Orlando: what paychecks leave after rent
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area: 1,411,730 jobs, median pay of $46,630 across all occupations, and a $1,726 one-bedroom Fair Market Rent.
The typical worker in Orlando, earning the all-occupations median of $46,630, takes home about $3,304 a month after federal taxes. A one-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent would take 52% of that. The median wage is 0.68× the income needed to keep that rent at 30% of gross pay, which falls short of the guideline.
Of the 3 jobs covered here, software developers have the most room (21% of take-home on a 1BR). Elementary School Teachers are the most squeezed (41%).
Census figures add context: the ACS 2020–2024 5-year median gross rent paid by all renter households in the metro was $1,760 (±$11), and median household income was $78,533 (±$807).
Rent share of take-home pay, by job
All jobs in Orlando
| Job | Median pay | Take-home / mo | Hours of work | 1BR share | Left after 1BR | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developer | $129,620 | $8,322 | 27.7 h | 21% | $6,596 | 1.88× |
| Registered Nurse | $83,550 | $5,634 | 43.0 h | 31% | $3,908 | 1.21× |
| Elementary School Teacher | $60,190 | $4,212 | — h | 41% | $2,486 | 0.87× |
HUD rent areas in this metro
| HUD FMR area | Population | 1BR | 2BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA | 2,793,746 | $1,726 | $1,959 |
HUD treats the whole metro as one rent area.
Sources & method
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — metropolitan areas — vintage: May 2025 estimates. File:
oesm25ma.zip, retrieved 2026-10-06. - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD USER), Fair Market Rents, FY2027 — vintage: FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). File:
FY27_FMRs.xlsx, retrieved 2026-10-05. - U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates: Median gross rent (B25064) — vintage: ACS 2020–2024 5-year. File:
acsdt5y2024-b25064.dat, retrieved 2026-10-05. - U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates: Median household income (B19013) — vintage: ACS 2020–2024 5-year. File:
acsdt5y2024-b19013.dat, retrieved 2026-10-05. - Internal Revenue Service, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (tax year 2026 brackets, $16,100 standard deduction) and SSA's $184,500 wage base, used for the take-home estimate.
Take-home = annual wage − 2026 federal income tax (single filer, standard deduction) − Social Security and Medicare. State and local income taxes are not deducted. Wages are May 2025 estimates; rents are HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). Full details on the methodology page. Page data last rebuilt 2026-10-06.