Renting With a Section 8 Voucher in Carroll Park, Philadelphia: 2026 Guide
Quick answerIn Carroll Park, West Philadelphia (ZIP code 19139), as of October 8, 2026, the Philadelphia Housing Authority measures a new Section 8 lease against its Group 2 payment standards: $1,660 a month for a two-bedroom voucher, $1,390 for one bedroom and $1,990 for three. A rent above the standard can be approved only if the family's share stays within 40% of adjusted monthly income. Active Section 8 listings in Carroll Park on VoucherMatch right now: 2.
Last checked: October 8, 2026, against PHA's payment standard schedule (effective November 1, 2025), Administrative Plan (effective January 1, 2026), move-in guide and owner pages, 24 CFR 982.507 and 982.508, City of Philadelphia pages, the West District plan memoranda, SEPTA's stop lists and Census ACS 2020-2024 tables.
- $1,660PHA two-bedroom payment standard in ZIP code 19139 (Group 2)
- Group 2PHA's "Traditional Rents" group, which holds 19139
- 27%share of adjusted monthly income a PHA household of three to five pays
- 40%most of adjusted monthly income a family may pay at move-in when rent is over the standard
- 120 daysinitial search term on a PHA voucher
- 2active Section 8 listings in Carroll Park on VoucherMatch right now
The rent figure to use for a Carroll Park proposal
Use PHA's Group 2 payment standard for your voucher size: PHA sets standards by ZIP code group and puts 19139 in Group 2. VoucherMatch's Philadelphia data gives 19139 for Carroll Park, along with Haddington and Cobbs Creek. Confirm the ZIP code of the actual address first.
Philadelphia Section 8 payment standards for 2026: Group 2 and its neighbours
View the data table
| Voucher size | Group 1 | Group 2 (19139, Carroll Park) | Group 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,100 | $1,280 | $1,550 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,190 | $1,390 | $1,690 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,420 | $1,660 | $2,010 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,700 | $1,990 | $2,410 |
| 4 bedrooms | $1,900 | $2,220 | $2,690 |
What it means: a search for "tier 2" is a search for Group 2, and a Group 3 ZIP code such as 19131 raises the two-bedroom standard by $350.
Source: PHA, Payment Standard Schedule by Neighborhood ZIP Code, effective November 1, 2025. No newer schedule was on PHA's payment standards page on October 8, 2026.
What about a two-bedroom? The figure is $1,660, and it follows the voucher: PHA's schedule says the standard is "dictated by Voucher Size, not unit bedroom size". A two-bedroom voucher used on a three-bedroom house is still measured against $1,660. The full ZIP code list is in the Philadelphia payment standards guide.
PHA does not use the usual 30% rule for most vouchers. Under its Moving to Work policy, a household of one or two pays 28% of adjusted monthly income, three to five pays 27% and six or more pays 26%, with a $50 minimum. VASH and Mainstream vouchers stay at 30% (Administrative Plan, chapter 9).
ExampleVoucherMatch's arithmetic, with made-up income. A household of three with a two-bedroom voucher and $2,000 in adjusted monthly income pays a base of $540 (27%). If rent plus utility allowance is $1,660 or less, the family pays $540. At $1,800 it pays $680, under the $800 cap (40%). At $1,960 the share would be $840, over the cap, so PHA would not approve.
The cap comes from 24 CFR 982.508, and PHA must also find the rent reasonable under 24 CFR 982.507. See how the Section 8 utility allowance works and, for other cities, how much Section 8 pays for a two-bedroom.
Current Carroll Park listings
The figures below are live: they read VoucherMatch's active Section 8 listings in Carroll Park when the page loads, and they can show none.
| Carroll Park Section 8 listings on VoucherMatch | Right now |
|---|---|
| Active listings | 2 |
| Bedroom mix | One is a 2-bedroom, One is a 4-bedroom |
| Lowest asking rent | $1,450 |
| Median asking rent | $2,070 |
| Highest asking rent | $2,690 |
What it means: add PHA's utility allowance to an asking rent, then compare the total with the Group 2 figure for your voucher size.
Source: VoucherMatch listings marked as accepting Section 8 in Carroll Park.
- 2BR listed at $1,450, 1 bath
- 4BR listed at $2,690, 1 bath
Contact details are on the Carroll Park apartment page. The 19139 page covers the whole ZIP code, and the rent analyzer checks a single rent.
Compare the actual block and unit
Check each address for its ZIP code, its nearest SEPTA stop and who pays which utilities. The City Planning Commission places Carroll Park in its West District (plan adopted April 17, 2018). The plan's memoranda print no street boundaries; they group Census tracts 101, 102, 112, 113 and 114 as "Carroll Park-Overbrook" and tract 103 as "Cathedral Park-Carroll Park" (West District plan).
- Renters11,565 of 18,906 occupied homes are rented, about 61% (table B25003).
- Median gross rent$1,187 a month for all sizes and $1,204 for two-bedroom units, utilities included (tables B25064 and B25031).
- Age of housing12,155 of 23,639 homes, about 51%, were built in 1939 or earlier (table B25034).
What it means: these are medians for every rented home in the ZIP code, long tenancies included. A vacant unit can ask more.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 19139, read through Census Reporter.
