Travel nurse housing stipends, explained
5 min read
The housing stipend is the biggest tax-free line in most travel contracts, and the one nurses leave the most money on. Understanding how it is calculated turns it from a fixed number into something you can actually optimize.
Where the number comes from
Agencies cannot invent a stipend. The tax-free maximum is set by the GSA per-diem lodging rate for the county where the facility sits, prorated for the days you work there. A high-cost metro carries a much higher ceiling than a rural county — which is why the same specialty pays so differently across two cities.
Agencies rarely offer the full ceiling. Part of the gap is their margin, and part is a cushion in case of an audit. If a recruiter says the stipend is 'maxed out,' you can look up the county's GSA lodging rate yourself and check.
Stipend vs. agency-provided housing
Taking the stipend means you find and pay for your own place, and keep whatever is left over tax-free. Taking agency housing means they place you in a unit and you get no stipend at all.
- Take the stipend when: you know the market, you can rent below the stipend, you want a pet, a partner, or a specific neighborhood.
- Take agency housing when: it is your first contract, the market is expensive or tight, the stay is short, or you simply do not want the logistics.
- Never take the stipend and then sleep in your car or crash with family long-term — with no duplicated housing expense, the stipend is taxable.
Finding a place that beats the stipend
Mid-term furnished rentals are their own market — 30 days to six months, furnished, utilities usually included. Standard apartment leases rarely work, since almost none go under twelve months without a huge premium.
- Search by drive time to the unit, not by city — 20 minutes off the hospital corridor can cut the rate by a third.
- Sharing a two-bedroom with another traveler on an opposite shift is the single largest saving available.
- Confirm what 'utilities included' covers: electricity in a Phoenix summer or a Chicago winter is not a rounding error.
- Get the minimum stay in writing and match it to your contract, including a likely extension.
- Ask about parking. In dense metros it can add $150–$300 a month.
Red flags in a housing listing
Mid-term rental scams target travelers because they book sight-unseen and in a hurry.
- A host who will not do a live video walkthrough.
- Payment by wire, gift card, or app before any signed agreement.
- A rate far below everything else in the market.
- No written lease naming the address, dates, deposit and refund terms.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a typical travel nurse housing stipend?
It varies by county because it is capped by the GSA per-diem lodging rate. Expect a few hundred dollars a week in low-cost markets and substantially more in high-cost metros.
Can I keep the leftover housing stipend?
Yes. If you rent for less than the stipend, you keep the difference tax-free — provided you maintain a valid tax home and are genuinely paying for housing on assignment.
How far in advance should I book travel nurse housing?
Start as soon as the contract is confirmed, ideally three to four weeks out. In seasonal markets, the good furnished units are gone earlier than that.
Put it to work: open assignments, housing by city, or the facility & agency directory.