HUD FMR Data · Updated April 2026
Average Rent in West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL is $2,254 per month. West Palm Beach-Boca Raton's 2-bedroom FMR of $2,254 runs about 80% above the U.S. national median of $1,250 — a meaningfully higher rent than the typical American county. A typical local household earning $73,481 would spend 36.8% of pre-tax income on this rent.
West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Florida sits in the upper band of U.S. rental costs. HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom is $2,254, with 1-bedroom at $1,901 and 3-bedroom at $2,920. Above-average rents typically reflect either a major metro pulling in labor demand or limited housing supply.
Rent burden is at the federal "cost-burdened" threshold: 37 percent of median income going to rent. Manageable for most households but leaves limited room for savings or unplanned expenses. For renters and prospective movers, the HUD FMR is the asking-rent baseline for a modest unit; actual market rents on freshly-listed units typically run 5-15 percent above the FMR in faster-growing markets. The county vacancy rate (13.2 percent) is the structural indicator of how much availability exists in the local market.
RentIndex draws on HUD Fair Market Rents (annual, by bedroom size, every U.S. county) plus Census ACS housing data (median rent, median household income, rent burden, vacancy rate). Each value on the site refreshes on its source’s publication cadence and stamps the as-of date. The methodology page lists every input with the federal source URL.
A practical caveat for rent-research: HUD FMR is the 40th-percentile baseline for modest units, not a current asking-rent average. In rapidly-growing markets, freshly-listed asking rents typically run 5-20 percent above HUD FMR. Cross-reference the FMR against current Zillow, Apartments.com, or local Craigslist listings before treating the FMR as the rent you will actually pay.
Fair Market Rent by Bedroom in West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL
West Palm Beach-Boca Raton's rent ladder runs from $1,788 for a studio up to $3,388 for a 4-bedroom — a 1.9x spread typical of HUD's FMR formula, which scales each bedroom size against the area 2-bedroom standard. The 2-bedroom unit is HUD's reference category and the figure most often cited in housing policy.
| Size | Monthly FMR |
|---|---|
| Studio | $1,788 |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,901 |
| 2 Bedroom | $2,254 |
| 3 Bedroom | $2,920 |
| 4 Bedroom | $3,388 |
How West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL Compares to the U.S.
West Palm Beach-Boca Raton's 2-bedroom FMR of $2,254 runs about 80% above the U.S. national median of $1,250 — a meaningfully higher rent than the typical American county. HUD\'s national median 2-bedroom FMR currently sits at $1,250 per month, against a Census-reported national median household income of $71,049.
Fair Market Rent in West Palm Beach-Boca Raton held roughly steady year over year, with HUD posting a 1.3% change. Year-to-year FMR moves of less than 3 percentage points are inside the noise range for federal rent statistics.
Affordability and Rent Burden
With a median household income of $73,481, a typical West Palm Beach-Boca Raton household would spend 36.8% of pre-tax income on a 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. That's above HUD's 30% cost-burden threshold — meaning the median household here is officially "cost burdened" at FMR.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median Household Income (Census ACS) | $73,481 |
| Rent Burden (annualized 2BR FMR / income) | 36.8% |
| Income Needed for 2BR (HUD 30% rule) | $90,160/yr |
Where the Numbers Come From
Every rent figure on this page is HUD\'s published Fair Market Rent for the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL FMR area in HUD\'s current fiscal-year release. HUD calculates FMR as the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality units, using Census American Community Survey base rents updated with the BLS CPI rent of primary residence. We do not adjust HUD\'s figures. The full step-by-step calculation is on the RentIndex methodology page, and the underlying data is publicly available at HUD User.
Other Florida Counties
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL is $2,254 per month — the 40th-percentile gross rent for standard-quality, non-substandard rentals in this area. West Palm Beach-Boca Raton's 2-bedroom FMR of $2,254 runs about 80% above the U.S. national median of $1,250 — a meaningfully higher rent than the typical American county.
How does West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL rent compare to the rest of the U.S.?
West Palm Beach-Boca Raton's 2-bedroom FMR of $2,254 runs about 80% above the U.S. national median of $1,250 — a meaningfully higher rent than the typical American county. Rent in West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL is set against a national median 2BR FMR of $1,250 and a national median household income of $71,049.
Is rent affordable in West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL?
With a median household income of $73,481, a typical West Palm Beach-Boca Raton household would spend 36.8% of pre-tax income on a 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. That's above HUD's 30% cost-burden threshold — meaning the median household here is officially "cost burdened" at FMR.
Has rent gone up or down in West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL?
Fair Market Rent in West Palm Beach-Boca Raton held roughly steady year over year, with HUD posting a 1.3% change. Year-to-year FMR moves of less than 3 percentage points are inside the noise range for federal rent statistics.
What does Fair Market Rent mean and where does the figure come from?
Fair Market Rent is the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality rental units, published annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD calculates FMR using American Community Survey base rents trimmed and updated with BLS Consumer Price Index rent indexes, then uses it to set Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. All rent figures on this page come directly from HUD's public FMR dataset.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents (public domain) · huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr.html. Income: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year. Rent inflation reference: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI rent of primary residence. Last refreshed April 2026.