SEPTA lines and stops near Carroll Park
The G trolley and the L have stops within about 1 kilometre of the point VoucherMatch's map uses for Carroll Park, and the T1 trolley runs just beyond it.
| SEPTA line | Stops SEPTA lists near the map point | Distance of the nearest stop |
|---|---|---|
| G (Girard Avenue trolley, formerly Route 15) | Girard Av at 52nd, 54th, 56th, 57th, 59th, 60th, 61st, 62nd and 63rd St | About 500 m |
| L (Market-Frankford Line) | 56th St and 60th St; 63rd St is the next station west | About 580 m |
| T1 (trolley, formerly Route 10) | Lansdowne Av at 57th, 58th and 59th St | About 1,150 m |
| Bus 30 and 63 | Vine St at 57th St | About 100 m |
| Bus 46 | 60th St at Vine, Race and Callowhill St | About 410 m |
What it means: check the stop for each address; the T1 and the L run about a mile (1.6 km) apart here.
Source: SEPTA's stop lists by route, read October 8, 2026, and its Metro naming page. Distances are VoucherMatch's straight-line calculation from SEPTA's stop coordinates, not travel times.
From a Carroll Park viewing to a signed lease
The owner files the paperwork and PHA inspects before anyone signs. PHA's guide says to expect a lease signing about 30 days after the request goes in.
- 1Check your vouchersize and expiration date. The initial term is 120 days. Ask for an extension in writing before it expires; PHA may grant up to 60 days.
- 2Run the numbersrent plus utility allowance against the Group 2 standard, then the 40% test if the total is higher.
- 3Owner gets set upPHA's owner certification class, an Owner Portal account and a current Philadelphia rental license.
- 4Owner submits the Request for Tenancy Approvalthrough the Owner Portal. You complete and sign the tenant sections. Your search clock stops until PHA answers in writing.
- 5InspectionPHA says it generally schedules one within three business days of the request. After a failure the owner has 15 business days to repair and ask for a re-inspection.
- 6Rent reviewPHA tests the rent for reasonableness and for the 40% limit, and tries to negotiate if it fails.
- 7Initial Rent Lettersign the lease and pay a deposit only after PHA sends it. The first lease term is two years.
What it means: ask on the first call whether the owner already has a PHA owner account.
Source: PHA's Administrative Plan (sections 7.7 to 7.9, 12.7, 13.13, 14.4), move-in guide and landlord steps.
- Your voucher, showing the bedroom size and expiration date
- The Group 2 figure for that size, and the unit's ZIP code
- Your adjusted monthly income and household size, for the 40% test
- Two questions: which utilities are in the rent, and is the rental license current?
- A look at smoke detectors, peeling paint and water stains, which PHA's guide names as inspection failures
The City requires an owner to give a tenant a Certificate of Rental Suitability before move-in (City of Philadelphia). See the inspection checklist.
Widen the search without copying a budget
The budget changes only when the ZIP code group changes: two of these neighbours share Group 2 and one does not.
| Neighborhood | Section 8 listings | ZIP code in VoucherMatch's data | PHA group and two-bedroom standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haddington | Haddington | 19139 | Group 2, $1,660 |
| Overbrook | Overbrook | 19151 | Group 2, $1,660 |
| Parkside | Parkside | 19131 | Group 3, $2,010 |
What it means: a higher standard does not make a unit approvable by itself; the rent must still pass PHA's market comparison. The whole city is on the Philadelphia Section 8 apartments page.
Source: PHA's schedule for the groups; VoucherMatch's Philadelphia neighborhood data for the ZIP codes.
Application and move questions
What is the Section 8 payment standard for a two-bedroom in Carroll Park?
$1,660 a month in ZIP code 19139, under PHA's schedule effective November 1, 2025, still in force in October 2026. It caps what PHA counts toward rent plus utilities, not what an owner may ask.
What is the ZIP code for Carroll Park in Philly?
VoucherMatch's Philadelphia data lists Carroll Park under 19139, which PHA places in Group 2. A listing near the edge can carry 19151 or 19131, so read the address.
Who does the home inspection for a Section 8 rental in Carroll Park?
PHA does. Its inspectors check the unit against Housing Quality Standards before move-in and at least once every 24 months (PHA inspections page). A private home inspector is not part of the voucher process.
Can a landlord in Carroll Park turn down a voucher?
Philadelphia's Fair Practices Ordinance bars landlords from discriminating based on source of income, which includes rental assistance. Complaints go to the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, (215) 686-4670 (City of Philadelphia). An owner may still screen tenants.
Is PHA taking Section 8 applications now?
No. PHA's FAQ says the Housing Choice Voucher wait list is closed. The Philadelphia Section 8 guide covers the agency, and open waiting lists shows lists elsewhere.
Next step: note your voucher size and its Group 2 figure, then open the Carroll Park listings and ask each owner for the address and the utilities included. PHA's customer line is 215-684-4300.
Sources for this article (14)
- Payment Standard Schedule by Neighborhood ZIP Code (pha.phila.gov)
- payment standards page (pha.phila.gov)
- Administrative Plan (pha.phila.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.508 (ecfr.gov)
- 24 CFR 982.507 (ecfr.gov)
- West District plan (phila2035.org)
- Census Reporter (censusreporter.org)
- stop lists by route (www3.septa.org)
- Metro naming page (wwww.septa.org)
- move-in guide (pha.phila.gov)
- landlord steps (pha.phila.gov)
- City of Philadelphia (phila.gov)
- PHA inspections page (pha.phila.gov)
- City of Philadelphia (phila.gov)
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Every rule, date and dollar amount in this article is checked against the agency document it comes from, and the sources are listed above. How VoucherMatch articles are researched and corrected
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