HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Polk County, Florida (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Polk County is $1,608 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,608
+7.4% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,447–$1,769
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$64,320
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Florida
28th of 67
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 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 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,258 | $1,132–$1,384 | $50,320 | $24.19/hr | +2.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,338 | $1,204–$1,472 | $53,520 | $25.73/hr | +8.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,608 | $1,447–$1,769 | $64,320 | $30.92/hr | +7.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,212 | $1,991–$2,433 | $88,480 | $42.54/hr | +9.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,688 | $2,419–$2,957 | $107,520 | $51.69/hr | +7.0% |
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 | $3,091 | $2,782–$3,400 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,494 | $3,145–$3,843 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,898 | $3,508–$4,288 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,301 | $3,871–$4,731 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
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.
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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 Polk somewhere between $1,447 and $1,769. 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.
$1,608 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $64,320 a year. Put another way, $31 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%$1,447 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,608 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,769 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $697 | $858 | $1,019 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $247 | $408 | $569 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 7% from FY 2026 ($1,497) to FY 2027 ($1,608). Since FY 2020 it's up 76% in total, about 8.4% a year. The Florida median held flat over the same year.
| Fiscal 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 2027In effect | $1,258 | $1,338 | $1,608 | $2,212 | $2,688 | +7.4% |
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Polk, that runs from $1,258 for a studio up to $2,688 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 28th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 9% above the state median of $1,474 and about 51% above the national median county at $1,063. About 790,694 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 $1,350 in 33815 (Lakeland) and $2,390 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 | $1,560 | -3.0% |
| 33802 | Lakeland | $1,610 | +0.1% |
| 33803 | Lakeland | $1,830 | +13.8% |
| 33804 | Lakeland | $1,610 | +0.1% |
| 33805 | Lakeland | $1,500 | -6.7% |
| 33806 | Lakeland | $1,610 | +0.1% |
| 33807 | Lakeland | $1,610 | +0.1% |
| 33809 | Lakeland | $1,820 | +13.2% |
| 33810 | Lakeland | $1,800 | +11.9% |
| 33811 | Lakeland | $1,580 | -1.7% |
| 33812 | Lakeland | $2,030 | +26.2% |
| 33813 | Lakeland | $2,030 | +26.2% |
| 33815 | Lakeland | $1,350 | -16.0% |
| 33820 | Alturas | $1,610 | +0.1% |
| 33823 | Auburndale | $1,350 | -16.0% |
| 33827 | Babson Park | $1,670 | +3.9% |
| 33830 | Bartow | $1,350 | -16.0% |
| 33831 | Bartow | $1,610 | +0.1% |
| 33835 | Bradley | $1,470 | -8.6% |
| 33836 | Davenport | $1,610 | +0.1% |
| 33837 | Davenport | $2,110 | +31.2% |
| 33838 | Dundee | $1,820 | +13.2% |
| 33839 | Eagle Lake | $1,860 | +15.7% |
| 33840 | Eaton Park | $1,830 | +13.8% |
| 33841 | Fort Meade | $1,350 | -16.0% |
| 33843 | Frostproof | $1,350 | -16.0% |
| 33844 | Haines City | $1,450 | -9.8% |
| 33845 | Haines City | $1,610 | +0.1% |
| 33846 | Highland City | $1,610 | +0.1% |
| 33847 | Homeland | $1,350 | -16.0% |
| 33849 | Kathleen | $1,590 | -1.1% |
| 33850 | Lake Alfred | $1,350 | -16.0% |
| 33851 | Lake Hamilton | $1,580 | -1.7% |
| 33853 | Lake Wales | $1,350 | -16.0% |
| 33854 | Lakeshore | $1,350 | -16.0% |
| 33855 | Indian Lake Estates | $1,410 | -12.3% |
| 33856 | Nalcrest | $1,350 | -16.0% |
| 33858 | Loughman | $2,350 | +46.1% |
| 33859 | Lake Wales | $1,510 | -6.1% |
| 33860 | Mulberry | $1,470 | -8.6% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Polk.
Osceola County
31 mi · 427,415 people
$1,959
+22%
Hardee County
33 mi · 25,675 people
$1,124
-30%
Hillsborough County
40 mi · 1,522,748 people
$1,917
+19%
Highlands County
44 mi · 105,702 people
$1,259
-22%
Orange County
46 mi · 1,471,937 people
$1,959
+22%
Pasco County
47 mi · 611,444 people
$1,917
+19%
Lake County
55 mi · 412,924 people
$1,959
+22%
DeSoto County
57 mi · 35,386 people
$1,089
-32%
Questions people ask
$1,608 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $1,258 for a studio, $1,338 for one bedroom, $2,212 for three and $2,688 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 Polk actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Polk for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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