County FMR · HUD FY2026

Putnam County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Putnam County, FL - 8% below the US average.

$880
1-bedroom FMR
$1,155
2-bedroom FMR
+15.9%
YoY change
-8%
vs US avg

The verdict

Putnam is the 14th cheapest of 67 counties in Florida by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,132 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 15.9% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.

#1,132
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#14
cheapest of 67 in Florida (2BR)
-32%
vs the state average
$35,200
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.3%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (37.7%).

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

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Putnam County, Florida at $880 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,155/mo and a studio is $874/mo. This is 8% lower than the national average of $959 and 32% below the Florida average of $1,296.

Rent increased15.9% from FY 2025 ($759), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $35,200/year for a 1-bedroom.

Observed renter burden: 44.0% of the 8,394 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: 73,604. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+2.0%, Census ACS). That's slower than Florida's statewide growth of +6.5% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area PUTNAM·COUNTY·FL·FL

Putnam County, FL: $880/mo 1BR · #1132 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA FL
  • 1BR-FMR $880
  • 2BR-FMR $1,155
  • RANK-MID #1,132
  • YOY-SURGE +15.9%
  • VSUS-BELOW -8%
  • VS-ST-LOW -32% FL
  • INC-MID 22%
  • POP-MID 74K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Miami-Dade County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $792–$968
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Miami-Dade ($1,115 1BR gap)

Read with: How Fair Market Rent works

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $1,212 · US avg: $893
$874/mo
↑ 15.9% YoY -28% vs state -2% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $1,296 · US avg: $959
$880/mo
↑ 15.9% YoY -32% vs state -8% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,526 · US avg: $1,175
$1,155/mo
↑ 16.0% YoY -24% vs state -2% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,971 · US avg: $1,525
$1,452/mo
↑ 15.0% YoY -26% vs state -5% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $2,261 · US avg: $1,756
$1,529/mo
↑ 15.7% YoY -32% vs state -13% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $754
$874
+$120 (+15.9%)
1 Bedroom $759
$880
+$121 (+15.9%)
2 Bedroom $996
$1,155
+$159 (+16.0%)
3 Bedroom $1,263
$1,452
+$189 (+15.0%)
4 Bedroom $1,321
$1,529
+$208 (+15.7%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
22.2%
Affordable
Need $34,960/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
22.3%
Affordable
Need $35,200/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
29.3%
Affordable
Need $46,200/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
36.9%
Burdened
Need $58,080/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
38.8%
Burdened
Need $61,160/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%29.3%
Putnam County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $47,256 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View Florida rent burden →

Where Putnam sits among every US county

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

$1,155 Top 36% higher than 64% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Above this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Above this entry. $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 Putnam compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other Florida counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Putnam 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), Putnam County (this county) ($880).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

How a 1-bedroom at $880/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 8.3% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $100,750 10.5% Affordable
Registered Nurses $82,850 12.7% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $78,470 13.5% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $76,190 13.9% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $60,280 17.5% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $55,550 19% Affordable
Electricians $53,100 19.9% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $50,000 21.1% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $39,640 26.6% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $38,890 27.2% Affordable
Retail Salespersons $31,950 33.1% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $31,540 33.5% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $30,230 34.9% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $27,990 37.7% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (Florida) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Putnam (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 37.9% overall, from $638 to $880. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +15.9% in FY 2026, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$500$600$700$800$900 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $880
Putnam County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑15.9% $874 $880 $1,155
FY 2025 ↑9.5% $754 $759 $996
FY 2024 ↑10.4% $689 $693 $911
FY 2023 ↑7.4% $623 $628 $826
FY 2022 ↓6.7% $581 $585 $770
FY 2021 ↓1.7% $623 $627 $765
FY 2020 $620 $638 $726
Total change (6yr): +37.9%
Annualized: +5.5%/yr
1 BR: $638 → $880

Part of the Palatka, FL Micro Area

Putnam County is a central county of the Palatka, FL micropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Putnam 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).

Grant County
KY · 2 BR $1,155/mo
Las Animas County
CO · 2 BR $1,155/mo
Minnehaha County
SD · 2 BR $1,156/mo
Woodbury County
IA · 2 BR $1,154/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Mohave County
AZ · 29.4% of income · 2 BR $1,365/mo
Desha County
AR · 29.3% of income · 2 BR $880/mo
Williamsburg city
VA · 29.3% of income · 2 BR $1,713/mo
McKinley County
NM · 29.4% of income · 2 BR $1,090/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 Putnam County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Putnam County is $880 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,155 and a studio is $874.
How does Putnam County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Putnam County is 8% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $880 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Putnam County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Putnam County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,155 ranks #1,132 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Putnam County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $35,200 ($2,933/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Putnam County.
Is rent going up or down in Putnam County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Putnam County increased by 15.9% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $759 to $880.
Which jobs can afford rent in Putnam 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 $880/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Putnam County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Putnam County went from $638 in FY 2020 to $880 in FY 2026, a total change of +37.9% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Putnam County? ▼
In Putnam County, the FY 2026 FMR of $880/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 Putnam County? ▼
For Putnam County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($880/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.