Section 8 in Wausau, WI: FMR & Landlord Guide

Wausau, WI metro area (CBSA 48140). 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)
$1,147
HUD
Active vouchers
603
72% utilized
Housing authorities
2
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)$791$712 – $870
1-bedroom$889$800 – $978
2-bedroom$1,147$1,032 – $1,262
3-bedroom$1,511$1,360 – $1,662
4-bedroom$1,519$1,367 – $1,671

Example: at 100% of FMR, a 2-bedroom voucher in Wausau, WI covers up to $1,147 in gross rent (before the tenant’s utility allowance). Between the low and high end of the range: $1,032$1,262.

Voucher demand in this metro

Active vouchers
603
Occupied
435
Utilization
72%

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 Wausau, WI

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

  • Wausau Community Development Authority

    Wausau, WI · WI031 · 603 HCV units

    Status unknown
  • Abbotsford Housing Authority

    Abbotsford, WI · WI026 · 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 Wausau, 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.