HUD Fair Market Rents in Florida for FY2027, by County
HUD's fiscal year 2027 Fair Market Rents took effect October 1, 2026. A two-bedroom FMR is $2,564 in Miami-Dade, $2,349 in Palm Beach, $2,321 in Broward, $1,959 in the Orlando area, $1,917 in the Tampa Bay area and $1,694 in Jacksonville. Since FY2021, the two-bedroom FMR has risen 29% to 72% across the counties below, and in several metros it now meets or beats the market average.
If any of your tenants pay with a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8), the Fair Market Rent sets the ceiling on what the housing authority will help pay. Even if none do, the FMR is a useful, government-published check on your rents. HUD publishes new FMRs every year. Here is the FY2027 set for Florida, which runs from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027.
FY2027 Fair Market Rents by county
Monthly gross rent, studio through four bedrooms, with the change in the two-bedroom FMR since FY2021. Counties in the same metro share one FMR, which is why Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Lake match, and so do Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando.
| County | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2 BR since FY2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade | $1,953 | $2,121 | $2,564 | $3,277 | $3,749 | +65% |
| Palm Beach | $1,907 | $2,008 | $2,349 | $3,052 | $3,523 | +60% |
| Broward | $1,759 | $1,902 | $2,321 | $3,172 | $3,662 | +54% |
| Monroe | $1,554 | $1,990 | $2,254 | $2,973 | $2,984 | +29% |
| Sarasota | $1,749 | $1,876 | $2,188 | $2,775 | $3,309 | +72% |
| Manatee | $1,749 | $1,876 | $2,188 | $2,775 | $3,309 | +72% |
| St Lucie | $1,707 | $1,718 | $2,069 | $2,801 | $2,924 | +71% |
| Martin | $1,707 | $1,718 | $2,069 | $2,801 | $2,924 | +71% |
| Collier | $1,418 | $1,870 | $2,036 | $2,584 | $2,815 | +48% |
| Orange | $1,658 | $1,726 | $1,959 | $2,445 | $2,856 | +48% |
| Osceola | $1,658 | $1,726 | $1,959 | $2,445 | $2,856 | +48% |
| Seminole | $1,658 | $1,726 | $1,959 | $2,445 | $2,856 | +48% |
| Lake | $1,658 | $1,726 | $1,959 | $2,445 | $2,856 | +48% |
| Hillsborough | $1,597 | $1,648 | $1,917 | $2,448 | $2,977 | +51% |
| Pinellas | $1,597 | $1,648 | $1,917 | $2,448 | $2,977 | +51% |
| Pasco | $1,597 | $1,648 | $1,917 | $2,448 | $2,977 | +51% |
| Hernando | $1,597 | $1,648 | $1,917 | $2,448 | $2,977 | +51% |
| Okaloosa | $1,421 | $1,706 | $1,908 | $2,616 | $3,189 | +63% |
| Lee | $1,555 | $1,564 | $1,835 | $2,373 | $2,615 | +53% |
| Brevard | $1,327 | $1,525 | $1,779 | $2,382 | $2,707 | +57% |
| Flagler | $1,326 | $1,376 | $1,758 | $2,361 | $2,581 | +60% |
| Duval | $1,401 | $1,421 | $1,694 | $2,077 | $2,594 | +52% |
| Clay | $1,401 | $1,421 | $1,694 | $2,077 | $2,594 | +52% |
| St Johns | $1,401 | $1,421 | $1,694 | $2,077 | $2,594 | +52% |
| Nassau | $1,401 | $1,421 | $1,694 | $2,077 | $2,594 | +52% |
| Volusia | $1,258 | $1,363 | $1,673 | $2,204 | $2,403 | +59% |
| Bay | $1,414 | $1,517 | $1,651 | $2,101 | $2,567 | +52% |
| Polk | $1,258 | $1,338 | $1,608 | $2,212 | $2,688 | +57% |
| Charlotte | $1,097 | $1,204 | $1,575 | $2,137 | $2,556 | +48% |
| Escambia | $1,154 | $1,359 | $1,548 | $2,034 | $2,435 | +57% |
| Santa Rosa | $1,154 | $1,359 | $1,548 | $2,034 | $2,435 | +57% |
| Indian River | $1,171 | $1,179 | $1,542 | $1,882 | $2,577 | +46% |
| Walton | $1,123 | $1,354 | $1,474 | $2,041 | $2,464 | +53% |
| Alachua | $1,197 | $1,241 | $1,471 | $1,806 | $1,933 | +36% |
| Leon | $1,186 | $1,264 | $1,424 | $1,742 | $1,871 | +39% |
| Marion | $1,194 | $1,201 | $1,394 | $1,836 | $1,925 | +48% |
| Sumter | $1,092 | $1,139 | $1,324 | $1,606 | $1,904 | n/a |
| Highlands | $877 | $1,022 | $1,259 | $1,500 | $1,905 | +45% |
| Citrus | $985 | $988 | $1,194 | $1,653 | $1,993 | +33% |
| Putnam | $787 | $792 | $1,040 | $1,307 | $1,377 | n/a |
What a Fair Market Rent actually is
HUD sets the FMR at roughly the 40th percentile of gross rent for standard-quality units that recently rented in the area, built from Census survey data and adjusted forward for inflation and local trends. Two parts of that sentence matter to an owner:
- Gross rent includes tenant-paid utilities. If your tenant pays electric and water, the housing authority subtracts a utility allowance before setting the rent you receive.
