{"id":238999,"date":"2026-04-20T15:00:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T15:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/238999\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T15:00:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T15:00:23","slug":"orlando-is-one-of-the-least-affordable-cities-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/238999\/","title":{"rendered":"Orlando is one of the least affordable cities, study finds"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Credit: Downtown Orlando\/Facebook<\/p>\n

The City Beautiful is one of the least affordable cities in Florida and the U.S., trailing behind even some of Florida\u2019s most cost-burdened cities<\/a>, such as St. Petersburg and Pembroke Pines.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s according to a new report<\/a> from WalletHub, which analyzed data on median household income and the median annual gross rent in 182 U.S. cities, including the 150 most populous cities, gathered from the U.S. Census Bureau.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to the data, current as of March 18, Orlando renters are paying 28.9 percent of their income on rental costs, on average, compared to more affordable cities such as Bismarck, North Dakota, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where renters fork over just 15 to 16 percent of their income for rent, respectively.<\/p>\n

A person paying upward of one-third of their income \u2014 or roughly 33 percent \u2014 on housing is considered \u201ccost-burdened,\u201d with less of a cushion to cover other basic expenses, such as transportation and groceries.<\/p>\n

Miami, a city increasingly populated<\/a> by billionaires, is the only city in Florida that ranked even worse than Orlando for affordability. Orlando ranked No. 175 out of the 182 cities included in the study, while Miami ranked dead last. Analysts found that median annual gross rents in Miami require 33.7 percent of household income to cover rent.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the most affordable cities for renters, the median cost of rent is as low as 15 percent of the median income, compared to nearly 34 percent in the most expensive cities,\u201d said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. \u201cThis gives people in the least expensive cities a clear financial advantage; the money they save on rent could go toward their emergency fund or savings for future home ownership.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Over the last decade, U.S. rental costs have surged by more than 50 percent, according to the Federal Reserve\u2019s Consumer Price index. In the Orlando metro, average rents shot up nearly 30 percent from 2019 to 2023 alone \u2014 and median wages haven\u2019t kept up. The city, largely powered by a bustling tourism industry, has one of the lowest median annual wages<\/a> of any metro area in the country.<\/p>\n

As of publication, the average monthly rent in Orlando is $1,950, according to Zillow. That\u2019s down $200 from the average rent this time last year. For a one-bedroom apartment, average rent is about $1,500 per month. Still, that\u2019s far more than the roughly $1,000 average rent you could expect to pay in Orlando for a one-bedroom<\/a> in 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no wonder that Orlando\u2019s homeless population has been growing<\/a> in recent years, and that local governments have been scrambling (and simultaneously wringing their hands) to address a lack of shelter space. According to local homeless advocates, there\u2019s been a notable surge<\/a> in older adults, often living on a fixed income, who are becoming homeless for the first time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Orlando\u2019s daily dose of what matters. Subscribe to The Daily Weekly.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Grassroots\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThe group organized in response to an anti-shelter campaign that helped kill a proposed homeless shelter project south of downtown.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Orange\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tFlorida CFO Blaise Ingoglia criticized Orange County on Monday, alleging nearly $200 million in \u2018wasteful spending\u2019\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Florida\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u2018Florida\u2019s strong population growth has collided with limited housing supply, pushing rents beyond what many families can afford.\u2019\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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