HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Polk County, Florida (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Polk County is $1,497 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,497
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,347 to $1,647
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$59,880
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Florida
30th of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Polk moves to $1,608. That's up 7%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Polk actually rent for?
Search any address in Polk 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 | $1,226 | $1,103 to $1,349 | $49,040 | $23.58/hr | +13.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,230 | $1,107 to $1,353 | $49,200 | $23.65/hr | +12.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,497 | $1,347 to $1,647 | $59,880 | $28.79/hr | +12.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,023 | $1,821 to $2,225 | $80,920 | $38.90/hr | +12.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,511 | $2,260 to $2,762 | $100,440 | $48.29/hr | +11.8% |
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 | $2,888 | $2,599 to $3,177 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,264 | $2,938 to $3,590 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,641 | $3,277 to $4,005 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,018 | $3,616 to $4,420 |
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 Polk, that runs from $1,226 for a studio up to $2,511 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Polk is its own HUD metro area (Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among Florida's 67 counties, Polk ranks 30th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $1,471 and about 47% above the national median county at $1,018. About 736,229 people live here, 9th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,210 in 33841 (Fort Meade) and $2,280 in 33896 (Davenport), with the 56 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33801 | Lakeland | $1,440 | -3.8% |
| 33802 | Lakeland | $1,500 | +0.2% |
| 33803 | Lakeland | $1,720 | +14.9% |
| 33804 | Lakeland | $1,500 | +0.2% |
| 33805 | Lakeland | $1,460 | -2.5% |
| 33806 | Lakeland | $1,500 | +0.2% |
| 33807 | Lakeland | $1,500 | +0.2% |
| 33809 | Lakeland | $1,700 | +13.6% |
| 33810 | Lakeland | $1,680 | +12.2% |
| 33811 | Lakeland | $1,490 | -0.5% |
| 33812 | Lakeland | $1,840 | +22.9% |
| 33813 | Lakeland | $1,950 | +30.3% |
| 33815 | Lakeland | $1,250 | -16.5% |
| 33820 | Alturas | $1,500 | +0.2% |
| 33823 | Auburndale | $1,220 | -18.5% |
| 33827 | Babson Park | $1,850 | +23.6% |
| 33830 | Bartow | $1,250 | -16.5% |
| 33831 | Bartow | $1,500 | +0.2% |
| 33835 | Bradley | $1,390 | -7.1% |
| 33836 | Davenport | $1,500 | +0.2% |
| 33837 | Davenport | $2,050 | +36.9% |
| 33838 | Dundee | $1,550 | +3.5% |
| 33839 | Eagle Lake | $1,560 | +4.2% |
| 33840 | Eaton Park | $1,720 | +14.9% |
| 33841 | Fort Meade | $1,210 | -19.2% |
| 33843 | Frostproof | $1,210 | -19.2% |
| 33844 | Haines City | $1,400 | -6.5% |
| 33845 | Haines City | $1,500 | +0.2% |
| 33846 | Highland City | $1,500 | +0.2% |
| 33847 | Homeland | $1,210 | -19.2% |
| 33849 | Kathleen | $1,550 | +3.5% |
| 33850 | Lake Alfred | $1,260 | -15.8% |
| 33851 | Lake Hamilton | $1,450 | -3.1% |
| 33853 | Lake Wales | $1,220 | -18.5% |
| 33854 | Lakeshore | $1,210 | -19.2% |
| 33855 | Indian Lake Estates | $1,320 | -11.8% |
| 33856 | Nalcrest | $1,210 | -19.2% |
| 33858 | Loughman | $2,250 | +50.3% |
| 33859 | Lake Wales | $1,360 | -9.2% |
| 33860 | Mulberry | $1,390 | -7.1% |
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 Polk somewhere between $1,347 and $1,647. 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.
$1,497 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $59,880 a year. Put another way, $29 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% ($1,347) | HAP at 100% ($1,497) | HAP at 110% ($1,647) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $597 | $747 | $897 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $147 | $297 | $447 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 12% from FY 2025 ($1,337) to FY 2026 ($1,497). Since FY 2020 it's up 64% in total, about 8.6% 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 | $698 | $702 | $915 | $1,221 | $1,545 | — |
| FY 2021 | $794 | $799 | $1,023 | $1,375 | $1,764 | +11.8% |
| FY 2022 | $830 | $836 | $1,056 | $1,418 | $1,807 | +3.2% |
| FY 2023 | $930 | $935 | $1,157 | $1,565 | $1,971 | +9.6% |
| FY 2024 | $1,006 | $1,012 | $1,250 | $1,679 | $2,121 | +8.0% |
| FY 2025 | $1,085 | $1,092 | $1,337 | $1,797 | $2,245 | +7.0% |
| FY 2026 | $1,226 | $1,230 | $1,497 | $2,023 | $2,511 | +12.0% |
| FY 2027 | $1,258 | $1,338 | $1,608 | $2,212 | $2,688 | +7.4% |
Nearby counties
Osceola County
$1,97231 mi · pop 393,745
Hardee County
$1,24833 mi · pop 25,528
Hillsborough County
$1,97740 mi · pop 1,468,560
Highlands County
$1,27144 mi · pop 102,339
Orange County
$1,97246 mi · pop 1,427,403
Pasco County
$1,97747 mi · pop 569,211
Lake County
$1,97255 mi · pop 386,829
DeSoto County
$1,20957 mi · pop 34,258
Questions people ask
$1,497 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,226 for a studio, $1,230 for one bedroom, $2,023 for three and $2,511 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 Polk actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Polk for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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