Location: Nassau-Suffolk, NY | Metro: Nassau-Suffolk, NY HUD Metro FMR Area
Based on 1% Rule: A+ (≥1.5%) | A (≥1.2%) | B (≥1.0%) | C (≥0.8%) | D (≥0.6%) | F (<0.6%)
| Unit Size | Monthly FMR |
|---|---|
| Studio | $2,400 |
| 1 Bedroom | $2,790 |
| 2 Bedrooms | $3,280 |
| 3 Bedrooms | $4,220 |
| 4 Bedrooms | $4,480 |
| 5 Bedrooms | $5,197 |
| 6 Bedrooms | $5,821 |
| 7 Bedrooms | $6,287 |
| 8 Bedrooms | $6,601 |
Zillow median home prices vs Section 8 FMR rates (Data: 2026-08-31)
| Bedrooms | Monthly FMR | Median Price | 1% Rule | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2BR | $3,280 | $450,867 | 0.73% | D |
| 3BR | $4,220 | $537,511 | 0.79% | D |
U.S. Census Bureau data (2024)
To determine if a landlord should invest in ZIP code 11980 (Yaphank, NY) for Section 8 properties, follow these steps:
Step 1: Evaluate the Fair Market Rent (FMR) against the debt service of the property. The FMR for ZIP 11980 in fiscal year 2024 is $3000. A property priced at $546,840 must be assessed to see if this rental income can cover its debt service. If the monthly debt service exceeds $3000, then the answer is No. The FMR does not sufficiently cover the cost of owning the property.
Step 2: Compare the ZORI (Zillow's estimate of the Rent Index) to the FMR. In ZIP 11980, the ZORI is $3,523. This is above the FMR of $3000, indicating that the market rent is higher than what is considered fair market rent for Section 8. If you're considering a property based on its potential to generate market rent, the answer is Yes, as it suggests a healthy margin over the FMR.
Step 3: Assess the rental demand. ZIP 11980 has 30.1% of its population as renters, which is a significant portion. However, the data indicates that there is an N/A value for the number of days on the market (DOM), which means this information is either not available or unreliable. Without knowing the DOM, it is impossible to conclusively determine if there is sufficient demand to justify the investment. Therefore, the answer to this step is It Depends.
If the first step results in a No, further analysis is unnecessary; investing in this area for Section 8 would not be financially viable due to insufficient rental income to cover the debt service. If the second step confirms that market rents are above the FMR, this supports the financial feasibility of renting to non-Section 8 tenants who might pay more. The third step's It Depends outcome requires additional research into local rental market dynamics to understand if the demand for rentals is strong enough to support both Section 8 and market-rate tenants.
In summary, the viability of buying in ZIP 11980 for Section 8 purposes hinges on the ability to clear debt service with the FMR and the strength of rental demand. Given the ZORI is above the FMR, the market supports higher rents, but without reliable DOM data, demand cannot be fully quantified.
Data Sources: FMR data from HUD (2027). Median home prices from Zillow (2026-08-31). Demographics from U.S. Census (2024).
About FMR: Fair Market Rent (FMR) is used to determine payment standards for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, initial renewal rents for some expiring project-based Section 8 contracts, and rent ceilings for HOME Investment Partnerships.