HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Bourbon County, Kentucky (FY 2026)
$1,272 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Bourbon County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Bourbon is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,272
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,145 to $1,399
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$50,880
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Kentucky
9th of 120
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Bourbon moves to $1,416. That's up 11%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Bourbon actually rent for?
Search any address in Bourbon 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 | $883 | $795 to $971 | $35,320 | $16.98/hr | +10.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,079 | $971 to $1,187 | $43,160 | $20.75/hr | +9.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,272 | $1,145 to $1,399 | $50,880 | $24.46/hr | +9.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,743 | $1,569 to $1,917 | $69,720 | $33.52/hr | +10.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,940 | $1,746 to $2,134 | $77,600 | $37.31/hr | +8.9% |
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 | $2,231 | $2,008 to $2,454 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,522 | $2,270 to $2,774 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,813 | $2,532 to $3,094 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,104 | $2,794 to $3,414 |
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 Bourbon, that runs from $883 for a studio up to $1,940 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 Bourbon in with 5 other counties in the Lexington-Fayette metro, Fayette County, Scott County, Jessamine County among them, and every one of them gets $1,272 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, Bourbon ranks 9th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 41% above the state median of $900 and about 25% above the national median county at $1,018. About 20,228 people live here, 57th in the state.
Counties sharing the Lexington-Fayette metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs by ZIP code. For the 3 ZIP codes it covers in Bourbon, the two-bedroom rate is $1,050 across the board, so there's no ZIP-level story here.
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 Bourbon somewhere between $1,145 and $1,399. 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.
$1,272 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $50,880 a year. Put another way, $24 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% ($1,145) | HAP at 100% ($1,272) | HAP at 110% ($1,399) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $395 | $522 | $649 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $72 | $199 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 9% from FY 2025 ($1,165) to FY 2026 ($1,272). Since FY 2020 it's up 48% in total, about 6.8% 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 | $597 | $678 | $858 | $1,189 | $1,496 | — |
| FY 2021 | $630 | $728 | $910 | $1,256 | $1,531 | +6.1% |
| FY 2022 | $632 | $741 | $912 | $1,256 | $1,496 | +0.2% |
| FY 2023 | $706 | $845 | $1,025 | $1,396 | $1,615 | +12.4% |
| FY 2024 | $802 | $983 | $1,177 | $1,599 | $1,807 | +14.8% |
| FY 2025 | $799 | $982 | $1,165 | $1,583 | $1,781 | -1.0% |
| FY 2026 | $883 | $1,079 | $1,272 | $1,743 | $1,940 | +9.2% |
| FY 2027 | $986 | $1,205 | $1,416 | $1,948 | $2,108 | +11.3% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,272 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $883 for a studio, $1,079 for one bedroom, $1,743 for three and $1,940 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 Bourbon actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Bourbon for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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