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HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026

Fair Market Rent in Kentucky by county (FY 2026)

Kentucky has 120 counties, and HUD sets a Fair Market Rent for every one of them. For FY 2026 the median two-bedroom is $900. The highest is Boone County at $1,353, the lowest Wolfe County at $866.

Median 2BR

$900

Highest 2BR

$1,353

Boone County

Lowest 2BR

$866

Wolfe County

Counties

120

39 in metro areas

Kentucky's two-bedroom fair market rent for FY 2026 comes in at $900. Boone County, across the river from Cincinnati, tops the state at $1,353. Wolfe County sits at the bottom with $866, and its ZIP codes barely move from that: Small Area FMRs there only run $870 to $880. Kentucky has 120 counties and 39 carry a metro rate. Cincinnati's Kentucky side and Lexington-Fayette each cover 6 counties, the two biggest metro clusters in the state. Louisville covers 5. Jefferson County, home to Louisville, shows the opposite of Wolfe County's tight range: its ZIP-level Small Area FMRs run from $1,080 to $1,910, an $830 spread inside one county. Rural and tight, or metro and wide. The county page tells you which one you're looking at.

39 of the 120 counties sit inside a HUD metro area and share that metro's rate. The other 81 get a county rate built from their own rents. The Kentucky median of $900 is about 12% below the national median county ($1,018). HUD also publishes ZIP-level Small Area FMRs covering 120 of the 120 counties, which is where the real variation shows up. Pick a county below for the full studio-to-four-bedroom table, payment standard ranges and ZIP rates.

The median two-bedroom moved up 3% from FY 2025. 42 counties went up, 78 went down, and the rest held.

HUD has already published FY 2027, effective October 1, 2026. Two-bedroom rates go up in 113 counties, down in 7, and hold in the rest. The table shows both years.

