HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Gulf County, Florida (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Gulf County is $1,702 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,702
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,532 to $1,872
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$68,080
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Florida
22nd of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Gulf moves to $1,532. That's down 10%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Gulf actually rent for?
Search any address in Gulf for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,289 | $1,160 to $1,418 | $51,560 | $24.79/hr | +19.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,297 | $1,167 to $1,427 | $51,880 | $24.94/hr | +19.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,702 | $1,532 to $1,872 | $68,080 | $32.73/hr | +19.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,041 | $1,837 to $2,245 | $81,640 | $39.25/hr | +18.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,253 | $2,028 to $2,478 | $90,120 | $43.33/hr | +19.1% |
5 to 8 bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $2,591 | $2,332 to $2,850 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,929 | $2,636 to $3,222 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,267 | $2,940 to $3,594 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,605 | $3,245 to $3,966 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Gulf, that runs from $1,289 for a studio up to $2,253 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Gulf sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Port Saint Joe included.
Among Florida's 67 counties, Gulf ranks 22nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 16% above the state median of $1,471 and about 67% above the national median county at $1,018. About 15,002 people live here, 60th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,450 in 32465 (Wewahitchka) and $1,910 in 32456 (Port Saint Joe), with the 2 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Gulf somewhere between $1,532 and $1,872. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$1,702 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $68,080 a year. Put another way, $33 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($1,532) | HAP at 100% ($1,702) | HAP at 110% ($1,872) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $782 | $952 | $1,122 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $332 | $502 | $672 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 19% from FY 2025 ($1,427) to FY 2026 ($1,702). Since FY 2020 it's up 101% in total, about 12.3% a year. The Florida median moved up 3% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $640 | $644 | $848 | $1,057 | $1,328 | — |
| FY 2021 | $759 | $764 | $1,007 | $1,253 | $1,698 | +18.8% |
| FY 2022 | $775 | $780 | $1,026 | $1,268 | $1,716 | +1.9% |
| FY 2023 | $908 | $914 | $1,203 | $1,487 | $1,820 | +17.3% |
| FY 2024 | $1,016 | $1,023 | $1,344 | $1,625 | $1,790 | +11.7% |
| FY 2025 | $1,081 | $1,088 | $1,427 | $1,719 | $1,892 | +6.2% |
| FY 2026 | $1,289 | $1,297 | $1,702 | $2,041 | $2,253 | +19.3% |
| FY 2027 | $1,161 | $1,168 | $1,532 | $1,837 | $2,028 | -10.0% |
Nearby counties
Bay County
$1,68231 mi · pop 181,055
Franklin County
$1,18633 mi · pop 12,276
Liberty County
$1,08335 mi · pop 7,704
Calhoun County
$97337 mi · pop 13,753
Washington County
$1,01756 mi · pop 25,014
Wakulla County
$1,19957 mi · pop 33,732
Gadsden County
$1,35261 mi · pop 43,746
Jackson County
$1,06862 mi · pop 47,704
Questions people ask
$1,702 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,289 for a studio, $1,297 for one bedroom, $2,041 for three and $2,253 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent.
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords.
Rent affordability calculator
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in Gulf actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Gulf for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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