HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Letcher County, Kentucky (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Letcher County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $866 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Letcher keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$866
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$779 to $953
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$34,640
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Kentucky
94th of 120
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Letcher moves to $909. That's up 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Letcher actually rent for?
Search any address in Letcher 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 | $619 | $557 to $681 | $24,760 | $11.90/hr | -0.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $759 | $683 to $835 | $30,360 | $14.60/hr | +0.5% |
| 2 bedroom | $866 | $779 to $953 | $34,640 | $16.65/hr | -0.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,166 | $1,049 to $1,283 | $46,640 | $22.42/hr | -4.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,316 | $1,184 to $1,448 | $52,640 | $25.31/hr | -1.6% |
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 | $1,513 | $1,362 to $1,664 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,711 | $1,540 to $1,882 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,908 | $1,717 to $2,099 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,106 | $1,895 to $2,317 |
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 Letcher, that runs from $619 for a studio up to $1,316 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Letcher 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, Eolia included.
Among Kentucky's 120 counties, Letcher ranks 94th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 4% below the state median of $900 and about 15% below the national median county at $1,018. About 21,490 people live here, 53rd 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 40862 (Partridge) and $910 in 40826 (Eolia), with the 24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40826 | Eolia | $910 | +5.1% |
| 40862 | Partridge | $870 | +0.5% |
| 41517 | Burdine | $870 | +0.5% |
| 41537 | Jenkins | $890 | +2.8% |
| 41804 | Blackey | $870 | +0.5% |
| 41810 | Cromona | $870 | +0.5% |
| 41812 | Deane | $890 | +2.8% |
| 41815 | Ermine | $870 | +0.5% |
| 41819 | Gordon | $870 | +0.5% |
| 41821 | Hallie | $870 | +0.5% |
| 41824 | Isom | $870 | +0.5% |
| 41825 | Jackhorn | $910 | +5.1% |
| 41826 | Jeremiah | $870 | +0.5% |
| 41832 | Letcher | $870 | +0.5% |
| 41833 | Linefork | $870 | +0.5% |
| 41835 | Mc Roberts | $890 | +2.8% |
| 41837 | Mayking | $870 | +0.5% |
| 41838 | Millstone | $870 | +0.5% |
| 41840 | Neon | $870 | +0.5% |
| 41845 | Premium | $870 | +0.5% |
| 41848 | Roxana | $870 | +0.5% |
| 41849 | Seco | $870 | +0.5% |
| 41855 | Thornton | $870 | +0.5% |
| 41858 | Whitesburg | $870 | +0.5% |
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 Letcher somewhere between $779 and $953. 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.
$866 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $34,640 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% ($779) | HAP at 100% ($866) | HAP at 110% ($953) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $29 | $116 | $203 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 0% from FY 2025 ($867) to FY 2026 ($866). 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 | $448 | $527 | $631 | $786 | $868 | — |
| FY 2021 | $475 | $566 | $663 | $839 | $930 | +5.1% |
| FY 2022 | $482 | $568 | $674 | $891 | $964 | +1.7% |
| FY 2023 | $538 | $609 | $742 | $1,034 | $1,113 | +10.1% |
| FY 2024 | $616 | $733 | $850 | $1,198 | $1,318 | +14.6% |
| FY 2025 | $624 | $755 | $867 | $1,215 | $1,337 | +2.0% |
| FY 2026 | $619 | $759 | $866 | $1,166 | $1,316 | -0.1% |
| FY 2027 | $650 | $751 | $909 | $1,094 | $1,328 | +5.0% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$866 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $619 for a studio, $759 for one bedroom, $1,166 for three and $1,316 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 Letcher actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Letcher for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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