Fair Market Rent by county

County
Area
Studio
1 BR
2 BR
3 BR
4 BR
YoYFY 2027 2BR
Population
Boone CountyMetro$958$1,051$1,353$1,785$1,976+5.1%$1,442136,150
Bracken CountyMetro$958$1,051$1,353$1,785$1,976+5.1%$1,4428,420
Campbell CountyMetro$958$1,051$1,353$1,785$1,976+5.1%$1,44293,122
Gallatin CountyMetro$958$1,051$1,353$1,785$1,976+5.1%$1,4428,720
Kenton CountyMetro$958$1,051$1,353$1,785$1,976+5.1%$1,442169,066
Pendleton CountyMetro$958$1,051$1,353$1,785$1,976+5.1%$1,44214,638
Christian CountyMetro$1,090$1,094$1,346$1,871$2,258+9.5%$1,30772,766
Trigg CountyMetro$1,090$1,094$1,346$1,871$2,258+9.5%$1,30714,154
Bourbon CountyMetro$883$1,079$1,272$1,743$1,940+9.2%$1,41620,228
Bullitt CountyMetro$966$1,047$1,272$1,625$1,891-4.4%$1,27682,482
Clark CountyMetro$883$1,079$1,272$1,743$1,940+9.2%$1,41636,897
Fayette CountyMetro$883$1,079$1,272$1,743$1,940+9.2%$1,416321,276
Henry CountyMetro$966$1,047$1,272$1,625$1,891-4.4%$1,27615,731
Jefferson CountyMetro$966$1,047$1,272$1,625$1,891-4.4%$1,276779,232
Jessamine CountyMetro$883$1,079$1,272$1,743$1,940+9.2%$1,41653,381
Oldham CountyMetro$966$1,047$1,272$1,625$1,891-4.4%$1,27667,997
Scott CountyMetro$883$1,079$1,272$1,743$1,940+9.2%$1,41657,286
Spencer CountyMetro$966$1,047$1,272$1,625$1,891-4.4%$1,27619,549
Woodford CountyMetro$883$1,079$1,272$1,743$1,940+9.2%$1,41626,886
Livingston CountyMetro$865$960$1,158$1,388$1,771+31.3%$1,2208,980
Grant CountyMetro$823$899$1,155$1,385$1,678+5.2%$1,14625,085
Edmonson CountyMetro$889$985$1,153$1,384$1,806-1.7%$1,19912,179
Warren CountyMetro$889$985$1,153$1,384$1,806-1.7%$1,199135,307
Shelby CountyMetro$954$1,027$1,143$1,417$1,697-0.5%$1,14948,105
Daviess CountyMetro$840$846$1,110$1,466$1,470-1.6%$1,138102,916
McLean CountyMetro$840$846$1,110$1,466$1,470-1.6%$1,1389,173
Calloway CountyRural$785$837$1,098$1,317$1,454+2.6%$1,15537,345
Franklin CountyRural$747$859$1,083$1,410$1,680+1.8%$1,14551,475
Meade CountyMetro$814$819$1,075$1,463$1,680-3.2%$1,05229,964
Ballard CountyMetro$800$817$1,072$1,285$1,640+15.1%$1,1807,742
McCracken CountyMetro$729$851$1,058$1,269$1,775+4.6%$1,13167,573
Hardin CountyMetro$841$846$1,056$1,469$1,771-1.8%$1,087111,005
Larue CountyMetro$841$846$1,056$1,469$1,771-1.8%$1,08714,902
Simpson CountyRural$754$872$1,055$1,405$1,473+3.2%$1,12219,574
Anderson CountyRural$745$951$1,042$1,323$1,454+4.4%$1,12123,839
Hancock CountyRural$769$774$1,016$1,345$1,347-9.9%$9629,058
Nelson CountyMetro$770$781$1,016$1,360$1,704+11.2%$1,02246,779
Trimble CountyRural$715$780$1,001$1,320$1,325+11.3%$1,1758,510
Allen CountyMetro$759$759$996$1,224$1,520+1.0%$1,01920,773
Owen CountyRural$711$758$995$1,329$1,389+4.8%$1,02211,229
Pike CountyRural$698$745$977$1,171$1,552-0.4%$1,09558,196
Carroll CountyRural$696$746$974$1,168$1,290+7.3%$1,07210,842
Boyd CountyMetro$848$853$973$1,249$1,410+0.2%$1,00648,242
Greenup CountyMetro$848$853$973$1,249$1,410+0.2%$1,00635,853
Perry CountyRural$685$731$959$1,150$1,270+1.8%$1,01028,136
Henderson CountyRural$711$764$949$1,220$1,414-10.0%$90944,770
Lee CountyRural$671$740$939$1,126$1,311+8.3%$9967,338
Washington CountyRural$664$708$929$1,226$1,323+0.4%$93912,025
Lawrence CountyMetro$715$720$926$1,110$1,341+5.1%$97116,228
Pulaski CountyRural$662$706$926$1,110$1,355-1.4%$92465,145
Todd CountyRural$656$700$918$1,151$1,351+5.9%$1,05412,281
Carlisle CountyMetro$683$717$915$1,173$1,399+4.3%$9324,782
Boyle CountyRural$693$698$913$1,200$1,351+4.7%$92530,613
Mason CountyRural$629$764$913$1,111$1,274+1.6%$1,00117,068
Rowan CountyRural$628$735$911$1,156$1,528+4.0%$97724,551
Union CountyRural$651$694$911$1,092$1,206+3.1%$97113,495
Montgomery CountyRural$647$690$905$1,194$1,198+4.4%$1,00428,188
Floyd CountyRural$646$689$904$1,109$1,212+0.1%$92535,780
Madison CountyRural$666$785$904$1,257$1,416-4.2%$99392,955
Garrard CountyRural$643$821$900$1,156$1,285+0.1%$94117,175
Hopkins CountyRural$662$686$900$1,163$1,330-2.1%$95945,223
