HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Jefferson County, Kentucky (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Jefferson County is $1,272 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,272
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,145 to $1,399
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$50,880
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Kentucky
14th of 120
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Jefferson moves to $1,276. That's unchanged. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Louisville are asking $1,125. HUD says $1,272.
That's 12% 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.
Comps for a specific address
A rent estimate built from nearby listings, next to the HUD number.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $966 | $869 to $1,063 | $38,640 | $18.58/hr | -3.7% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,047 | $942 to $1,152 | $41,880 | $20.13/hr | -4.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,272 | $1,145 to $1,399 | $50,880 | $24.46/hr | -4.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,625 | $1,463 to $1,788 | $65,000 | $31.25/hr | -5.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,891 | $1,702 to $2,080 | $75,640 | $36.37/hr | -4.9% |
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 | $2,175 | $1,958 to $2,393 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,458 | $2,212 to $2,704 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,742 | $2,468 to $3,016 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,026 | $2,723 to $3,329 |
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 Jefferson, that runs from $966 for a studio up to $1,891 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 $1,272 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 14th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 41% above the state median of $900 and about 25% above the national median county at $1,018. About 779,232 people live here, 1st in the state.
Counties sharing the Louisville metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,080 in 40208 (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 | $1,290 | +1.4% |
| 40023 | Fisherville | $1,710 | +34.4% |
| 40025 | Glenview | $1,490 | +17.1% |
| 40027 | Harrods Creek | $1,290 | +1.4% |
| 40041 | Masonic Home | $1,170 | -8.0% |
| 40059 | Prospect | $1,910 | +50.2% |
| 40118 | Fairdale | $1,320 | +3.8% |
| 40201 | Louisville | $1,290 | +1.4% |
| 40202 | Louisville | $1,390 | +9.3% |
| 40203 | Louisville | $1,100 | -13.5% |
| 40204 | Louisville | $1,430 | +12.4% |
| 40205 | Louisville | $1,340 | +5.3% |
| 40206 | Louisville | $1,400 | +10.1% |
| 40207 | Louisville | $1,570 | +23.4% |
| 40208 | Louisville | $1,080 | -15.1% |
| 40209 | Louisville | $1,150 | -9.6% |
| 40210 | Louisville | $1,150 | -9.6% |
| 40211 | Louisville | $1,110 | -12.7% |
| 40212 | Louisville | $1,080 | -15.1% |
| 40213 | Louisville | $1,140 | -10.4% |
| 40214 | Louisville | $1,180 | -7.2% |
| 40215 | Louisville | $1,220 | -4.1% |
| 40216 | Louisville | $1,080 | -15.1% |
| 40217 | Louisville | $1,360 | +6.9% |
| 40218 | Louisville | $1,300 | +2.2% |
| 40219 | Louisville | $1,230 | -3.3% |
| 40220 | Louisville | $1,460 | +14.8% |
| 40221 | Louisville | $1,290 | +1.4% |
| 40222 | Louisville | $1,490 | +17.1% |
| 40223 | Louisville | $1,640 | +28.9% |
| 40224 | Louisville | $1,272County rate | — |
| 40225 | Louisville | $1,272County rate | — |
| 40228 | Louisville | $1,600 | +25.8% |
| 40229 | Louisville | $1,490 | +17.1% |
| 40231 | Louisville | $1,290 | +1.4% |
| 40232 | Louisville | $1,290 | +1.4% |
| 40233 | Louisville | $1,290 | +1.4% |
| 40241 | Louisville | $1,670 | +31.3% |
| 40242 | Louisville | $1,470 | +15.6% |
| 40243 | Louisville | $1,490 | +17.1% |
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 $1,145 and $1,399. 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.
$1,272 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $50,880 a year. Put another way, $24 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% ($1,145) | HAP at 100% ($1,272) | HAP at 110% ($1,399) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $395 | $522 | $649 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $72 | $199 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 4% from FY 2025 ($1,330) to FY 2026 ($1,272). Since FY 2020 it's up 46% in total, about 6.5% 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 | $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 2027 | $976 | $1,058 | $1,276 | $1,629 | $1,874 | +0.3% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,272 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $966 for a studio, $1,047 for one bedroom, $1,625 for three and $1,891 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 Jefferson actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Jefferson for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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