JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida has earned a title no renter wants to hear: the worst state in the nation for apartment hunters when it comes to how much they pay in rent.
A new Consumer Affairs analysis ranks the Sunshine State as the single worst state in the country for renters, showing that the cost of rent across Florida is about 18% higher than the national median. Without change, housing advocates warn that these skyrocketing costs are actively threatening the state’s future ability to retain its workforce.
For local residents like Kevin Green, renting has simply been a way of life.
“I’ve been here for 20 years,” Green said.
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He noted that one of the primary benefits of renting is avoiding out-of-pocket costs for property maintenance and repairs.
“Washer and dryer always going out, or the refrigerator is going in and out and you have to fix this and that,” Green said.
The housing crunch is also impacting policymakers directly. State Representative Anna Eskamani has filed tenant protection legislation for years, and she is a renter herself.
“I live with my twin sister in Orlando,” Eskamani said. “We are renters. We rent a house. And Orlando actually is a very large renter community.”
Eskamani, who is 35, pointed out that data reflects how homeownership is drifting farther out of reach for younger generations. The average age of homeownership in the United States has now climbed to around 42 years old.
“I hope to pursue that goal before 42,” Eskamani said, adding that she is currently running for mayor of Orlando to focus on the housing crisis at the municipal level. “We cannot retain top talent in our state if the next generation cannot afford to live in our state.”
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Clyde Stophel says rising rent is pushing him to consider leaving Florida for more affordable housing.
He says, “Here, more recently, I’ve been wanting to move more upwards to South Carolina because they’re a little cheaper.”
State Rep. Anna Eskamani says stronger tenant protections are needed as housing costs remain high.
She says, “When you face an eviction on your record, it is devastating to every part of your life… everything we can do to prevent an eviction is going to save us money long-term.”
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While statewide trends paint a grim picture, you could call Jacksonville the “best of the worst” when compared to other Florida cities. Despite the state’s overall dismal ranking, it remains significantly cheaper to rent in the River City.
The latest report from housing platform Zumper shows that Jacksonville’s one- and two-bedroom apartments are priced around $1,130 and $1,330, respectively. That means local rent sits well below Florida’s median rent, which currently hovers around $1,669.
Local officials say they are actively working to help tenants who are struggling to keep up with the market. A city spokesperson told Action News Jax that municipal programs are already in place to assist residents with eviction protection and direct rental assistance.
Furthermore, data from the city’s new affordable housing tracking dashboard shows that nearly 7,000 below-market-rate homes have been built or are on the way since Mayor Donna Deegan took office in 2023. Of those units, roughly 6,000 specifically target affordable or low-income thresholds.
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