Most of Lakeland is in Polk County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $36.11 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.
Across the 13 ZIP codes in Lakeland with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,110 to $1,590 a month. At the middle rent, $1,260, a full-time job would need to pay $38.24 an hour before taxes.
What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.
| ZIP | County | Studio rent | Pay needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33801 | Polk County | $1,220/mo | $36.82/hr |
| 33802 | Polk County | $1,260/mo | $38.24/hr |
| 33803 | Polk County | $1,430/mo | $44.28/hr |
| 33804 | Polk County | $1,260/mo | $38.24/hr |
| 33805 | Polk County | $1,170/mo | $35.05/hr |
| 33806 | Polk County | $1,260/mo | $38.24/hr |
| 33807 | Polk County | $1,260/mo | $38.24/hr |
| 33809 | Polk County | $1,420/mo | $43.92/hr |
| 33810 | Polk County | $1,410/mo | $43.57/hr |
| 33811 | Polk County | $1,240/mo | $37.53/hr |
| 33812 | Polk County | $1,590/mo | $49.97/hr |
| 33813 | Polk County | $1,590/mo | $49.97/hr |
| 33815 | Polk County | $1,110/mo | $33.12/hr |
Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Lakeland needs to pay at least $36.11 an hour before taxes, about $75,102 a year. That is the figure for Polk County, where the typical studio rent is $1,200 a month.
Yes. Across the 13 ZIP codes in Lakeland with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $1,110 to $1,590 a month. At the middle rent of $1,260, the pay needed would be $38.24 an hour.
The minimum wage in Polk County is $15.00 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 2.4 times that.
The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads