HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Harlan County, Kentucky (FY 2027)
$909 a month. That's HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Harlan County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Harlan is measured against.
Two-bedroom FMR
$909
+5.0% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$818–$1,000
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$36,360
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Kentucky
86th of 120
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $691 | $622–$760 | $27,640 | $13.29/hr | -0.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $749 | $674–$824 | $29,960 | $14.40/hr | +7.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $909 | $818–$1,000 | $36,360 | $17.48/hr | +5.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,190 | $1,071–$1,309 | $47,600 | $22.88/hr | +4.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,195 | $1,076–$1,315 | $47,800 | $22.98/hr | +4.2% |
Five to eight 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 | $1,374 | $1,237–$1,511 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,554 | $1,399–$1,709 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,733 | $1,560–$1,906 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,912 | $1,721–$2,103 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
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.
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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 $818 and $1,000. 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.
$909 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $36,360 a year. Put another way, $17 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$818 | Voucher pays at 100%$909 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $68 | $159 | $250 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2026 ($866) to FY 2027 ($909). Since FY 2020 it's up 44% in total, about 5.4% a year. The Kentucky median moved up 3% over the same year.
| Fiscal 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 2027In effect | $691 | $749 | $909 | $1,190 | $1,195 | +5.0% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Harlan, that runs from $691 for a studio up to $1,195 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 86th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $925 and about 14% below the national median county at $1,063. About 25,772 people live here, 44th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $910 in 40801 (Ages Brookside) and $1,160 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 | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40806 | Baxter | $940 | +3.4% |
| 40807 | Benham | $950 | +4.5% |
| 40808 | Big Laurel | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40810 | Bledsoe | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40815 | Cawood | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40818 | Coalgood | $1,060 | +16.6% |
| 40819 | Coldiron | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40820 | Cranks | $990 | +8.9% |
| 40823 | Cumberland | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40824 | Dayhoit | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40828 | Evarts | $1,160 | +27.6% |
| 40829 | Grays Knob | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40830 | Gulston | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40831 | Harlan | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40843 | Holmes Mill | $940 | +3.4% |
| 40847 | Kenvir | $1,160 | +27.6% |
| 40849 | Lejunior | $1,160 | +27.6% |
| 40854 | Loyall | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40855 | Lynch | $1,080 | +18.8% |
| 40863 | Pathfork | $950 | +4.5% |
| 40865 | Putney | $930 | +2.3% |
| 40870 | Totz | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40873 | Wallins Creek | $1,100 | +21.0% |
| 40927 | Closplint | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40964 | Mary Alice | $910 | +0.1% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Harlan.
Leslie County
18 mi · 10,079 people
$909
same rate
Bell County
24 mi · 23,509 people
$909
same rate
Perry County
28 mi · 27,499 people
$1,010
+11%
Letcher County
30 mi · 20,808 people
$909
same rate
Knox County
33 mi · 29,865 people
$909
same rate
Clay County
35 mi · 19,921 people
$909
same rate
Knott County
37 mi · 13,830 people
$983
+8%
Owsley County
44 mi · 3,971 people
$909
same rate
Questions people ask
$909 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $691 for a studio, $749 for one bedroom, $1,190 for three and $1,195 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The 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. Free to start, no card.
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