HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Jefferson County, Kentucky (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Jefferson County is $1,276 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,276
+0.3% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,148–$1,404
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$51,040
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Kentucky
17th 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 | $976 | $878–$1,074 | $39,040 | $18.77/hr | +1.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,058 | $952–$1,164 | $42,320 | $20.35/hr | +1.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,276 | $1,148–$1,404 | $51,040 | $24.54/hr | +0.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,629 | $1,466–$1,792 | $65,160 | $31.33/hr | +0.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,874 | $1,687–$2,061 | $74,960 | $36.04/hr | -0.9% |
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 | $2,155 | $1,940–$2,371 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,436 | $2,192–$2,680 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,717 | $2,445–$2,989 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,998 | $2,698–$3,298 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Louisville are asking $1,143. HUD says $1,276.
That's 10% below the county FMR. Median asking rent across 16 Louisville ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
No card needed
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 Jefferson somewhere between $1,148 and $1,404. 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.
$1,276 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $51,040 a year. Put another way, $25 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%$1,148 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,276 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,404 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $398 | $526 | $654 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $76 | $204 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 0% from FY 2026 ($1,272) to FY 2027 ($1,276). Since FY 2020 it's up 46% in total, about 5.6% 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 | $614 | $713 | $872 | $1,174 | $1,331 | — |
| FY 2021 | $649 | $760 | $918 | $1,229 | $1,408 | +5.3% |
| FY 2022 | $690 | $800 | $960 | $1,279 | $1,468 | +4.6% |
| FY 2023 | $776 | $876 | $1,052 | $1,395 | $1,602 | +9.6% |
| FY 2024 | $976 | $1,077 | $1,301 | $1,701 | $1,955 | +23.7% |
| FY 2025 | $1,003 | $1,094 | $1,330 | $1,714 | $1,989 | +2.2% |
| FY 2026 | $966 | $1,047 | $1,272 | $1,625 | $1,891 | -4.4% |
| FY 2027In effect | $976 | $1,058 | $1,276 | $1,629 | $1,874 | +0.3% |
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 Jefferson, that runs from $976 for a studio up to $1,874 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 Jefferson in with 7 other counties in the Louisville metro, Clark County, Bullitt County, Floyd County among them, and every one of them gets $1,276 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, Jefferson ranks 17th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 38% above the state median of $925 and about 20% above the national median county at $1,063. About 783,022 people live here, 1st in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,030 in 40203 (Louisville) and $1,910 in 40059 (Prospect), with the 57 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40018 | Eastwood | $1,300 | +1.9% |
| 40023 | Fisherville | $1,540 | +20.7% |
| 40025 | Glenview | $1,530 | +19.9% |
| 40027 | Harrods Creek | $1,300 | +1.9% |
| 40041 | Masonic Home | $1,160 | -9.1% |
| 40059 | Prospect | $1,910 | +49.7% |
| 40118 | Fairdale | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 40201 | Louisville | $1,300 | +1.9% |
| 40202 | Louisville | $1,400 | +9.7% |
| 40203 | Louisville | $1,030 | -19.3% |
| 40204 | Louisville | $1,430 | +12.1% |
| 40205 | Louisville | $1,340 | +5.0% |
| 40206 | Louisville | $1,440 | +12.9% |
| 40207 | Louisville | $1,550 | +21.5% |
| 40208 | Louisville | $1,090 | -14.6% |
| 40209 | Louisville | $1,130 | -11.4% |
| 40210 | Louisville | $1,130 | -11.4% |
| 40211 | Louisville | $1,110 | -13.0% |
| 40212 | Louisville | $1,140 | -10.7% |
| 40213 | Louisville | $1,110 | -13.0% |
| 40214 | Louisville | $1,170 | -8.3% |
| 40215 | Louisville | $1,220 | -4.4% |
| 40216 | Louisville | $1,070 | -16.1% |
| 40217 | Louisville | $1,350 | +5.8% |
| 40218 | Louisville | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 40219 | Louisville | $1,230 | -3.6% |
| 40220 | Louisville | $1,440 | +12.9% |
| 40221 | Louisville | $1,300 | +1.9% |
| 40222 | Louisville | $1,530 | +19.9% |
| 40223 | Louisville | $1,660 | +30.1% |
| 40224 | Louisville | $1,276County rate | — |
| 40225 | Louisville | $1,276County rate | — |
| 40228 | Louisville | $1,580 | +23.8% |
| 40229 | Louisville | $1,480 | +16.0% |
| 40231 | Louisville | $1,300 | +1.9% |
| 40232 | Louisville | $1,300 | +1.9% |
| 40233 | Louisville | $1,300 | +1.9% |
| 40241 | Louisville | $1,640 | +28.5% |
| 40242 | Louisville | $1,450 | +13.6% |
| 40243 | Louisville | $1,480 | +16.0% |
Counties sharing the Louisville metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,276 two-bedroom figure as Jefferson.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Jefferson.
Bullitt County
15 mi · 84,027 people
$1,276
same rate
Oldham County
17 mi · 69,257 people
$1,276
same rate
Shelby County
25 mi · 49,096 people
$1,149
-10%
Spencer County
25 mi · 20,193 people
$1,276
same rate
Nelson County
31 mi · 47,606 people
$1,022
-20%
Henry County
33 mi · 15,856 people
$1,276
same rate
Meade County
34 mi · 30,158 people
$1,052
-18%
Trimble County
35 mi · 8,550 people
$1,175
-8%
Questions people ask
$1,276 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $976 for a studio, $1,058 for one bedroom, $1,629 for three and $1,874 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 Jefferson actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Jefferson for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.