Section 8 in Worcester County, MA
5,880 active Housing Choice Vouchers in Worcester County, 91% utilized. 6 housing authorities serve this county. Voucher data as of 2026.
HUD Fair Market Rents in Worcester County (FY2027)
HUD rent benchmarks for FY2027, effective October 1, 2026. These are not adopted housing-authority payment standards or household subsidy amounts. The illustration shows 90% to 110% of FMR; ZIP-based schedules, approved exceptions and Moving to Work rules can differ.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Illustration: 90% to 110% of FMR |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency (studio) | $1,323 | $1,191 to $1,455 |
| 1-bedroom | $1,571 | $1,414 to $1,728 |
| 2-bedroom | $1,900 | $1,710 to $2,090 |
| 3-bedroom | $2,419 | $2,177 to $2,661 |
| 4-bedroom | $2,828 | $2,545 to $3,111 |
The two-bedroom HUD benchmark for Worcester County is $1,900. Multiplying by 90% and 110% gives $1,710 to $2,090, not an approval range. Gross rent includes the applicable allowance for tenant-paid utilities. Your agency must calculate assistance using its adopted standard, your household and the proposed unit.
Section 8 income limits in Worcester County (FY2026)
To qualify for a Housing Choice Voucher, a household's gross annual income generally has to be at or below the very low income limit for its size. In Worcester County that is $65,850 a year for a family of four, about $5,480 a month before taxes. HUD's area median family income here is $113,900.
| Household size | Extremely low | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $27,650 | $46,100 | $73,750 |
| 2 people | $31,600 | $52,700 | $84,300 |
| 3 people | $35,550 | $59,300 | $94,850 |
| 4 people | $39,500 | $65,850 | $105,350 |
| 5 people | $42,700 | $71,150 | $113,800 |
| 6 people | $45,850 | $76,400 | $122,250 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $81,700 | $130,650 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $86,950 | $139,100 |
Which column applies to you. The middle column is the eligibility line for most applicants (24 CFR 982.201). The low income column only applies in special cases, such as families already receiving federal housing assistance. Federal rules generally require at least 75% of admissions from the waiting list each year to be extremely low income families. This does not predict selection or waiting time. For a family of four here, that threshold is $39,500 or less.
Income is counted before taxes and covers the whole household. The housing authority verifies it when your name is reached on the waiting list, so what counts is your income at that point. Being under the income limit is only one part of eligibility and does not guarantee admission.
Compare your household income with Section 8 limits and see how monthly income becomes an annual estimate.
Source: HUD FY2026 Section 8 Income Limits for the Fitchburg-Leominster, MA HUD Metro FMR Area, huduser.gov.
Can a landlord refuse Section 8 in Worcester County?
Massachusetts has source-of-income protections for covered housing in Worcester County. Coverage, property exemptions and current court decisions matter; a voucher refusal may be unlawful. Check the source and coverage notes below or ask the civil-rights agency or legal aid about the property.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 151B, § 4(10)
Landlords may not discriminate against recipients of housing subsidies or because of any requirement of the subsidy program. File with MCAD.
View statute →Informational only, not legal advice. Laws change, so verify current status before acting on a rejection or making a leasing decision.
Worcester County in the Worcester metro
Worcester County is one of the counties inside the Worcester, MA core-based statistical area. The metro-level view aggregates voucher activity across every housing authority in the CBSA.
See Worcester metro rent limits and PHA breakdown →Landlord and investor tools for Worcester County
RentalCalcsFree calculators and guides from RentalCalcs, built by the VoucherMatch team, for landlords deciding whether to accept vouchers.
- Worcester County rental market dataRents, home prices, cap rates and cash flow estimates for investors.
- Section 8 rent analyzerHUD rent benchmarks and modeled comparisons for Massachusetts ZIP codes. Confirm adopted amounts with the agency.
- Compare HUD benchmarks with market rent in MassachusettsExplore modeled ZIP comparisons; these do not establish an approved rent or agency payment.
- Average rent in MassachusettsMarket rent versus HUD fair market rent by city and bedroom count.
- How Section 8 rent is calculatedFair market rent, payment standards and rent reasonableness, step by step.
- Section 8 landlord math for 2026What the payment standard changes mean for cash flow this year.
Housing authorities serving Worcester County
Each PHA sets its own payment standard, runs its own waitlist, and does its own inspections. Confirm the administering agency on your voucher and whether it can serve the proposed address; a ZIP code alone does not settle jurisdiction or portability.
Worcester · PHA code MA012
3,739 Section 8 unitsMilford Housing Authority
Milford · PHA code MA069
567 Section 8 unitsLeominster Housing Authority
Leominster · PHA code MA086
404 Section 8 unitsFitchburg Housing Authority
Fitchburg · PHA code MA037
227 Section 8 unitsShrewsbury Housing Authority
Shrewsbury · PHA code MA041
177 Section 8 unitsOxford Housing Authority
Oxford · PHA code MA106
153 Section 8 units
Frequently asked questions
- What is the income limit for Section 8 in Worcester County?
- For FY2026, the very low income screening threshold in Worcester County, MA is $46,100 for one person, $52,700 for two, $59,300 for three and $65,850 for a family of four. Limits vary by household size. The agency also checks other eligibility requirements and any applicable exceptions.
- What counts as extremely low income in Worcester County?
- HUD's FY2026 extremely low income limit in Worcester County is $27,650 for one person and $39,500 for a family of four. Housing authorities must give at least 75% of the vouchers they issue from the waiting list each year to families at or below this level.
- How much does Section 8 pay for a 2-bedroom in Worcester County?
- The FY2027 two-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Worcester County is $1,900 per month. For illustration, 90% to 110% of the benchmark is roughly $1,710 to $2,090. This is not a household rent limit. ZIP-based schedules, approved exceptions and Moving to Work rules may differ; ask your agency for its adopted standard and the unit's utility allowance.
- Who runs Section 8 in Worcester County?
- Housing Choice Vouchers in Worcester County are administered by Worcester Housing Authority, Milford Housing Authority, Leominster Housing Authority and other local housing authorities. Each authority keeps its own waiting lists and eligibility preferences. Check each official application notice; applying to one agency does not apply to the others.
Find Section 8 apartments in Worcester County
VoucherMatch connects voucher holders with landlords who accept Section 8, and it is free for renters. The administering housing authority must approve the actual unit, rent and household assistance calculation.
Nearby Massachusetts counties
Voucher counts aggregated from HUD PHA jurisdiction data. Population 858,898 · FIPS 25027.