County FMR · HUD FY2026

Polk County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Polk County, FL - 28% above the US average.

$1,230
1-bedroom FMR
$1,497
2-bedroom FMR
+12.6%
YoY change
+28%
vs US avg

The verdict

Polk is the 30th most expensive of 67 counties in Florida by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #472 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 12.6% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.

#472
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#30
most expensive of 67 in Florida (2BR)
-5%
vs the state average
$49,200
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (11.7%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (52.7%).

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

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Polk County, Florida at $1,230 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,497/mo and a studio is $1,226/mo. This is 28% higher than the national average of $959 and 5% below the Florida average of $1,296.

Rent increased12.6% from FY 2025 ($1,092), outpacing inflation. A household needs about $49,200/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.

Observed renter burden: 49.0% of the 82,945 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: 736,229. Population grew 13.8% 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.

FMR filing desk

Area POLK·COUNTY·FL·FL

Polk County, FL: $1,230/mo 1BR · #472 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA FL
  • 1BR-FMR $1,230
  • 2BR-FMR $1,497
  • RANK-MID #472
  • YOY-SURGE +12.6%
  • VSUS-HIGH +28%
  • VS-ST-NEAR -5% FL
  • INC-MID 23%
  • POP-MAJOR 736K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Miami-Dade County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,107–$1,353
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Miami-Dade ($765 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $1,212 · US avg: $893
$1,226/mo
↑ 13.0% YoY +1% vs state +37% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,296 · US avg: $959
$1,230/mo
↑ 12.6% YoY -5% vs state +28% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,526 · US avg: $1,175
$1,497/mo
↑ 12.0% YoY -2% vs state +27% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,971 · US avg: $1,525
$2,023/mo
↑ 12.6% YoY +3% vs state +33% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $2,261 · US avg: $1,756
$2,511/mo
↑ 11.8% YoY +11% vs state +43% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,085
$1,226
+$141 (+13.0%)
1 Bedroom $1,092
$1,230
+$138 (+12.6%)
2 Bedroom $1,337
$1,497
+$160 (+12.0%)
3 Bedroom $1,797
$2,023
+$226 (+12.6%)
4 Bedroom $2,245
$2,511
+$266 (+11.8%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
23.1%
Affordable
Need $49,040/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
23.2%
Affordable
Need $49,200/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
28.2%
Affordable
Need $59,880/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
38.1%
Burdened
Need $80,920/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
47.3%
Burdened
Need $100,440/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.

0%100%National avg22%28.2%
Polk County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $63,644 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Florida rent burden →

Where Polk sits among every US county

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

$1,497 Top 15% higher than 85% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Above this entry. $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 Polk compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Florida counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Polk 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), Polk County (this county) ($1,230).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

Against a high local FMR of $1,230/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 11.7% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $100,750 14.7% Affordable
Registered Nurses $82,850 17.8% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $78,470 18.8% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $76,190 19.4% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $60,280 24.5% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $55,550 26.6% Affordable
Electricians $53,100 27.8% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $50,000 29.5% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $39,640 37.2% Stretched
Customer Service Representatives $38,890 38% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $31,950 46.2% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $31,540 46.8% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $30,230 48.8% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $27,990 52.7% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (Florida) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Polk (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 75.2% overall, from $702 to $1,230. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +13.8% in FY 2021, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$600$800$1,000$1,200$1,400 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,230
Polk County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑12.6% $1,226 $1,230 $1,497
FY 2025 ↑7.9% $1,085 $1,092 $1,337
FY 2024 ↑8.2% $1,006 $1,012 $1,250
FY 2023 ↑11.8% $930 $935 $1,157
FY 2022 ↑4.6% $830 $836 $1,056
FY 2021 ↑13.8% $794 $799 $1,023
FY 2020 $698 $702 $915
Total change (6yr): +75.2%
Annualized: +9.8%/yr
1 BR: $702 → $1,230

Part of the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL Metro Area

Polk County is a central county of the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Polk 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).

Leelanau County
MI · 2 BR $1,497/mo
Pike County
PA · 2 BR $1,496/mo
Linn County
OR · 2 BR $1,500/mo
Chelan County
WA · 2 BR $1,500/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside FL).

Charles City County
VA · 28.2% of income · 2 BR $1,655/mo
Fulton County
KY · 28.2% of income · 2 BR $866/mo
Clark County
NV · 28.2% of income · 2 BR $1,735/mo
Barrow County
GA · 28.2% of income · 2 BR $1,820/mo

Nearby Counties in Florida

Largest counties by population in Florida

Showing the 8 largest of 66 other counties 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 Polk County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Polk County is $1,230 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,497 and a studio is $1,226.
How does Polk County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Polk County is 28% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,230 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Polk County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Polk County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,497 ranks #472 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 Polk County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $49,200 ($4,100/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Polk County.
Is rent going up or down in Polk County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Polk County increased by 12.6% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,092 to $1,230.
Which jobs can afford rent in Polk 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 $1,230/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Polk County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Polk County went from $702 in FY 2020 to $1,230 in FY 2026, a total change of +75.2% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Polk County? ▼
In Polk County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,230/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 Polk County? ▼
For Polk County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,230/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

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.