Public Housing Residents

Across the nation, there are over 1.5 million residents living in public housing. The average household size for residents of public housing is 2.0 people.  Public housing was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Over 55% of residents remain in public housing for 5 years or more. 

Approximately 548,516 children (ages 0-17) live in public housing representing 36% of residents living in public housing. Nearly 19% of residents in public housing are seniors. 38% of public housing households include a member who is disabled.   

The average annual household income of a household for residents of public housing is $16,302 and $15,749 for households receiving voucher funded assistance. This falls well below the federal poverty line, which in 2018 for a household of two was $17,420, and for a household of three was $21,960. A source of income for 31% of public housing resident households is through wages. Social Security payments are another source of income for approximately 56% of individuals in public housing. This information is from the Public Housing Resident Characteristics Reports and is current as of July 2022.

To view more public housing demographics information, click here.