Florida · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Winter Haven, FL

Prices around Winter Haven, FL run 2.9% below the U.S. average (BEA, the metro area). The typical household there earns $59,648 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $1,497 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $59,880 a year.

Winter Haven, FL at a glance

Median household income

$59,648$4,971 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$1,497HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)97.1-2.9% · BEA, the metro area
Electricity15.1¢per kWh · EIA Residential FL
Population55,200Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Winter Haven, FL?

HUD’s fair market rent for each size, against what a typical household here earns. Change the income to see yours.

Moderate cost burden (30–50%)
HUD Fair Market Rent$1,497Monthly market rent
Share of gross income30.1%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$59,880To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$1,491At 30% of $59,648
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

How much is rent in Winter Haven, FL? By bedroom, 2026

HUD's fiscal 2026 Fair Market Rents for Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA, with the income each one takes if rent stays under 30% of it.

HUD Fair Market Rent in Winter Haven, FL, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$1,226$14,712$49,04024.7%
1-Bedroom Apartment$1,230$14,760$49,20024.7%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$1,497$17,964$59,88030.1%
3-Bedroom Home$2,023$24,276$80,92040.7%
4-Bedroom Home$2,511$30,132$100,44050.5%

Rent in Winter Haven, FL, with the wage each unit needs →

What a typical income covers in Winter Haven, FL

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $59,648 a year ($4,971 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$2,485/moRent ($1,497 2-BR), utilities (~$136/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$1,491/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$994/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $59,648 leaves after Florida taxes

Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Florida tax on the local median income. Change the salary to see yours.

$59,648
$20,000$120,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$59,648
Net 84%
Fed 8%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$50,107After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,176Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,927Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$4,978 / yr
Florida state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,563 / yr

Living in Winter Haven, FL: common questions

What is the median household income in Winter Haven, FL?

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Winter Haven, FL is $59,648 per year (approximately $4,971 per month).

What is the average rent in Winter Haven, FL?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $1,226 for a studio, $1,230 for one bedroom, $1,497 for two, $2,023 for three and $2,511 for four, utilities included.

It is not an average of listings. HUD sets it at the rent 40% of recent movers paid or less for a standard unit, so a new lease on a nicer place will usually cost more.

Is Winter Haven, FL expensive to live in?

Prices there run 2.9% below the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for the metro area is 97.1, where the U.S. is 100. Rent moves the number most: housing is where places differ, while goods cost about the same everywhere.

How much do you need to earn to comfortably afford rent in Winter Haven, FL?

To keep a $1,497 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $59,880 a year, or $4,990 a month. That is 100% of what the typical household in Winter Haven, FL earns.

How much do you need to live comfortably in Winter Haven, FL?

On the local median income of $59,648 ($4,971 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $2,485 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $1,491 for everything else and $994 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $1,497 takes 60% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Winter Haven, FL?

Homes in Florida paid 15.1¢ per kWh on average (EIA). At 900 kWh a month, a typical use, that is about $136. Your bill depends mostly on heating and cooling.