County FMR · HUD FY2026
Leon County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Leon County, FL - 26% above the US average.
- $1,204
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,352
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +1.9%
- YoY change
- +26%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Leon is the 30th cheapest of 67 counties in Florida by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #660 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #660
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #30
- cheapest of 67 in Florida (2BR)
- -7%
- vs the state average
- $48,160
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (11.4%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (51.6%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Leon County, FL. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Leon County, Florida at $1,204 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,352/mo and a studio is $1,097/mo. This is 26% higher than the national average of $959 and 7% below the Florida average of $1,296.
Rent increased1.9% from FY 2025 ($1,181), roughly tracking inflation. A household needs about $48,160/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.
Observed renter burden: 54.8% of the 58,101 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 4.9%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.8% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Florida. Population: 294,128. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+2.5%, Census ACS). That's slower than Florida's statewide growth of +6.5% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area LEON·COUNTY·FL·FL
Leon County, FL: $1,204/mo 1BR · #660 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA FL
- 1BR-FMR $1,204
- 2BR-FMR $1,352
- RANK-MID #660
- YOY-FLAT +1.9%
- VSUS-HIGH +26%
- VS-ST-NEAR -7% FL
- INC-MID 22%
- POP-MAJOR 294K
- PHOTO-NEAR Miami-Dade County
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,084–$1,324
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Miami-Dade ($791 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,064 | $1,097 | +$33 (+3.1%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,181 | $1,204 | +$23 (+1.9%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,321 | $1,352 | +$31 (+2.3%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,664 | $1,674 | +$10 (+0.6%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,832 | $1,790 | $-42 (-2.3%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Leon County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
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.
Where Leon sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,352 Top 21% higher than 79% of 3,145 counties
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 Leon compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Florida counties
- Miami-Dade
Miami-Dade County
$1,995 1BR FMR / mo
- Palm Beach
Palm Beach County
$1,901 1BR FMR / mo
- Broward
Broward County
$1,900 1BR FMR / mo
- Orange
Orange County
$1,731 1BR FMR / mo
- Hillsborough
Hillsborough County
$1,696 1BR FMR / mo
- Duval
Duval County
$1,382 1BR FMR / mo
- Leon
Leon County
$1,204 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Leon 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), Leon County (this county) ($1,204).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,204/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using Florida BLS wages?
| Occupation | FL Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $126,550 | 11.4% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $100,750 | 14.3% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $82,850 | 17.4% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $78,470 | 18.4% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $76,190 | 19% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $60,280 | 24% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $55,550 | 26% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $53,100 | 27.2% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $50,000 | 28.9% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $39,640 | 36.4% | Stretched |
| Customer Service Representatives | $38,890 | 37.2% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,950 | 45.2% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $31,540 | 45.8% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $30,230 | 47.8% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,990 | 51.6% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Leon County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Leon (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 45.2% overall, from $829 to $1,204. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +16.4% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑1.9% | $1,097 | $1,204 | $1,352 |
| FY 2025 ↓0.2% | $1,064 | $1,181 | $1,321 |
| FY 2024 ↑16.4% | $1,062 | $1,183 | $1,339 |
| FY 2023 ↑8.0% | $902 | $1,016 | $1,176 |
| FY 2022 ↑11.6% | $837 | $941 | $1,124 |
| FY 2021 ↑1.7% | $778 | $843 | $1,024 |
| FY 2020 | $771 | $829 | $1,019 |
Part of the Tallahassee, FL Metro Area
Leon County is a central county of the Tallahassee, FL metropolitan statistical area, alongside 3 other metro-area counties.
Leon County ranks #3 of 4 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Gadsden County ($1,204), Jefferson County ($1,204), Leon County (this county) ($1,204), Wakulla County ($1,073).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Leon County, both outside Florida so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.
Similar 2-bedroom FMR
Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside FL (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside FL).
Nearby Counties in Florida
Largest counties by population in Florida
Showing the 8 largest of 66 other counties in Florida.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Leon County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Leon County is $1,204 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,352 and a studio is $1,097.
How does Leon County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Leon County is 26% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,204 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Leon County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Leon County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,352 ranks #660 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the upper-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Leon County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $48,160 ($4,013/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Leon County.
Is rent going up or down in Leon County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Leon County increased by 1.9% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,181 to $1,204.
Which jobs can afford rent in Leon 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 $1,204/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Leon County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Leon County went from $829 in FY 2020 to $1,204 in FY 2026, a total change of +45.2% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Leon County?
In Leon County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,204/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 Leon County?
For Leon County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,204/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Leon County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 4.9%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Leon County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.8% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Leon's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,204 implies about $48,160/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Florida counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Miami-Dade
- See where Leon ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
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.