Marshall CountyRural$632$772$884$1,191$1,269-0.9%$91831,706
Laurel CountyRural$607$676$881$1,068$1,213-0.9%$94362,442
Barren CountyRural$657$662$868$1,102$1,280-0.6%$91644,511
Adair CountyRural$619$683$866$1,204$1,246-0.1%$90918,887
Bath CountyRural$619$668$866$1,124$1,360-0.1%$90912,739
Bell CountyRural$597$790$866$1,133$1,294-0.1%$90924,248
Breathitt CountyRural$619$714$866$1,204$1,259-0.1%$90913,580
Breckinridge CountyRural$686$690$866$1,204$1,209-0.1%$90920,528
Butler CountyMetro$660$660$866$1,204$1,232-0.1%$90912,365
Caldwell CountyRural$619$714$866$1,038$1,209-0.1%$90912,635
Carter CountyMetro$698$703$866$1,204$1,254-0.1%$90926,671
Casey CountyRural$619$790$866$1,038$1,169-0.1%$90915,942
Clay CountyRural$662$759$866$1,176$1,308-0.1%$90920,322
Clinton CountyRural$619$660$866$1,041$1,209-0.1%$9099,295
Crittenden CountyRural$619$660$866$1,038$1,209-0.1%$9098,979
Cumberland CountyRural$619$701$866$1,204$1,209-0.1%$9095,974
Elliott CountyRural$619$683$866$1,081$1,209-0.1%$9097,378
Estill CountyRural$619$790$866$1,120$1,259-0.1%$90914,138
Fleming CountyRural$619$703$866$1,142$1,147-0.1%$90915,111
Fulton CountyRural$619$660$866$1,204$1,453-0.1%$9096,480
Graves CountyRural$619$660$866$1,204$1,311-0.1%$90936,701
Grayson CountyRural$708$712$866$1,200$1,209-0.1%$90926,465
Green CountyRural$619$790$866$1,142$1,147-0.1%$90911,198
Harlan CountyRural$694$699$866$1,142$1,147-0.1%$90926,589
Harrison CountyRural$619$790$866$1,204$1,214-0.1%$90918,803
Hart CountyRural$619$747$866$1,077$1,198-0.1%$90919,345
Hickman CountyRural$619$660$866$1,142$1,147-0.1%$9094,491
Jackson CountyRural$619$660$866$1,204$1,209-0.1%$90913,002
Johnson CountyRural$619$696$866$1,154$1,280-0.1%$90922,631
Knott CountyRural$619$683$866$1,038$1,209-0.1%$98314,282
Knox CountyRural$619$745$866$1,038$1,453-0.1%$90930,207
Leslie CountyRural$619$790$866$1,204$1,209-0.1%$90910,468
Letcher CountyRural$619$759$866$1,166$1,316-0.1%$90921,490
Lewis CountyRural$619$660$866$1,136$1,209-0.1%$90913,063
Lincoln CountyRural$619$753$866$1,038$1,147-0.1%$90924,320
Logan CountyRural$632$660$866$1,178$1,311-0.1%$91327,498
Lyon CountyRural$619$660$866$1,204$1,453-0.1%$9098,721
McCreary CountyRural$619$790$866$1,069$1,209-0.1%$90916,892
Magoffin CountyRural$619$790$866$1,038$1,209-0.1%$90911,647
Marion CountyRural$619$660$866$1,093$1,300-0.1%$90919,627
Martin CountyRural$619$683$866$1,081$1,209-0.1%$90911,298
Menifee CountyRural$619$683$866$1,110$1,209-0.1%$9096,174
Mercer CountyRural$619$660$866$1,204$1,453-0.1%$90922,662
Metcalfe CountyRural$619$755$866$1,081$1,209-0.1%$90910,313
Monroe CountyRural$619$660$866$1,204$1,209-0.1%$90911,331
Morgan CountyRural$619$660$866$1,204$1,272-0.1%$90913,840
Muhlenberg CountyRural$619$660$866$1,038$1,224-0.1%$90930,735
Nicholas CountyRural$619$696$866$1,204$1,311-0.1%$9097,613
Ohio CountyRural$619$660$866$1,043$1,218-0.1%$90923,782
Owsley CountyRural$619$683$866$1,115$1,209-0.1%$9094,054
Powell CountyRural$619$660$866$1,204$1,453-0.1%$90913,089
Robertson CountyRural$619$660$866$1,081$1,209-0.1%$9092,207
Rockcastle CountyRural$619$741$866$1,126$1,209-0.1%$90916,171
Russell CountyRural$619$660$866$1,038$1,147-0.1%$90918,021
Taylor CountyRural$619$790$866$1,204$1,209-0.1%$90926,056
Wayne CountyRural$619$677$866$1,204$1,453-0.1%$90919,666
Webster CountyRural$619$660$866$1,115$1,209-0.1%$90912,951
Whitley CountyRural$619$660$866$1,038$1,157-0.1%$90936,648
Wolfe CountyRural$619$683$866$1,081$1,209-0.1%$9096,573

120 counties. HUD publishes studio through 4 bedroom rates. Tap a county for payment standards, ZIP-level rates and income needed.

Questions people ask

It depends on the county. For FY 2026 the median two-bedroom FMR across Kentucky's 120 counties is $900, ranging from $866 in Wolfe County to $1,353 in Boone County. Every county's full table is linked on this page.

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