HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in St. Lucie County, Florida (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in St. Lucie County is $1,757 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,757
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,581 to $1,933
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$70,280
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Florida
20th of 67
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in St. Lucie moves to $2,069. That's up 18%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in St. Lucie actually rent for?
Search any address in St. Lucie 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 | $1,455 | $1,310 to $1,601 | $58,200 | $27.98/hr | +11.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,467 | $1,320 to $1,614 | $58,680 | $28.21/hr | +7.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,757 | $1,581 to $1,933 | $70,280 | $33.79/hr | +8.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,421 | $2,179 to $2,663 | $96,840 | $46.56/hr | +7.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,579 | $2,321 to $2,837 | $103,160 | $49.60/hr | +5.0% |
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 | $2,966 | $2,669 to $3,263 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,353 | $3,018 to $3,688 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,740 | $3,366 to $4,114 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,126 | $3,713 to $4,539 |
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 St. Lucie, that runs from $1,455 for a studio up to $2,579 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 St. Lucie in with one other county in the Port St. Lucie metro, Martin County among them, and every one of them gets $1,757 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, St. Lucie ranks 20th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 19% above the state median of $1,471 and about 73% above the national median county at $1,018. About 334,682 people live here, 20th in the state.
Counties sharing the Port St. Lucie metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,470 in 34946 (Fort Pierce) and $2,500 in 34987 (Port Saint Lucie), with the 19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34945 | Fort Pierce | $1,730 | -1.5% |
| 34946 | Fort Pierce | $1,470 | -16.3% |
| 34947 | Fort Pierce | $1,470 | -16.3% |
| 34948 | Fort Pierce | $1,760 | +0.2% |
| 34949 | Fort Pierce | $1,760 | +0.2% |
| 34950 | Fort Pierce | $1,470 | -16.3% |
| 34951 | Fort Pierce | $1,470 | -16.3% |
| 34952 | Port Saint Lucie | $1,880 | +7.0% |
| 34953 | Port Saint Lucie | $2,270 | +29.2% |
| 34954 | Fort Pierce | $1,760 | +0.2% |
| 34979 | Fort Pierce | $1,760 | +0.2% |
| 34981 | Fort Pierce | $1,660 | -5.5% |
| 34982 | Fort Pierce | $1,480 | -15.8% |
| 34983 | Port Saint Lucie | $2,080 | +18.4% |
| 34984 | Port Saint Lucie | $2,280 | +29.8% |
| 34985 | Port Saint Lucie | $1,760 | +0.2% |
| 34986 | Port Saint Lucie | $1,990 | +13.3% |
| 34987 | Port Saint Lucie | $2,500 | +42.3% |
| 34988 | Port Saint Lucie | $1,760 | +0.2% |
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 St. Lucie somewhere between $1,581 and $1,933. 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.
$1,757 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $70,280 a year. Put another way, $34 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% ($1,581) | HAP at 100% ($1,757) | HAP at 110% ($1,933) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $831 | $1,007 | $1,183 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $381 | $557 | $733 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 8% from FY 2025 ($1,624) to FY 2026 ($1,757). Since FY 2020 it's up 46% in total, about 6.5% 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 | $932 | $938 | $1,207 | $1,642 | $1,907 | — |
| FY 2021 | $926 | $932 | $1,211 | $1,618 | $1,830 | +0.3% |
| FY 2022 | $980 | $987 | $1,275 | $1,711 | $1,962 | +5.3% |
| FY 2023 | $1,153 | $1,160 | $1,458 | $1,969 | $2,265 | +14.4% |
| FY 2024 | $1,278 | $1,286 | $1,573 | $2,175 | $2,433 | +7.9% |
| FY 2025 | $1,311 | $1,363 | $1,624 | $2,259 | $2,457 | +3.2% |
| FY 2026 | $1,455 | $1,467 | $1,757 | $2,421 | $2,579 | +8.2% |
| FY 2027 | $1,707 | $1,718 | $2,069 | $2,801 | $2,924 | +17.8% |
Nearby counties
Martin County
$1,75717 mi · pop 159,399
Indian River County
$1,60422 mi · pop 160,986
Okeechobee County
$1,34631 mi · pop 39,870
Palm Beach County
$2,25455 mi · pop 1,494,805
Brevard County
$1,70962 mi · pop 610,723
Highlands County
$1,27163 mi · pop 102,339
Glades County
$1,25264 mi · pop 12,179
Hendry County
$1,27174 mi · pop 39,902
Questions people ask
$1,757 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,455 for a studio, $1,467 for one bedroom, $2,421 for three and $2,579 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 St. Lucie actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in St. Lucie for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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