Section 8 Housing in Missouri
44,778 active Housing Choice Vouchers across 7 markets. Rent limits, housing authorities, waitlist status, and voucher rights for every metro in Missouri.
Can a landlord refuse Section 8 in Missouri?
Yes. Missouri law blocks local governments from requiring voucher acceptance, so landlords in Missouri can legally decline Section 8 applicants. Listing on a voucher-friendly marketplace is the fastest way to find the landlords who do accept.
Mo. Rev. Stat. §441.043 (HB 595, 2025)
Nullified Kansas City, St. Louis, Columbia, Clayton and Webster Groves ordinances. 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.
Landlord and investor tools for Missouri
RentalCalcsFree calculators and guides from RentalCalcs, built by the VoucherMatch team, for landlords deciding whether to accept vouchers.
- Section 8 rent analyzerHUD rent benchmarks and modeled comparisons for Missouri ZIP codes. Confirm adopted amounts with the agency.
- Compare HUD benchmarks with market rent in MissouriExplore modeled ZIP comparisons; these do not establish an approved rent or agency payment.
- Average rent in MissouriMarket 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.
Missouri metro guides
In-depth, source-cited guides: waitlist status, voucher-friendly neighborhoods, and who to call if you are turned away.
St. Louis, MO
pop. 2,796,9993 tracked voucher lists; none confirmed open
St. Louis Housing Authority and County Housing administer separate voucher programs. Confirm the applicable standard and utilities with your agency. Missouri’s August 2025 law preempts local voucher-refusal ordinances, s
See St. Louis waitlists →
Kansas City, MO
pop. 2,221,3431 of 3 PHAs accepting applicants
Kansas City spans Missouri and Kansas, with separate agencies and application routes. Identify the program before applying or transferring a voucher. HAKC’s 2026 ZIP standards, utilities and household review guide Missou
See Kansas City waitlists →
All Section 8 markets in Missouri
Sorted by active voucher count. Each metro page has HUD Fair Market Rent by bedroom, the housing authorities that administer vouchers there, and waitlist status.
St. Louis, MO
Metropolitan Statistical Area · CBSA 41180
21,470 vouchersKansas City, MO
Metropolitan Statistical Area · CBSA 28140
16,277 vouchersColumbia, MO
Metropolitan Statistical Area · CBSA 17860
2,494 vouchersSpringfield, MO
Metropolitan Statistical Area · CBSA 44180
1,989 vouchersJoplin, MO
Metropolitan Statistical Area · CBSA 27900
1,283 vouchersSt. Joseph, MO
Metropolitan Statistical Area · CBSA 41140
1,030 vouchersJefferson City, MO
Metropolitan Statistical Area · CBSA 27620
235 vouchers
Section 8 by county in Missouri
County pages show the local voucher count, housing authorities, and metro rollup. Useful when you are looking at a specific address.
- Jackson County11,054 vouchers
- Saint Louis County7,511 vouchers
- Saint Louis City7,504 vouchers
- Boone County2,494 vouchers
- Saint Francois County2,483 vouchers
- Pike County2,304 vouchers
- Saint Clair County2,229 vouchers
- Greene County1,989 vouchers
- Jefferson County1,211 vouchers
- Saint Charles County1,127 vouchers
- Buchanan County1,030 vouchers
- Phelps County967 vouchers
- Howell County949 vouchers
- Newton County793 vouchers
- Saline County524 vouchers
- Clay County518 vouchers
- Jasper County490 vouchers
- Butler County472 vouchers
- Pulaski County407 vouchers
- Scott County349 vouchers
- Scotland County332 vouchers
- Nodaway County300 vouchers
- Pettis County275 vouchers
- Cole County235 vouchers
- Ray County235 vouchers
- Adair County204 vouchers
- Platte County177 vouchers
- Marion County172 vouchers
- Audrain County154 vouchers
- Texas County135 vouchers
- Livingston County92 vouchers
- Vernon County91 vouchers
- Carroll County86 vouchers
- New Madrid County54 vouchers
- Andrew County
- Atchison County
- Barry County
- Barton County
- Bates County
- Benton County
- Bollinger County
- Caldwell County
- Callaway County
- Camden County
- Cape Girardeau County
- Carter County
- Cass County
- Cedar County
- Chariton County
- Christian County
- Clark County
- Clinton County
- Cooper County
- Crawford County
- Dade County
- Dallas County
- Daviess County
- DeKalb County
- Dent County
- Douglas County
- Dunklin County
- Franklin County
- Gasconade County
- Gentry County
- Grundy County
- Harrison County
- Henry County
- Hickory County
- Howard County
- Iron County
- Johnson County
- Knox County
- Laclede County
- Lafayette County
- Lawrence County
- Lewis County
- Lincoln County
- Linn County
- Macon County
- Madison County
- Maries County
- McDonald County
- Mercer County
- Miller County
- Mississippi County
- Moniteau County
- Monroe County
- Montgomery County
- Morgan County
- Oregon County
- Osage County
- Ozark County
- Pemiscot County
- Perry County
- Polk County
- Putnam County
- Ralls County
- Randolph County
- Reynolds County
- Ripley County
- Sainte Genevieve County
- Schuyler County
- Shannon County
- Shelby County
- Stoddard County
- Stone County
- Sullivan County
- Taney County
- Warren County
- Washington County
- Wayne County
- Webster County
- Wright County
Section 8 in Missouri: common questions
- Can a landlord refuse Section 8 in Missouri?
- Yes. Missouri law blocks local governments from requiring voucher acceptance, so landlords in Missouri can legally decline Section 8 applicants. Listing on a voucher-friendly marketplace is the fastest way to find the landlords who do accept.
- How many Section 8 vouchers are there in Missouri?
- HUD data shows about 44,778 Housing Choice Vouchers across the 7 Missouri markets we track, administered by 123 housing authorities statewide.
- How do I apply for Section 8 in Missouri?
- You apply to a local housing authority, not to the state or to HUD. Each of Missouri's housing authorities runs its own waitlist and opens it on its own schedule, and applying is always free. Pick your metro or county on this page to see the housing authorities that serve it and their current waitlist status.
Find Section 8 apartments in Missouri
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.