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.
31% of public housing residents and 35% of those receiving voucher funded assistance reported households of one adult with children. Nearly 642,000 or 40% of public housing households are headed by seniors (age 62 and above). 23% of public housing households include a member who is disabled.
The average annual household income of a household for residents of public housing is $18,284 and $17,835 for households receiving voucher funded assistance. This falls well below the federal poverty line, which in 2024 for a household of two is $19,720 and $24,820 for a household of three. A source of income for 29% 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 HUD Picture of Subsidized Households and is current as of August 2025.
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