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Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL

The Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL is $1,709 per month, ranking #139 out of 693 areas nationwide. The area median household income is $75,817, meaning a household spending Fair Market Rent on a 2-bedroom would pay 27% of income on housing. Rent in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville has increased 19.2% year over year. The area has a population of 621K, with 23.1% of households renting.

27%
Moderately Affordable
of income → rent
$1,709
2BR Fair Market Rent
vs $1,250 national median
$75,817
Median Income
vs $71,049 national
$1,456
Actual Median Rent
Census ACS estimate
+19.2%
Year-over-Year
2BR FMR change
621K
Population
Census ACS
23.1%
Renters
of occupied housing
$304,400
Median Home Value
14.5%
Vacancy Rate
of housing units
9.9%
Poverty Rate
below poverty line

Fair Market Rent by Bedroom Size

$1,266
Studio
$1,478
1 Bedroom
$1,709
2 Bedroom
$2,330
3 Bedroom
$2,645
4 Bedroom

Fair Market Rents (FMRs) are set annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality units in an area. FMRs are used to determine payment standards for the Housing Choice Voucher program and other federal housing assistance.

Housing Affordability

In Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL, a household earning the area median income of $75,817 would spend 27% of their gross income on a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent. This falls below HUD's 30% cost-burden threshold, meaning housing is relatively affordable for median-income households in this area.

Income Needed for 2BR
$68,360
annual (30% threshold)
Hourly Wage Needed
$33
full-time (2,080 hrs/yr)
Actual Median Rent
$1,456
$253 below FMR

5-Year Rent Trend

+50.7% since 2021
$1,1342021$1,1962022$1,3752023$1,4342024$1,6352025$1,7092026

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent by fiscal year. Source: HUD FMR API.

Minimum Wage Affordability

The minimum wage in Florida is $14.00/hr. A minimum-wage worker would need to work 93.9 hours per week to afford a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding 30% of income on housing. This means a single minimum-wage earner cannot afford a 2-bedroom working a standard 40-hour week. The poverty rate in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville is 9.9%, below the national average of approximately 12.4%.

State Min Wage
$14.00/hr
Hours/Week Needed
93.9 hrs
Poverty Rate
9.9%

Housing Market Context

The median home value in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville is $304,400. At a median income of $75,817, this represents a price-to-income ratio of 4.0x. 14.5% of housing units in the area are vacant, which is above the national average and may indicate softer demand or seasonal housing.

Rent vs. Buy
$2,131 est. mortgage
vs $1,709 FMR rent
Vacancy Rate
14.5%
of housing units

Other Areas in Florida

Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall
$2,436/mo
2BR FMR · 39.8% burden
Fort Lauderdale
$2,333/mo
2BR FMR · 38.1% burden
West Palm Beach-Boca Raton
$2,254/mo
2BR FMR · 36.8% burden
Naples-Marco Island
$1,986/mo
2BR FMR · 27.7% burden
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
$1,977/mo
2BR FMR · 33.3% burden

Compare Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville

vs Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FLvs Fort Lauderdale, FLvs West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL

Areas With Similar Rent to Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville

Frequently Asked Questions

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL is $1,709 per month. A studio is $1,266/mo, a 1-bedroom is $1,478/mo, and a 3-bedroom is $2,330/mo. The actual median gross rent from Census data is $1,456/mo.

Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville has a rent burden of 27%, meaning a household earning the median income of $75,817 would spend 27% of income on a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent. This is below HUD's 30% cost-burden threshold, indicating relatively affordable housing. To afford a 2-bedroom without being cost-burdened, a household would need an annual income of at least $68,360.

Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,709/mo is $459 above the national median of $1,250/mo. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville ranks #139 out of 693 areas for highest rent in the United States.

To afford a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville without spending more than 30% of income on housing, you would need an annual household income of at least $68,360, or a full-time hourly wage of $33/hour. The area median income is $75,817.

The 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville increased by 19.2% compared to the prior year. This is a significant increase, suggesting growing demand in the local housing market.

Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality rental units. Rent burden is calculated as annual 2BR FMR divided by area median household income. Census data (income, home value, population, vacancy) is from the ACS 5-Year estimates. Unemployment rates are from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics.