HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Boone County, Kentucky (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Boone County is $1,353 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,353
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,218 to $1,488
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$54,120
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Kentucky
1st of 120
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Boone moves to $1,442. That's up 7%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Boone actually rent for?
Search any address in Boone for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $958 | $862 to $1,054 | $38,320 | $18.42/hr | +8.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,051 | $946 to $1,156 | $42,040 | $20.21/hr | +5.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,353 | $1,218 to $1,488 | $54,120 | $26.02/hr | +5.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,785 | $1,607 to $1,964 | $71,400 | $34.33/hr | +4.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,976 | $1,778 to $2,174 | $79,040 | $38.00/hr | +4.8% |
5 to 8 bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $2,272 | $2,045 to $2,499 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,569 | $2,312 to $2,826 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,865 | $2,579 to $3,152 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,162 | $2,846 to $3,478 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Boone, that runs from $958 for a studio up to $1,976 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Boone in with 11 other counties in the Cincinnati metro, Hamilton County, Butler County, Warren County among them, and every one of them gets $1,353 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among Kentucky's 120 counties, Boone ranks 1st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 50% above the state median of $900 and about 33% above the national median county at $1,018. About 136,150 people live here, 4th in the state.
Counties sharing the Cincinnati metro rate
Hamilton County
$1,353OH · pop 827,671
Butler County
$1,353OH · pop 388,327
Warren County
$1,353OH · pop 243,189
Clermont County
$1,353OH · pop 208,851
Kenton County
$1,353KY · pop 169,066
Campbell County
$1,353KY · pop 93,122
Dearborn County
$1,353IN · pop 50,709
Pendleton County
$1,353KY · pop 14,638
Gallatin County
$1,353KY · pop 8,720
Bracken County
$1,353KY · pop 8,420
Ohio County
$1,353IN · pop 5,974
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,270 in 41092 (Verona) and $2,030 in 41091 (Union), with the 8 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Boone somewhere between $1,218 and $1,488. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$1,353 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $54,120 a year. Put another way, $26 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($1,218) | HAP at 100% ($1,353) | HAP at 110% ($1,488) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $468 | $603 | $738 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $18 | $153 | $288 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2025 ($1,287) to FY 2026 ($1,353). Since FY 2020 it's up 56% in total, about 7.7% a year. The Kentucky median moved up 3% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $568 | $658 | $865 | $1,185 | $1,362 | — |
| FY 2021 | $604 | $698 | $916 | $1,244 | $1,425 | +5.9% |
| FY 2022 | $643 | $742 | $968 | $1,302 | $1,483 | +5.7% |
| FY 2023 | $731 | $839 | $1,093 | $1,464 | $1,645 | +12.9% |
| FY 2024 | $810 | $919 | $1,195 | $1,588 | $1,766 | +9.3% |
| FY 2025 | $883 | $993 | $1,287 | $1,707 | $1,885 | +7.7% |
| FY 2026 | $958 | $1,051 | $1,353 | $1,785 | $1,976 | +5.1% |
| FY 2027 | $1,052 | $1,128 | $1,442 | $1,897 | $2,141 | +6.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,353 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $958 for a studio, $1,051 for one bedroom, $1,785 for three and $1,976 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent.
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords.
Rent affordability calculator
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in Boone actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Boone for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.