HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Harlan County, Kentucky (FY 2026)
$866 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Harlan County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Harlan is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$866
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$779 to $953
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$34,640
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Kentucky
85th of 120
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Harlan moves to $909. That's up 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Harlan actually rent for?
Search any address in Harlan 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 | $694 | $625 to $763 | $27,760 | $13.35/hr | +11.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $699 | $629 to $769 | $27,960 | $13.44/hr | +2.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $866 | $779 to $953 | $34,640 | $16.65/hr | -0.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,142 | $1,028 to $1,256 | $45,680 | $21.96/hr | +1.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,147 | $1,032 to $1,262 | $45,880 | $22.06/hr | -0.2% |
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 | $1,319 | $1,187 to $1,451 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,491 | $1,342 to $1,640 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,663 | $1,497 to $1,829 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,835 | $1,652 to $2,019 |
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 Harlan, that runs from $694 for a studio up to $1,147 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Harlan 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, Ages Brookside included.
Among Kentucky's 120 counties, Harlan ranks 85th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 4% below the state median of $900 and about 15% below the national median county at $1,018. About 26,589 people live here, 42nd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $870 in 40801 (Ages Brookside) and $1,090 in 40828 (Evarts), with the 26 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.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40801 | Ages Brookside | $870 | +0.5% |
| 40806 | Baxter | $920 | +6.2% |
| 40807 | Benham | $870 | +0.5% |
| 40808 | Big Laurel | $870 | +0.5% |
| 40810 | Bledsoe | $870 | +0.5% |
| 40815 | Cawood | $870 | +0.5% |
| 40818 | Coalgood | $1,000 | +15.5% |
| 40819 | Coldiron | $870 | +0.5% |
| 40820 | Cranks | $950 | +9.7% |
| 40823 | Cumberland | $870 | +0.5% |
| 40824 | Dayhoit | $870 | +0.5% |
| 40828 | Evarts | $1,090 | +25.9% |
| 40829 | Grays Knob | $870 | +0.5% |
| 40830 | Gulston | $870 | +0.5% |
| 40831 | Harlan | $870 | +0.5% |
| 40843 | Holmes Mill | $900 | +3.9% |
| 40847 | Kenvir | $1,090 | +25.9% |
| 40849 | Lejunior | $1,090 | +25.9% |
| 40854 | Loyall | $870 | +0.5% |
| 40855 | Lynch | $990 | +14.3% |
| 40863 | Pathfork | $910 | +5.1% |
| 40865 | Putney | $910 | +5.1% |
| 40870 | Totz | $870 | +0.5% |
| 40873 | Wallins Creek | $1,020 | +17.8% |
| 40927 | Closplint | $870 | +0.5% |
| 40964 | Mary Alice | $870 | +0.5% |
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 Harlan somewhere between $779 and $953. 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.
$866 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $34,640 a year. Put another way, $17 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% ($779) | HAP at 100% ($866) | HAP at 110% ($953) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $29 | $116 | $203 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 0% from FY 2025 ($867) to FY 2026 ($866). Since FY 2020 it's up 37% in total, about 5.4% 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 | $439 | $519 | $631 | $866 | $870 | — |
| FY 2021 | $437 | $548 | $663 | $943 | $947 | +5.1% |
| FY 2022 | $469 | $548 | $674 | $957 | $999 | +1.7% |
| FY 2023 | $538 | $593 | $742 | $993 | $1,150 | +10.1% |
| FY 2024 | $616 | $673 | $850 | $1,130 | $1,185 | +14.6% |
| FY 2025 | $624 | $685 | $867 | $1,129 | $1,149 | +2.0% |
| FY 2026 | $694 | $699 | $866 | $1,142 | $1,147 | -0.1% |
| FY 2027 | $691 | $749 | $909 | $1,190 | $1,195 | +5.0% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$866 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $694 for a studio, $699 for one bedroom, $1,142 for three and $1,147 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 Harlan actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Harlan for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.