HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Carroll County, Kentucky (FY 2026)
$974 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Carroll County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Carroll is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$974
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$877 to $1,071
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$38,960
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Kentucky
42nd of 120
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Carroll moves to $1,072. That's up 10%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Carroll actually rent for?
Search any address in Carroll 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 | $696 | $626 to $766 | $27,840 | $13.38/hr | +6.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $746 | $671 to $821 | $29,840 | $14.35/hr | -2.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $974 | $877 to $1,071 | $38,960 | $18.73/hr | +7.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,168 | $1,051 to $1,285 | $46,720 | $22.46/hr | +2.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,290 | $1,161 to $1,419 | $51,600 | $24.81/hr | +1.3% |
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 | $1,484 | $1,336 to $1,632 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,677 | $1,509 to $1,845 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,871 | $1,684 to $2,058 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,064 | $1,858 to $2,270 |
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 Carroll, that runs from $696 for a studio up to $1,290 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Carroll sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Carrollton included.
Among Kentucky's 120 counties, Carroll ranks 42nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 8% above the state median of $900 and about 4% below the national median county at $1,018. About 10,842 people live here, 97th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $970 in 41008 (Carrollton) and $1,140 in 41083 (Sanders), with the 4 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 Carroll somewhere between $877 and $1,071. 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.
$974 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $38,960 a year. Put another way, $19 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% ($877) | HAP at 100% ($974) | HAP at 110% ($1,071) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $127 | $224 | $321 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 7% from FY 2025 ($908) to FY 2026 ($974). Since FY 2020 it's up 51% in total, about 7.1% 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 | $458 | $527 | $644 | $871 | $874 | — |
| FY 2021 | $475 | $582 | $663 | $898 | $901 | +3.0% |
| FY 2022 | $482 | $592 | $674 | $957 | $1,047 | +1.7% |
| FY 2023 | $538 | $657 | $742 | $1,055 | $1,192 | +10.1% |
| FY 2024 | $616 | $757 | $850 | $1,198 | $1,329 | +14.6% |
| FY 2025 | $653 | $761 | $908 | $1,139 | $1,273 | +6.8% |
| FY 2026 | $696 | $746 | $974 | $1,168 | $1,290 | +7.3% |
| FY 2027 | $766 | $819 | $1,072 | $1,277 | $1,409 | +10.1% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$974 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $696 for a studio, $746 for one bedroom, $1,168 for three and $1,290 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 Carroll actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Carroll for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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