HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Knox County, Kentucky (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Knox County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $909 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Knox keys off that figure.
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
93rd 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 | $650 | $585–$715 | $26,000 | $12.50/hr | +5.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $835 | $752–$919 | $33,400 | $16.06/hr | +12.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $909 | $818–$1,000 | $36,360 | $17.48/hr | +5.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,179 | $1,061–$1,297 | $47,160 | $22.67/hr | +13.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,519 | $1,367–$1,671 | $60,760 | $29.21/hr | +4.5% |
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 | $1,747 | $1,572–$1,922 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,975 | $1,778–$2,173 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,203 | $1,983–$2,423 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,430 | $2,187–$2,673 |
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 Knox actually rent for?
Search any address in Knox 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 Knox 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 | $448 | $515 | $631 | $885 | $1,108 | — |
| FY 2021 | $475 | $507 | $663 | $925 | $1,148 | +5.1% |
| FY 2022 | $482 | $512 | $674 | $935 | $1,154 | +1.7% |
| FY 2023 | $538 | $564 | $742 | $983 | $1,264 | +10.1% |
| FY 2024 | $616 | $664 | $850 | $1,067 | $1,442 | +14.6% |
| FY 2025 | $624 | $684 | $867 | $1,045 | $1,456 | +2.0% |
| FY 2026 | $619 | $745 | $866 | $1,038 | $1,453 | -0.1% |
| FY 2027In effect | $650 | $835 | $909 | $1,179 | $1,519 | +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 Knox, that runs from $650 for a studio up to $1,519 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Knox 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, Gray included.
Among Kentucky's 120 counties, Knox ranks 93rd 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 29,865 people live here, 36th 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 40771 (Woodbine) and $940 in 40734 (Gray), with the 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40734 | Gray | $940 | +3.4% |
| 40771 | Woodbine | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40903 | Artemus | $930 | +2.3% |
| 40906 | Barbourville | $940 | +3.4% |
| 40915 | Bimble | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40921 | Bryants Store | $940 | +3.4% |
| 40923 | Cannon | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40930 | Dewitt | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40935 | Flat Lick | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40939 | Fourmile | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40943 | Girdler | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40946 | Green Road | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40949 | Heidrick | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40953 | Hinkle | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40982 | Scalf | $910 | +0.1% |
| 40995 | Trosper | $920 | +1.2% |
| 40997 | Walker | $910 | +0.1% |
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Knox.
Bell County
12 mi · 23,509 people
$909
same rate
Whitley County
15 mi · 36,920 people
$909
same rate
Clay County
22 mi · 19,921 people
$909
same rate
Laurel County
22 mi · 62,983 people
$943
+4%
Leslie County
28 mi · 10,079 people
$909
same rate
Harlan County
33 mi · 25,772 people
$909
same rate
McCreary County
37 mi · 16,867 people
$909
same rate
Jackson County
38 mi · 13,086 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 $650 for a studio, $835 for one bedroom, $1,179 for three and $1,519 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 Knox actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Knox for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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