Buena Vista Park · Photo: Trashbag at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Polk County, Oregon
89,662 residents · Updated Nov 12, 2026
Rental availability, asking rents against HUD Fair Market Rent, and community services in Polk County, from the data behind Range Lab’s tools, refreshed daily.
Buena Vista Park · Photo: Trashbag at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Listings a voucher can reach, per 100 voucher households
17.3
132 listings at or below Fair Market Rent today · 762 households using Housing Choice Vouchers (2025)
People counted homeless, 2025
2,135
+380 vs. 2024 · 953 unsheltered · one January night, across Salem/Marion, Polk Counties CoC (OR-504)
Year-round shelter beds
865
Emergency shelter, across Salem/Marion, Polk Counties CoC (OR-504) · 437 permanent supportive housing beds
Income-restricted properties with open waitlists
1 of 35
No waitlist changes in the last 30 days · 995 units where known
Point-in-Time count, Salem/Marion, Polk Counties CoC (OR-504)
HUD counts people experiencing homelessness on one night each January, by Continuum of Care. Polk County is part of Salem/Marion, Polk Counties CoC; these figures cover the whole CoC, not just the county.
Where people slept, by year
The unsheltered share fell from 52% to 45% of everyone counted (2023 to 2025).
Shelter beds against people counted
In 2025 there were 57 year-round shelter beds per 100 people counted. Rapid re-housing and permanent supportive housing are not shelter and are shown below.
| Year | All people | Sheltered | Unsheltered | Shelter beds (ES + TH) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,683 | 805 | 878 | 814 |
| 2024 | 1,755 | 877 | 878 | 1,141 |
| 2025 | 2,135 | 1,182 | 953 | 1,208 |
| Group | 2025 |
|---|---|
| All people | 2,135 |
| Sheltered | 1,182 |
| Unsheltered | 953 |
| Chronically homeless | 591 |
| Veterans | 108 |
| People in families with children | 419 |
| Unaccompanied youth | 104 |
Year-round beds by type
2,284 beds
| Emergency shelter | 865 | 38% |
|---|---|---|
| Transitional housing | 343 | 15% |
| Rapid re-housing | 639 | 28% |
| Permanent supportive housing | 437 | 19% |
Only the first two are shelter. Rapid re-housing is short-term rental help; permanent supportive housing is long-term housing with services.
How OR-504 compares with other Oregon CoCs
People counted homeless per 10,000 residents, 2025. Each Continuum of Care’s count divided by the population of the counties it covers.
- Portland, Gresham/Multnomah County (OR-501)131
- Eugene, Springfield/Lane County (OR-500)91
- Central Oregon (OR-503)82
- Oregon Balance of State (OR-505)56
- Medford, Ashland/Jackson County (OR-502)52
- Salem/Marion, Polk Counties (OR-504)49
- Hillsboro, Beaverton/Washington County (OR-506)16
- Clackamas County (OR-507)13
Salem/Marion, Polk Counties counts 49 per 10,000, ranking 6th of 8 Oregon CoCs. Populations are county totals; a county split between CoCs is divided evenly.
Subsidized housing in the county
HUD-assisted units (Picture of Subsidized Households, 2025) and Low-Income Housing Tax Credit units.
HUD-assisted units, by program
1,234 units
| Housing Choice Vouchers in use | 762 | 62% |
|---|---|---|
| Project-based Section 8 and similar | 86 | 7% |
| Public housing units | 386 | 31% |
About 62% of assisted households rent on the private market with a voucher. Average income of assisted households: $17,530.
Can a voucher find a home today?
Listings at or below Fair Market Rent, against households holding a voucher.
- Households using a voucher762
- Listings at or below FMR today132
17.3 affordable listings per 100 voucher households. Vouchers turn over slowly, so this measures how tight the market is for voucher holders who are searching, not a shortfall.
Tax-credit (LIHTC) units placed in service, and when their affordability ends
204 low-income units across 6 properties. Affordability commitments run 30 years (15 before 1990), so 40 units reach the end of their commitment between now and 2035 unless owners renew.
In the Range Lab directory, Polk County has 6 shelter and crisis-housing listings and 5 housing-assistance listings today.
Sources: HUD Point-in-Time and Housing Inventory counts (by Continuum of Care); HUD Picture of Subsidized Households; HUD LIHTC database; Census ACS 2024 5-year population; Range Lab RST income-restricted property listings and rental listings. About the data.