HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Laurel County, Kentucky (FY 2026)
$881 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Laurel County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Laurel is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$881
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$793 to $969
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$35,240
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Kentucky
63rd of 120
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Laurel moves to $943. 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 Laurel actually rent for?
Search any address in Laurel 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 | $607 | $546 to $668 | $24,280 | $11.67/hr | -0.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $676 | $608 to $744 | $27,040 | $13.00/hr | -0.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $881 | $793 to $969 | $35,240 | $16.94/hr | -0.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,068 | $961 to $1,175 | $42,720 | $20.54/hr | -4.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,213 | $1,092 to $1,334 | $48,520 | $23.33/hr | +0.6% |
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 | $1,395 | $1,256 to $1,535 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,577 | $1,419 to $1,735 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,759 | $1,583 to $1,935 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,941 | $1,747 to $2,135 |
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 Laurel, that runs from $607 for a studio up to $1,213 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Laurel 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, London included.
Among Kentucky's 120 counties, Laurel ranks 63rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 2% below the state median of $900 and about 13% below the national median county at $1,018. About 62,442 people live here, 15th 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 40737 (Keavy) and $900 in 40741 (London), with the 8 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 Laurel somewhere between $793 and $969. 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.
$881 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $35,240 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% ($793) | HAP at 100% ($881) | HAP at 110% ($969) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $43 | $131 | $219 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 1% from FY 2025 ($889) to FY 2026 ($881). Since FY 2020 it's up 37% in total, about 5.4% 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 | $457 | $538 | $643 | $865 | $970 | — |
| FY 2021 | $545 | $552 | $671 | $880 | $965 | +4.4% |
| FY 2022 | $521 | $555 | $681 | $892 | $939 | +1.5% |
| FY 2023 | $558 | $590 | $769 | $992 | $1,063 | +12.9% |
| FY 2024 | $595 | $665 | $874 | $1,123 | $1,207 | +13.7% |
| FY 2025 | $610 | $678 | $889 | $1,118 | $1,206 | +1.7% |
| FY 2026 | $607 | $676 | $881 | $1,068 | $1,213 | -0.9% |
| FY 2027 | $674 | $749 | $943 | $1,124 | $1,315 | +7.0% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$881 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $607 for a studio, $676 for one bedroom, $1,068 for three and $1,213 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 Laurel actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Laurel for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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