County FMR · HUD FY2026

Indian River County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Indian River County, FL - 27% above the US average.

$1,222
1-bedroom FMR
$1,604
2-bedroom FMR
-1.9%
YoY change
+27%
vs US avg

The verdict

Indian River is the 29th most expensive of 67 counties in Florida by 2-bedroom FMR.

#29
most expensive of 67 in Florida (2BR)
-6%
vs the state average
$48,880
income to afford it (30% rule)
-1.9%
YoY, FY2025→2026

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (11.6%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (52.4%).

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Indian River County, FL. Verify with HUD →

Indian River County, Florida carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,222 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,604/mo and a studio is $1,214/mo. That's 27% above the national benchmark of $959 and 6% below the Florida average of $1,296.

Rent decreased1.9% from FY 2025 ($1,246), declining against the trend. To afford rent here, a household needs at least $48,880/year based on the 30% affordability rule.

FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Florida. Population: 160,986. Population grew 8.5% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's faster than Florida's statewide growth of +6.5% over the same period.

What these rents mean for Indian River County

The Indian River County FMR area applies to all ZIP codes inside the county boundary, and Florida's housing authorities use it as the baseline for Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. See how FMR is calculated for the full 40th-percentile methodology and payment-standard rules.

Compared to the rest of the country, a 1-bedroom here is 27% above the US average of $959 and 6% lower than the Florida state average of $1,296. The 1-bedroom FMR went from$1,246 in FY 2025 to $1,222 in FY 2026 - a change of -1.9%, which is unusual and suggests softening demand or revised HUD sampling.

At the FY 2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,222, affording it under the 30%-of-income rule takes $48,880 per year (about $4,073/month) in household income, and a 2-bedroom at $1,604 pushes that threshold even higher. With a population of 160,986 and a county median household income of $71,049, the arithmetic here directly shapes which wage earners can rent without being cost-burdened.

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $1,212 · US avg: $893
$1,214/mo
↓ 2.0% YoY +0% vs state +36% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,296 · US avg: $959
$1,222/mo
↓ 1.9% YoY -6% vs state +27% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,526 · US avg: $1,175
$1,604/mo
↑ 2.4% YoY +5% vs state +37% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,971 · US avg: $1,525
$1,956/mo
↑ 0.4% YoY -1% vs state +28% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $2,261 · US avg: $1,756
$2,691/mo
↑ 3.5% YoY +19% vs state +53% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,239
$1,214
$-25 (-2.0%)
1 Bedroom $1,246
$1,222
$-24 (-1.9%)
2 Bedroom $1,567
$1,604
+$37 (+2.4%)
3 Bedroom $1,948
$1,956
+$8 (+0.4%)
4 Bedroom $2,601
$2,691
+$90 (+3.5%)

Affordability Snapshot

Based on the standard that rent should not exceed 30% of gross income:

Required annual income for 1 BR
$48,880
$4,073/month gross
Required annual income for 2 BR
$64,160
$5,347/month gross

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Indian River County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
20.5%
Affordable
Need $48,560/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
20.6%
Affordable
Need $48,880/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
27.1%
Affordable
Need $64,160/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
33%
Burdened
Need $78,240/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
45.5%
Burdened
Need $107,640/yr for 30% rule
How we calculate this

Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.

Indian River County 2-bedroom rent burden

0%100%National avg22%27.1%
Indian River County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $71,049 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Florida rent burden →

Where Indian River sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$1,604 Top 12% higher than 88% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Below this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Below this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). This entry sits in this band. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026

How Indian River compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Florida counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Indian River is highlighted. Nearby Florida counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Miami-Dade County ($1,995), Palm Beach County ($1,901), Broward County ($1,900), Orange County ($1,731), Hillsborough County ($1,696), Duval County ($1,382), Indian River County (this county) ($1,222).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

How a 1-bedroom at $1,222/mo compares to Florida salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).

Occupation FL Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $126,550 11.6% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $100,750 14.6% Affordable
Registered Nurses $82,850 17.7% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $78,470 18.7% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $76,190 19.2% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $60,280 24.3% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $55,550 26.4% Affordable
Electricians $53,100 27.6% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $50,000 29.3% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $39,640 37% Stretched
Customer Service Representatives $38,890 37.7% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $31,950 45.9% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $31,540 46.5% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $30,230 48.5% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $27,990 52.4% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (Florida) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Indian River County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Indian River (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 43.3% overall, from $853 to $1,222. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +14.0% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$800$900$1,000$1,100$1,200$1,300 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,222
Indian River County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↓1.9% $1,214 $1,222 $1,604
FY 2025 ↑4.3% $1,239 $1,246 $1,567
FY 2024 ↑14.0% $991 $1,195 $1,462
FY 2023 ↑11.4% $845 $1,048 $1,264
FY 2022 ↑6.8% $754 $941 $1,135
FY 2021 ↑3.3% $699 $881 $1,059
FY 2020 $663 $853 $1,018
Total change (6yr): +43.3%
Annualized: +6.2%/yr
1 BR: $853 → $1,222

Part of the Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL Metro Area

Indian River County is a central county of the Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL metropolitan statistical area.

Nearby Counties in Florida

Largest counties by population in Florida

Miami-Dade County
1 BR: $1,995/mo Pop: 2,688,237
Broward County
1 BR: $1,900/mo Pop: 1,940,907
Palm Beach County
1 BR: $1,901/mo Pop: 1,494,805
Hillsborough County
1 BR: $1,696/mo Pop: 1,468,560
Orange County
1 BR: $1,731/mo Pop: 1,427,403
Duval County
1 BR: $1,382/mo Pop: 995,708
Pinellas County
1 BR: $1,696/mo Pop: 959,918
Lee County
1 BR: $1,638/mo Pop: 772,902
View all counties in Florida →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Indian River County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Indian River County is $1,222 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,604 and a studio is $1,214.
How does Indian River County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Indian River County is 27% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,222 compared to $959 nationally.
What income do I need to afford rent in Indian River County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $48,880 ($4,073/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Indian River County.
Is rent going up or down in Indian River County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Indian River County decreased by 1.9% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,246 to $1,222.
Which jobs can afford rent in Indian River County? ▼
Based on Florida BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,222/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Indian River County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Indian River County went from $853 in FY 2020 to $1,222 in FY 2026, a total change of +43.3% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Indian River County? ▼
In Indian River County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,222/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Indian River County? ▼
For Indian River County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,222/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

What this means for renters

Treat Indian River's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a market quote.

  • Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,222 implies about $48,880/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
  • Compare this county against nearby metros and states before signing a lease. Compare areas
  • See where it sits on the national rent map. View rankings

Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents in Indian River can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This page is informational and not financial or relocation advice.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.