Liana Castillo works six days a week, splitting her time between two jobs, and still wonders whether it will be enough to cover next month’s rent. She’s one of many University of Florida students juggling work and classes as housing costs in Gainesville continue to rise.
Recent data from Zillow show the average rent in Gainesville is about $1,700 per month in early 2026, up from roughly $1,500 in 2024, reflecting a steady increase in housing costs over the past two years. As rents climb, more students are taking on part-time work to keep up with basic living expenses.
The financial pressure students feel locally mirrors broader economic trends. Inflation has cooled compared to its 2022 peak, according to the Economic Policy Institute, but wage growth for entry-level workers has not kept pace with the cost of living, particularly in housing.
In Gainesville, the per capita income is about $27,800, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, which translates to roughly $13–$14 per hour. For students working part-time or in service jobs, that gap between wages and rent can be difficult to close.
With residents ages 20 to 29 making up a significant portion of Gainesville’s population, many rely on entry-level jobs that offer modest pay, leaving them especially vulnerable to rising costs.
“Every day of my life is a struggle,” said Castillo with a self-deprecating chuckle. She works at Publix and MacDinton's Gainesville while balancing the workload of a third-year biology major.
Castillo recalls nights when she has arrived home after work and cried, overwhelmed by late shifts and schoolwork.
“I need to pay off what I need to pay off,” she said, referring to rent and other basic expenses, which “have definitely increased in price” since her first year at UF.
When Castillo began searching for housing again, she noticed a sharp increase. Her freshman-year apartment — a five-bedroom, five-bath unit — cost about $1,200 per month including parking, with a base rent of $975 under a freshman-year discount. That same unit now costs about $1,400 per month including parking, with a base rent of $1,200.
Raven Carthon, a student assistant at UF’s PATH Office and a resident assistant at Springs Residential Complex, said she was surprised when comparing on-campus and off-campus costs.
“What I’m paying for my dorm, if you split it into monthly payments, is exactly half of what I’d be paying to live off campus,” Carthon said. She pays around $4,871 per semester to live in her single-suite dorm.
The price difference made her reconsider moving out, but she ultimately decided she will live off campus for her senior year. To afford it, she plans to split rent with her parents and find a new job to replace her resident assistant position, while continuing her work at the PATH office.
Even with two jobs, she said covering rent independently would be difficult.
Gainesville native and UF student Eric Williams, 22, has also noticed housing prices increase over time. He believes demand tied to the university plays a role, but acknowledges it is not the only factor.
“UF’s rankings are definitely bringing more people here,” Williams said. “But it’s also just Florida growing in general.”
Between 2019 and 2023, median rent in Florida increased by nearly $500 per month — from $1,238 to $1,719 — according to a 2025 report from UF’s Shimberg Center for Housing Studies. That statewide trend has contributed to rising costs in college towns like Gainesville.
At the same time, Gainesville’s population has grown from about 129,000 in 2015 to over 150,000 in recent estimates, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. While UF’s rising national profile may contribute to that growth, economists say broader population trends across Florida — including migration and development — are also major drivers.
For UF’s roughly 60,000 students, those trends are not abstract. They show up each month when rent is due.
Castillo is finding ways to make it work. She strategically chose her job at Publix, hoping to eventually move into the pharmacy department and gain experience for pharmacy school.
Carthon said her work experience has helped prepare her for life after college.
“I took these four years as a learning opportunity to become self-sufficient and understand basic adult responsibilities,” she said.
But the day-to-day reality remains demanding. Between shifts, classes and study sessions, students like Castillo stay focused on the long-term goal.
“I’ll struggle now to relax later,” she said.