HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Hopkins County, Kentucky (FY 2026)
$900 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Hopkins County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Hopkins is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$900
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$810 to $990
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$36,000
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Kentucky
61st of 120
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Hopkins moves to $959. 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 Hopkins actually rent for?
Search any address in Hopkins 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 | $662 | $596 to $728 | $26,480 | $12.73/hr | +0.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $686 | $617 to $755 | $27,440 | $13.19/hr | -2.0% |
| 2 bedroom | $900 | $810 to $990 | $36,000 | $17.31/hr | -2.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,163 | $1,047 to $1,279 | $46,520 | $22.37/hr | -0.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,330 | $1,197 to $1,463 | $53,200 | $25.58/hr | +1.5% |
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 | $1,530 | $1,377 to $1,683 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,729 | $1,556 to $1,902 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,929 | $1,736 to $2,122 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,128 | $1,915 to $2,341 |
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 Hopkins, that runs from $662 for a studio up to $1,330 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Hopkins 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, Dawson Springs included.
Among Kentucky's 120 counties, Hopkins ranks 61st for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $900 and about 12% below the national median county at $1,018. About 45,223 people live here, 23rd 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 42410 (Earlington) and $1,110 in 42408 (Dawson Springs), with the 10 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 Hopkins somewhere between $810 and $990. 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.
$900 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $36,000 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% ($810) | HAP at 100% ($900) | HAP at 110% ($990) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $60 | $150 | $240 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 2% from FY 2025 ($919) to FY 2026 ($900). Since FY 2020 it's up 38% in total, about 5.5% 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 | $463 | $494 | $651 | $878 | $941 | — |
| FY 2021 | $523 | $531 | $700 | $943 | $996 | +7.5% |
| FY 2022 | $473 | $534 | $702 | $944 | $1,054 | +0.3% |
| FY 2023 | $551 | $622 | $819 | $1,072 | $1,183 | +16.7% |
| FY 2024 | $628 | $695 | $913 | $1,176 | $1,319 | +11.5% |
| FY 2025 | $657 | $700 | $919 | $1,172 | $1,310 | +0.7% |
| FY 2026 | $662 | $686 | $900 | $1,163 | $1,330 | -2.1% |
| FY 2027 | $701 | $733 | $959 | $1,249 | $1,405 | +6.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$900 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $662 for a studio, $686 for one bedroom, $1,163 for three and $1,330 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 Hopkins actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Hopkins for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.