County FMR · HUD FY2026
Monroe County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Monroe County, FL - 131% above the US average.
- $2,211
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $2,504
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +16.2%
- YoY change
- +131%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Monroe is the 1st most expensive of 67 counties in Florida by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #31 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 16.2% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.
- #31
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #1
- most expensive of 67 in Florida (2BR)
- +71%
- vs the state average
- $88,440
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (21%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (94.8%); only 2 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Monroe County, FL. Verify with HUD →
Monroe County, Florida carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $2,211 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $2,504/mo and a studio is $1,726/mo. That's 131% above the national benchmark of $959 and 71% above the Florida average of $1,296.
Rent increased16.2% from FY 2025 ($1,903), outpacing inflation. Clearing the 30% rule here takes $88,440/year, a high bar relative to most US counties.
Observed renter burden: 57.2% of the 12,678 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.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Florida. Population: 82,044. Population grew 7.2% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's in line with Florida's statewide growth of +6.5% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area MONROE·COUNTY·FL·FL
Monroe County, FL: $2,211/mo 1BR · #31 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA FL
- 1BR-FMR $2,211
- 2BR-FMR $2,504
- RANK-UPPER #31
- YOY-SURGE +16.2%
- VSUS-HIGH +131%
- VS-ST-HIGH +71% FL
- INC-EDGE 32%
- POP-MID 82K
- PHOTO-NEAR Miami-Dade County
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,990–$2,432
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Miami-Dade ($216 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,565 | $1,726 | +$161 (+10.3%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,903 | $2,211 | +$308 (+16.2%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $2,274 | $2,504 | +$230 (+10.1%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $3,026 | $3,303 | +$277 (+9.2%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $3,344 | $3,315 | $-29 (-0.9%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Monroe 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 Monroe sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$2,504 Top 1% higher than 99% 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 Monroe compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Florida counties
- Monroe
Monroe County
$2,211 1BR FMR / mo
- 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
What this shows Monroe is highlighted. Nearby Florida counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Monroe County (this county) ($2,211), 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).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $2,211/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 | 21% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $100,750 | 26.3% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $82,850 | 32% | Stretched |
| Accountants & Auditors | $78,470 | 33.8% | Stretched |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $76,190 | 34.8% | Stretched |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $60,280 | 44% | Stretched |
| Elementary School Teachers | $55,550 | 47.8% | Stretched |
| Electricians | $53,100 | 50% | Stretched |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $50,000 | 53.1% | Unaffordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $39,640 | 66.9% | Unaffordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $38,890 | 68.2% | Unaffordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,950 | 83% | Unaffordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $31,540 | 84.1% | Unaffordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $30,230 | 87.8% | Unaffordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,990 | 94.8% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Monroe County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Monroe (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 66.6% overall, from $1,327 to $2,211. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +16.6% in FY 2023, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑16.2% | $1,726 | $2,211 | $2,504 |
| FY 2025 ↑10.0% | $1,565 | $1,903 | $2,274 |
| FY 2024 ↑8.3% | $1,556 | $1,730 | $2,139 |
| FY 2023 ↑16.6% | $1,497 | $1,597 | $2,023 |
| FY 2022 ↑1.9% | $1,333 | $1,370 | $1,759 |
| FY 2021 ↑1.3% | $1,301 | $1,344 | $1,744 |
| FY 2020 | $1,195 | $1,327 | $1,728 |
Part of the Key West-Key Largo, FL Micro Area
Monroe County is a central county of the Key West-Key Largo, FL micropolitan statistical area.
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Monroe 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 Monroe County? ▼
How does Monroe County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Monroe County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Monroe County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Monroe County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Monroe County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Monroe County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Monroe County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Monroe County? ▼
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.
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.