Section 8 in Milwaukee, WI: FMR & Landlord Guide

Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area (CBSA 33340). FY2026 Fair Market Rents, active voucher counts, housing authorities and wait-list status, and source-of-income law. Every figure below links back to its source.

2-bedroom FMR (FY2026)
$1,338
HUD
Active vouchers
11,769
81% utilized
Housing authorities
6
serving this metro
Source-of-income law
State preempts
Wis. Act 317

Fair Market Rent by bedroom count

HUD-published metro FMR for FY2026. Payment standards (what a PHA actually pays) are set between 90% and 110% of FMR at PHA discretion.

BedroomsFMRPayment standard (90–110%)
Efficiency (studio)$1,027$924 – $1,130
1-bedroom$1,119$1,007 – $1,231
2-bedroom$1,338$1,204 – $1,472
3-bedroom$1,648$1,483 – $1,813
4-bedroom$1,784$1,606 – $1,962

Example: at 100% of FMR, a 2-bedroom voucher in Milwaukee, WI covers up to $1,338 in gross rent (before the tenant’s utility allowance). Between the low and high end of the range: $1,204$1,472.

Voucher demand in this metro

Active vouchers
11,769
Occupied
9,523
Utilization
81%

Aggregated from HUD Public Housing Authority data (FY2026). High utilization means voucher holders are placed and reliably paying rent, a stable but competitive tenant pool for accepting landlords.

Housing authorities serving Milwaukee, WI

6 PHAs administer vouchers in this metro. Contact the PHA that covers the specific address you’re considering.

  • Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee

    Milwaukee, WI · WI002 · 7,653 HCV units

    Status unknown
  • Milwaukee Co DHHS - Housing Division

    Milwaukee, WI · WI218 · 2,147 HCV units

    Status unknown
  • Waukesha Housing Authority

    Waukesha, WI · WI142 · 1,331 HCV units

    Status unknown
  • CDA of the City of West Allis

    West Allis, WI · WI201 · 638 HCV units

    Status unknown
  • West Bend Housing Authority

    West Bend, WI · WI083 · 0 HCV units

    Status unknown
  • South Milwaukee Housing Auth.

    South Milwaukee, WI · WI008 · 0 HCV units

    Status unknown

Source-of-income law in WI

WI state law explicitly preempts local ordinances requiring voucher acceptance. Landlords may legally decline Section 8 tenants.

Wis. Act 317 · view statute →

Informational only, not legal advice. Laws change; verify current status before making a leasing decision.

Analyze a specific Milwaukee, WI property

Look up the address’s SAFMR (ZIP-level rent), plug the numbers into the voucher-vs-market analyzer, and check the HQS pre-inspection list before scheduling.