearest HUD-approved agency. They counsel for free or at low cost.

  • Housing Authority of the County of Butler

    114 Woody Dr, Butler · 51 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 8 more
    (724) 287-6797

Rental assistance programs

The ones that serve in Jefferson County or the whole state, with what each page says about being open.

  • Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program

    Run by Pennsylvania Department of Revenue

    Pennsylvania yearly rebate for owners and renters 65 or older, widows and widowers 50 or older, and people with disabilities 18 or older, based on income

    Open, per the source

    Up to $1,000

    See details
See every agency in Pennsylvania Find legal aid (lsc.gov)

Tool

How much cash do you need to move in?

It starts with the 2-bedroom fair market rent in Jefferson County. Change the rent, the deposit and the fees to yours: the numbers stay in your browser.

Count power on top of the rent: in Pennsylvania, the average home bill was $145 a month in 2024 (EIA). See electricity and gas costs

Open the full tool

Your move

We use the place's fair market rent and the state's deposit rule.

Adjust advanced details
Deposit and rent in advance
The deposit, in

Let's do the math

Cash to move in

$2,028

What you need before you get the keys.

What adds up

First month
$1,014
Security deposit
$1,014
Total
$2,028

The deposit cap

Pick your state to see whether its law caps the deposit.

Compare each state's rules →

When you'll have it

Enter what you can set aside each month to see how long it takes.

What helps

  • Ask for a receipt for every payment and keep a copy of the lease.
  • On move-in day, walk through the home and take dated photos.
  • Never send money for a home you haven't seen or a lease you haven't read.
Guide: the security depositGuide: avoiding rental scamsFamily budgetHow much rent can I afford?

This is a planning estimate, not a price. What you are asked for depends on the landlord, your lease and your state's and city's rules. It is not legal advice.

Guides

Before you sign

Frequently asked questions

What is the fair market rent in Jefferson County?

According to HUD (Fiscal year 2027): Studio: $706; 1 bedroom: $807; 2 bedrooms: $1,014; 3 bedrooms: $1,301; 4 bedrooms: $1,438. It covers rent plus basic utilities, except the phone.

How much do you need to earn to rent in Jefferson County?

Paying the 2-bedroom fair market rent ($1,014) without spending more than 30% of income takes $19.50 an hour full time, or $40,560 a year.

Who qualifies for Section 8 in Jefferson County?

Generally, families with very low income: no more than 50% of the area median income. For 4 people, HUD's limit here is $43,100 a year (Fiscal year 2026). The family usually pays 30% of its adjusted monthly income. You apply at the housing agency.

How much does Section 8 pay in Jefferson County?

The voucher pays up to your housing agency's payment standard, minus your share. The rule lets the agency set it between 90% and 110% of the fair market rent: for 2 bedrooms here, between $913 and $1,115 a month. Your agency publishes its figure.

Does the fair market rent change by ZIP code in Jefferson County?

For 2 bedrooms they run from $1,010 in 15744 to $1,230 in 15840. Where HUD designates these areas, or where the housing agency chooses to use them, the voucher is figured on the ZIP code's rent instead of the county's. Ask your agency which one it uses.

How many low-income apartments are there in Jefferson County?

HUD lists 13 properties with homes for low-income households in Jefferson County: tax-credit apartments (LIHTC), HUD-assisted buildings and public housing. They run from the most low-income homes to the fewest. For tax-credit apartments and HUD-assisted buildings, you apply directly at the building's management office. They tell you whether units are open and how to apply; HUD does not have that information.

How many households spend too much on rent in Jefferson County?

HUD counts rent as a burden when it reaches 30% of income or more. In Jefferson County, 44% of renter households are in that position; in Pennsylvania, 48%, and nationwide, 51% (Average 2020–2024, Census).