Section 8 in Mercer County, OH
HUD rent limits, income limits and housing authorities for Mercer County. Serving housing authorities vary by ZIP.
HUD Fair Market Rents in Mercer 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) | $762 | $686 to $838 |
| 1-bedroom | $807 | $726 to $888 |
| 2-bedroom | $1,008 | $907 to $1,109 |
| 3-bedroom | $1,258 | $1,132 to $1,384 |
| 4-bedroom | $1,394 | $1,255 to $1,533 |
The two-bedroom HUD benchmark for Mercer County is $1,008. Multiplying by 90% and 110% gives $907 to $1,109, 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.
What changed from FY2026 to FY2027 in Mercer County
HUD's two-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Mercer County, OH rose from $987 in FY2026 to $1,008 in FY2027, a change of +$21 a month (+2.1%). FY2027 figures took effect on October 1, 2026.
| Bedrooms | FY2026 | FY2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Efficiency (studio) | $747 | $762 | +$15 (+2.0%) |
| 1-bedroom | $788 | $807 | +$19 (+2.4%) |
| 2-bedroom | $987 | $1,008 | +$21 (+2.1%) |
| 3-bedroom | $1,287 | $1,258 | -$29 (-2.3%) |
| 4-bedroom | $1,307 | $1,394 | +$87 (+6.7%) |
The FMR is not what the voucher pays. Each housing authority sets its own payment standard. The basic range is 90% to 110% of the applicable FMR or SAFMR, with exceptions and Moving to Work policies that may differ. A HUD effective date is not a household rent-change notice. Confirm the adopted schedule and its application to your lease or reexamination with your agency.
Already renting with a voucher in Mercer County? Under standard HCV rules, once the housing authority raises its payment standard, the higher amount must be used for your subsidy no later than the earliest of three dates: a rent increase that would raise your share, your next regular or interim reexamination, or one year after the increase took effect (24 CFR 982.505(c)(4)). Confirm any applicable Moving to Work policy with your agency.
Landlords: a higher FMR does not raise a contract rent by itself. You still request the increase from the housing authority, and the new rent has to pass its rent reasonableness review against comparable unassisted units.
Source: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 and FY2027, huduser.gov.
Section 8 income limits in Mercer 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 Mercer County that is $51,200 a year for a family of four, about $4,260 a month before taxes. HUD's area median family income here is $102,400.
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $21,500 | $35,850 | $57,350 |
| 2 people | $24,600 | $41,000 | $65,550 |
| 3 people | $27,650 | $46,100 | $73,750 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $51,200 | $81,900 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $55,300 | $88,500 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $59,400 | $95,050 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $63,500 | $101,600 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $67,600 | $108,150 |
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. The extremely low column matters for how fast you are reached: housing authorities must give at least 75% of the vouchers they issue from the waiting list each year to extremely low income families, which for a family of four here means $33,000 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 limit makes you eligible; it does not move you up a closed or full waiting list.
Source: HUD FY2026 Section 8 Income Limits for the Mercer County, OH, huduser.gov.
Can a landlord refuse Section 8 in Mercer County?
In most of the state, yes. Ohio has no statewide source-of-income protection, so landlords in Mercer County can decline Section 8 applications unless a local ordinance says otherwise.
No statewide source-of-income law (Ohio Civil Rights Act, R.C. 4112.02(H), does not cover vouchers)
Ohio has no statewide source-of-income protection, so outside the cities with their own ordinance a landlord can decline a voucher applicant. Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland Heights, Columbus, Dayton, South Euclid, Toledo and University Heights have local ordinances. Ohio HB 430 (2022) bars local rent control; it does not mention source-of-income ordinances, and Dayton adopted its ordinance in 2023, after HB 430. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Ohio Advisory Committee (2024) documented widespread source-of-income discrimination in the state. PRRAC Appendix B (March 2026).
View statute →Informational only, not legal advice. Laws change, so verify current status before acting on a rejection or making a leasing decision.
Mercer County in the Celina metro
Mercer County is one of the counties inside the Celina, OH core-based statistical area. The metro-level view aggregates voucher activity across every housing authority in the CBSA.
See Celina metro rent limits and PHA breakdown →Landlord and investor tools for Mercer County
RentalCalcsFree calculators and guides from RentalCalcs, built by the VoucherMatch team, for landlords deciding whether to accept vouchers.
- Mercer County rental market dataRents, home prices, cap rates and cash flow estimates for investors.
- Section 8 rent analyzerHUD rent benchmarks and modeled comparisons for Ohio ZIP codes. Confirm adopted amounts with the agency.
- Compare HUD benchmarks with market rent in OhioExplore modeled ZIP comparisons; these do not establish an approved rent or agency payment.
- Average rent in OhioMarket 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.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the income limit for Section 8 in Mercer County?
- For FY2026, the very low income screening threshold in Mercer County, OH is $35,850 for one person, $41,000 for two, $46,100 for three and $51,200 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 Mercer County?
- HUD's FY2026 extremely low income limit in Mercer County is $21,500 for one person and $33,000 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 Mercer County?
- The FY2027 two-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Mercer County is $1,008 per month. For illustration, 90% to 110% of the benchmark is roughly $907 to $1,109. 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.
Find Section 8 apartments in Mercer 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 Ohio counties
Voucher counts aggregated from HUD PHA jurisdiction data. Population 42,321 · FIPS 39107.