Rents are 14% below what Destin's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $2,087 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in Destin usually run 2.2% below trend in January and 1.9% above it in August, about $86 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Destin is 0.2% below its high of $2,091 in September 2024, at $2,087 as of September 2026.
Rent in Destin changed +4.0% over the year to September 2026. Across the 270 Florida cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +1.8%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Destin rose 42.5% while median household income rose 12.7% ($79,000 to $89,011). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Destin is 42% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 2 months in a row, and rose in 9 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($89,011) is $2,225 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($2,140); a 3-bedroom is $2,970.
Shalimar, 7 miles away, rents for 11% less ($1,850/mo), about $2,800 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Destin. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Destin, FL is majority owner-occupied, 46.2% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Destin, FL has changed in 5 years
Rent in Destin, FL has climbed 24.4% since 2021, going from about $1,678 per month to roughly $2,087 today. Median household income grew from $81,827 to $89,011 between 2021 and 2024, a 8.8% shift. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 15.6 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 13,751 to 14,077 between 2021 and 2024, a 2.4% change. About 30.3% of households rent today, against 37.2% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 43.2% to 46.2%. Taken together, the five-year picture in Destin, FL reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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At $2,087/mo, how Destin rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Destin rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Destin. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Destin
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Destin is $2,087/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,660/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,140/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,900/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,970/mo.
At 28% of local median household income ($89,011/yr), Destin ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 4.0% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Destin?
At $2,087/mo, rent takes ~28% of Destin's median household income ($89,011/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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