Is Cleveland a Good Section 8 Cash-Flow Market?
Cleveland is a Prime Section 8 market, which means voucher rent routinely beats what the open market pays for the same house. The median 3-bedroom voucher runs $1,405/mo across the city's eight tracked ZIP codes in Cuyahoga County, supporting a purchase around $141,000 at a 1% rent-to-price target. That is strong cash-on-cash territory before financing.
The honest catch is taxes. Cuyahoga County carries roughly a 2.1% effective property tax rate, the main drag on net yield here, and the Prime grade already prices that in. Insurance is light at 0.7%. Screen real Cleveland listings against live voucher rents free on CloseHound before you write an offer.
Cleveland HUD Section 8 voucher rents by ZIP (FY2026)
Official HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents — the voucher ceiling a landlord can collect in each ZIP, by bedroom count.
| ZIP code | 2-bed | 3-bed | 4-bed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 44105 | $1,070/mo | $1,380/mo | $1,470/mo |
| 44108 | $1,160/mo | $1,490/mo | $1,600/mo |
| 44110 | $1,100/mo | $1,420/mo | $1,510/mo |
| 44112 | $1,080/mo | $1,390/mo | $1,490/mo |
| 44120 | $1,210/mo | $1,560/mo | $1,660/mo |
| 44127 | $970/mo | $1,250/mo | $1,340/mo |
| 44128 | $1,250/mo | $1,610/mo | $1,720/mo |
| 44104 | $980/mo | $1,260/mo | $1,350/mo |
Source: HUD FY2026 SAFMR. CloseHound underwrites live listings against these exact ceilings.
Top-tier voucher-to-price. Cuyahoga's ~2% effective property tax is the main drag — it's already priced in here.
More Section 8 markets in Ohio
Cleveland Section 8 FAQ
What is the Section 8 voucher rent for a 3-bed in Cleveland?+
The median 3-bedroom voucher payment standard in Cleveland is about $1,405/mo for FY2026, with tracked ZIPs ranging from $1,250 to $1,610 depending on the area.
Is Cleveland a good Section 8 market for cash flow?+
Yes. CloseHound grades Cleveland Prime, meaning voucher rent routinely beats market rent and the median voucher supports a roughly $141,000 purchase at a 1% rent-to-price ratio.
What is the property-tax drag on Cleveland rentals?+
Cuyahoga County's effective property tax runs about 2.1%, the biggest line item working against net yield. The Prime grade already accounts for it, so underwrite that tax before you bid.
How do I find cash-flowing Section 8 deals in Cleveland?+
Pull listings in Cleveland's voucher-strong ZIPs, then run each one through CloseHound against the live 3-bed voucher rent and the 2.1% tax to see real cash-on-cash before you commit.
Screen Cleveland deals free
See which Cleveland listings actually cash-flow on the voucher — underwritten and ranked by Deal Score.
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