- The 40th percentile is below the middle of the market. It is meant to cover a decent unit, not the best one. A renovated unit can still rent above it to a market tenant.
Local housing authorities then set a payment standard, usually between 90% and 110% of the FMR, and some use ZIP-code level Small Area FMRs instead. Before you underwrite a voucher unit, call your local housing authority and ask for its current payment standard by bedroom count.
In some Florida metros, HUD now pays at or above market
Here is the FY2027 two-bedroom FMR next to the Zillow Observed Rent Index for August 2026. Zillow's index covers all home types, including houses, so it runs higher than a typical two-bedroom apartment. That makes the counties where HUD matches or beats it stand out.
| County | HUD 2 BR, FY2027 | Zillow avg, Aug 2026 | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manatee | $2,188 | $2,045 | HUD higher |
| Sarasota | $2,188 | $2,144 | HUD higher |
| Duval | $1,694 | $1,616 | HUD higher |
| Seminole | $1,959 | $1,878 | HUD higher |
| Hernando | $1,917 | $1,839 | HUD higher |
| Orange | $1,959 | $1,941 | HUD higher |
| Hillsborough | $1,917 | $1,992 | Zillow higher by $75 |
| Polk | $1,608 | $1,840 | Zillow higher by $232 |
| Miami-Dade | $2,564 | $2,837 | Zillow higher by $273 |
| Indian River | $1,542 | $2,170 | Zillow higher by $628 |
In Manatee, Sarasota, Duval, Seminole, Hernando and Orange, the two-bedroom FMR is above the all-homes market average. For an owner of an older small building with two-bedroom units, a voucher tenant at the payment standard may now pay more than the market tenant next door, with part of the rent coming straight from the housing authority every month.
What this means when you sell
A common question: do voucher tenants hurt the price? Buyers and their lenders underwrite rent actually collected, so a well-run building with voucher tenants at today's FMR is not penalized for it. What hurts value is rent that sits far below market with no plan to close the gap. If your voucher rents were set in 2021 and never raised to the new payment standard, that is money on the table. Request the increase at renewal. The housing authority will inspect and approve it if the unit qualifies.
The bigger picture is in Florida rents since COVID, county by county. For how rent turns into a sale price, read how much is my apartment building worth and cap rate vs cash-on-cash return.
Where these numbers come from
All Fair Market Rents are HUD's published FY2027 and FY2021 county figures. Zillow numbers are the Zillow Observed Rent Index, all homes, smoothed, for August 2026. Always confirm your county's current FMR and your housing authority's payment standard before signing a lease.
Questions owners ask
What is the 2027 Fair Market Rent in Florida?
It depends on the county. For FY2027, which started October 1, 2026, the two-bedroom Fair Market Rent is $2,564 in Miami-Dade, $2,349 in Palm Beach, $2,321 in Broward, $1,959 in Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Lake, $1,917 in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando, $1,835 in Lee, $1,694 in Duval and $1,608 in Polk.
How much did HUD Fair Market Rents go up in Florida?
Between FY2021 and FY2027, the two-bedroom Fair Market Rent rose about 36% in Alachua, 39% in Leon, 48% in the Orlando area, 51% in the Tampa Bay area, 52% in Jacksonville, 65% in Miami-Dade and about 72% in Sarasota and Manatee.
How much will Section 8 pay for a 2-bedroom in Florida?
The housing authority's payment standard is usually 90% to 110% of the Fair Market Rent, minus a utility allowance if the tenant pays utilities. For FY2027 that puts a two-bedroom at roughly $1,760 to $2,150 in the Orlando area, for example. Call your local housing authority for its exact payment standard.
Is Fair Market Rent the same as market rent?
No. HUD sets the Fair Market Rent near the 40th percentile of gross rent, including utilities, for standard units in the area. It is meant to cover a decent unit, not an average or luxury one. In several Florida metros it is now close to or above the market average for all homes.
I check every rent roll against HUD and market rents before I price a building. If you hold voucher tenants and want to know what they do to your value, call me. That is part of what an apartment broker should do for you.
