HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · Effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Hillsborough County, Florida (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Hillsborough County is $1,977 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,977
-0.1% from FY 2025
Payment standard
$1,779–$2,175
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$79,080
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Florida
7th of 67
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Hillsborough moves to $1,917. That's down 3%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,593 | $1,434–$1,752 | $63,720 | $30.63/hr | +1.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,696 | $1,526–$1,866 | $67,840 | $32.62/hr | +0.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,977 | $1,779–$2,175 | $79,080 | $38.02/hr | -0.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,527 | $2,274–$2,780 | $101,080 | $48.60/hr | -0.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $3,077 | $2,769–$3,385 | $123,080 | $59.17/hr | -0.2% |
Five to eight 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 | $3,539 | $3,185–$3,893 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $4,000 | $3,600–$4,400 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $4,462 | $4,016–$4,908 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,923 | $4,431–$5,415 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Tampa are asking $1,861. HUD says $1,977.
That's 6% below the county FMR. Median asking rent across 17 Tampa ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
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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 Hillsborough somewhere between $1,779 and $2,175. 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.
$1,977 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $79,080 a year. Put another way, $38 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$1,779 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,977 | Voucher pays at 110%$2,175 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $1,029 | $1,227 | $1,425 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $579 | $777 | $975 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 0% from FY 2025 ($1,978) to FY 2026 ($1,977). Since FY 2020 it's up 64% in total, about 8.6% a year. The Florida median moved up 3% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $935 | $981 | $1,206 | $1,575 | $1,925 | — |
| FY 2021 | $989 | $1,040 | $1,271 | $1,651 | $2,028 | +5.4% |
| FY 2022 | $1,044 | $1,110 | $1,347 | $1,732 | $2,133 | +6.0% |
| FY 2023 | $1,291 | $1,381 | $1,659 | $2,123 | $2,603 | +23.2% |
| FY 2024 | $1,449 | $1,562 | $1,851 | $2,367 | $2,888 | +11.6% |
| FY 2025 | $1,566 | $1,686 | $1,978 | $2,533 | $3,082 | +6.9% |
| FY 2026In effect | $1,593 | $1,696 | $1,977 | $2,527 | $3,077 | -0.1% |
| FY 2027From Oct 1, 2026 | $1,597 | $1,648 | $1,917 | $2,448 | $2,977 | -3.0% |
About this rate
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 Hillsborough, that runs from $1,593 for a studio up to $3,077 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Hillsborough in with 3 other counties in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro, Pinellas County, Pasco County, Hernando County among them, and every one of them gets $1,977 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Florida's 67 counties, Hillsborough ranks 7th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 34% above the state median of $1,471 and about 94% above the national median county at $1,018. About 1,468,560 people live here, 4th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,260 in 33527 (Dover) and $2,970 in 33547 (Lithia), with the 83 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.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33503 | Balm | $2,160 | +9.3% |
| 33508 | Brandon | $2,030 | +2.7% |
| 33509 | Brandon | $2,030 | +2.7% |
| 33510 | Brandon | $1,860 | -5.9% |
| 33511 | Brandon | $2,360 | +19.4% |
| 33527 | Dover | $1,260 | -36.3% |
| 33530 | Durant | $1,830 | -7.4% |
| 33534 | Gibsonton | $1,810 | -8.4% |
| 33547 | Lithia | $2,970 | +50.2% |
| 33548 | Lutz | $2,520 | +27.5% |
| 33549 | Lutz | $2,100 | +6.2% |
| 33550 | Mango | $2,030 | +2.7% |
| 33556 | Odessa | $2,230 | +12.8% |
| 33558 | Lutz | $1,890 | -4.4% |
| 33563 | Plant City | $1,660 | -16.0% |
| 33564 | Plant City | $2,030 | +2.7% |
| 33565 | Plant City | $1,550 | -21.6% |
| 33566 | Plant City | $1,800 | -9.0% |
| 33567 | Plant City | $1,750 | -11.5% |
| 33568 | Riverview | $2,030 | +2.7% |
| 33569 | Riverview | $2,670 | +35.1% |
| 33570 | Ruskin | $1,640 | -17.0% |
| 33571 | Sun City Center | $2,030 | +2.7% |
| 33572 | Apollo Beach | $2,740 | +38.6% |
| 33573 | Sun City Center | $2,230 | +12.8% |
| 33575 | Ruskin | $2,030 | +2.7% |
| 33579 | Riverview | $2,900 | +46.7% |
| 33583 | Seffner | $2,030 | +2.7% |
| 33584 | Seffner | $1,860 | -5.9% |
| 33586 | Sun City | $2,030 | +2.7% |
| 33587 | Sydney | $2,030 | +2.7% |
| 33592 | Thonotosassa | $1,450 | -26.7% |
| 33594 | Valrico | $2,330 | +17.9% |
| 33595 | Valrico | $2,030 | +2.7% |
| 33596 | Valrico | $2,970 | +50.2% |
| 33598 | Wimauma | $1,640 | -17.0% |
| 33601 | Tampa | $2,030 | +2.7% |
| 33602 | Tampa | $2,970 | +50.2% |
| 33603 | Tampa | $1,830 | -7.4% |
| 33604 | Tampa | $1,910 | -3.4% |
Counties sharing the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,977 two-bedroom figure as Hillsborough.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Hillsborough.
Pinellas County
20 mi · 959,918 people
$1,977
same rate
Pasco County
24 mi · 569,211 people
$1,977
same rate
Manatee County
33 mi · 405,069 people
$1,958
-1%
Polk County
40 mi · 736,229 people
$1,497
-24%
Hernando County
42 mi · 196,621 people
$1,977
same rate
Hardee County
45 mi · 25,528 people
$1,248
-37%
Sarasota County
51 mi · 439,392 people
$1,958
-1%
Sumter County
62 mi · 131,832 people
$1,328
-33%
Questions people ask
$1,977 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,593 for a studio, $1,696 for one bedroom, $2,527 for three and $3,077 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Hillsborough actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Hillsborough for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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