The third stimulus check won’t cover a month’s rent in these Orlando neighborhoods

Nearly two months into the administration of President Joe Biden, those immediate $2,000 $1,400 checks are very nearly on the way. The House of Representatives approved the Biden-supported American Rescue Act on Wednesday, which includes $1.9 trillion in spending to help combat the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic and a crucial third stimulus check for many Americans.

Biden is expected to sign off on the bill on Friday and checks could start appearing in Americans’ bank accounts as soon as the week after (provided they don’t make more than $80,000 a year). While the money is a welcome financial injection for many people who have struggled over the last year, $1,400 doesn’t go very far in many parts of the U.S., Orlando included.

The third check in a year won’t cover a single month’s rent in many of Orlando’s neighborhoods, and it’s barely enough for a month of shelter in many more. According to data from apartment listings website RentCafé, $1,400 won’t cover the average rent in 25 Orlando neighborhoods.

Orlando Neighborhoods With Rents Higher Than The Third Stimulus Check

• Baldwin Park – Avg rent: $1794
  
• Lawsona/Fern Creek – Avg. rent: $1658
  
• Downtown Orlando – Avg. rent: $1643
  
• Lake Davis/Greenwood – Avg. rent: $1598
  
• Florida Center – Avg. rent: $1532
  
• Windhover – Avg. rent: $1532
  
• Audubon Park – Avg. rent: $1522
  
• Colonial Town Center – Avg. rent: $1522
  
• Colonialtown North – Avg. rent: $1522
  
• Colonialtown South – Avg. rent: $1522
  
• Coytown – Avg. rent: $1522
  
• East Central Park – Avg. rent: $1522
  
• Lake Formosa – Avg. rent: $1522
  
• Lake Underhill – Avg. rent: $1522
  
• Orlando Executive Airport – Avg. rent: $1522
  
• Orwin Manor – Avg. rent: $1522
  
• Rose Isle – Avg. rent: $1522
  
• Rowena Gardens – Avg. rent: $1522
  
• Southport – Avg. rent: $1518
  
• North Orange – Avg. rent: $1504
  
• Lake Nona – Avg. rent: $1487
  
• City of Orlando – GOAA – Avg. rent: $1463
  
• Vista Park – Avg. rent: $1446
  
• Dover Shores West – Avg. rent: $1418
  
• Lake Como – Avg. rent: $1418
  

[Ed. note: RentCafé chose to use the official neighborhood designations according to the city of Orlando, so save your salty remarks for Reddit.]

It’s no secret that Orlando residents are heavily rent-burdened. A study released last year found that a minimum-wage worker would need to work 96 hours a week to afford a one-bedroom apartment downtown. These workers will no doubt be happy for an additional $1,400. But for much of Orlando, the stimulus check comes with no choice but to spend it all on one place.

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This article appears in Mar 10-16, 2021.