Low Income Apartments and Affordable Housing For Rent in Polk County, FL

Discover affordable housing in Polk County where there are 80+ housing opportunities based on income and household needs like accessible units for seniors or persons with disabilities. Find and apply to these low income apartments now.

Country Manor Apartments

7425 Highway 98 N, Lakeland, Florida 33809

Laurel Hills Apartments

1001 Laurel Hills Court, Haines City, Florida 33844

Abbey Lane Apartments

100 Evergreen Place SW, Winter Haven, Florida 33880

Sterling Place

600 Old Combee Rd, Lakeland, Florida 33809

Wahneta Palms

225 Wahneta Palms Dr, Winter Haven, Florida 33880

Haines City Apartments

2351 East Hinson , Haines City, Florida 33844

Lake Wales Villas

605 South 3rd Street , Lake Wales, Florida 33853

Villas at Lakesmart

4225 Vista Del Lago Drive, Winter Haven, Florida 33881

New Horizons

500 New Horizon Loop, Auburndale, Florida 33823

Citrus Ridge I & II

99 Citrus Ridge Ct, Haines City, Florida 33844

Cypress Cove

930 5th St, Winter Haven, Florida 33881

Summerlin Oaks

980 E Church St, Bartow, Florida 33830

Pinnacle Pines

575 Live Oak Ave W, Haines City, Florida 33844

Ridgewood Apartments

2201 Ridgewood Road NW, Winter Haven, Florida 33881

Harbour Court Apartments

266 Peninsular Drive, Haines City, Florida 33844

Banyan Reserve Senior

940 Serenity Hills Dr, Lakeland, Florida 33805

Twin Lake Estates ll

550 Air Force St, Lakeland, Florida 33815

Twin Lakes Estates l

501 Hartsell Ave, Lakeland, Florida 33815

Winter Haven Manor

140 Avenue a SW, Winter Haven, Florida 33880

Cypress Cathedral Apartments

1801 Havendale Blvd NW, Winter Haven, Florida 33881

The Hourly Wage Needed to Afford A Safe, Modest 2 Bed Apartment In Polk County, Florida
$23.67/hour
$11.67 (+97%) more than Florida minimum wage and $16.42 (+227%) more than the Federal minimum wage.
Learn More About Polk County, Florida Affordable Housing ↓

How many renters live in Polk County, Florida?

The County of Polk County has 787,404 people living in 291,994 households.

There are 213,781 renters living in 85,019 renter households in this County. Renters make up 27.15 percent of the population living in Polk County.

What is the rental market like in Polk County, Florida?

There are an estimated 340,780 housing units in the Polk County area. Of these, 90,428 units are rental homes, making up 27 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Polk County, Florida, there are 1 rental units.

What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Polk County?

The rental vacancy rate in Polk County is 5 percent. This is a lower than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are low there are fewer available units. Rents tend to be higher as more people compete for scarce housing.

How many rental units are in Polk County for each bedroom size?

Occupied Rental Units by Size in Polk County
Studio One-Bedroom Two-Bedroom Three-Bedroom Four+ Bedrooms
3,314 16,058 34,045 23,564 7,154
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Polk County

A large number of apartments in Polk County have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.

How many renter households in Polk County are overburdened by housing costs?

Among renter households in this market, 50 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 25 percent of households are extremely rent overburdened. When renters pay too much for their housing, it leaves little money for other necessities like food, clothes, or medicine.

The federal government says that renters are cost-burdened if they pay more than a third of their monthly income for rent and utilities.

How Much Is Rent in Polk County

Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $1,006 to $2,121. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.

Bed Size 2024 Fair Market Rents
Studio $1,006
One BR $1,012
Two BR $1,250
Three BR $1,679
Four BR $2,121
2024 Fair Market Rents in Polk County, Florida

How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Polk County?

Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.

These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:

Unit Size Count of Units Below FMR Percentage of Total Units Below FMR
Studio 1,403 42 percent
One BR 8,058 50 percent
Two BR 17,301 51 percent
Rental Units Below FMR in Polk County, Florida

How many affordable rental units are in Polk County?

There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Polk County, Florida including the following:

Federal Program Unit Count
Low Income Housing Tax Credit 3,198
Public Housing 671
Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance 1,279
Section 236 Rental Assistance 102
Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly 137
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities 5
USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing 1,118
USDA Section 514 Farm Labor Housing 253
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Polk County, Florida

Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.

Income Based Apartments in Polk County, Florida

Polk County features 3,513 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.

Low Rent Apartments in Polk County, Florida

There are 2,954 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Polk County.

Housing Choice Vouchers in Polk County, Florida

On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Polk County landlords $700 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $400 towards rent in Polk County.

The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Polk County, Florida for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,125 and $1,375.

Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.