HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Marion County, Kentucky (FY 2026)
$866 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Marion County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Marion is measured against.
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
101st of 120
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Marion 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 Marion actually rent for?
Search any address in Marion 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 | $660 | $594 to $726 | $26,400 | $12.69/hr | -0.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $866 | $779 to $953 | $34,640 | $16.65/hr | -0.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,093 | $984 to $1,202 | $43,720 | $21.02/hr | +1.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,300 | $1,170 to $1,430 | $52,000 | $25.00/hr | +13.1% |
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 | $1,495 | $1,346 to $1,645 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,690 | $1,521 to $1,859 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,885 | $1,697 to $2,074 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,080 | $1,872 to $2,288 |
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 Marion, that runs from $619 for a studio up to $1,300 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Marion 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, Bradfordsville included.
Among Kentucky's 120 counties, Marion ranks 101st 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 19,627 people live here, 59th 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 40009 (Bradfordsville) and $970 in 40060 (Raywick), 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 Marion 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 36% in total, about 5.2% 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 | $453 | $560 | $638 | $795 | $915 | — |
| FY 2021 | $491 | $571 | $685 | $852 | $929 | +7.4% |
| FY 2022 | $504 | $539 | $704 | $870 | $955 | +2.8% |
| FY 2023 | $598 | $602 | $793 | $965 | $1,065 | +12.6% |
| FY 2024 | $656 | $660 | $867 | $1,052 | $1,155 | +9.3% |
| FY 2025 | $624 | $661 | $867 | $1,076 | $1,149 | 0.0% |
| FY 2026 | $619 | $660 | $866 | $1,093 | $1,300 | -0.1% |
| FY 2027 | $650 | $736 | $909 | $1,139 | $1,482 | +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, $660 for one bedroom, $1,093 for three and $1,300 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 Marion actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Marion for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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