HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Marshall County, Kentucky (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Marshall County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $884 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Marshall keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$884
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$796 to $972
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$35,360
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Kentucky
62nd of 120
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Marshall moves to $918. That's up 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Marshall actually rent for?
Search any address in Marshall 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 | $632 | $569 to $695 | $25,280 | $12.15/hr | -1.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $772 | $695 to $849 | $30,880 | $14.85/hr | +1.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $884 | $796 to $972 | $35,360 | $17.00/hr | -0.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,191 | $1,072 to $1,310 | $47,640 | $22.90/hr | +2.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,269 | $1,142 to $1,396 | $50,760 | $24.40/hr | -9.9% |
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 | $1,459 | $1,313 to $1,605 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,650 | $1,485 to $1,815 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,840 | $1,656 to $2,024 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,030 | $1,827 to $2,233 |
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 Marshall, that runs from $632 for a studio up to $1,269 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Marshall 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, Benton included.
Among Kentucky's 120 counties, Marshall ranks 62nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $900 and about 13% below the national median county at $1,018. About 31,706 people live here, 32nd 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 42044 (Gilbertsville) and $970 in 42025 (Benton), with the 4 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 Marshall somewhere between $796 and $972. 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.
$884 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $35,360 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% ($796) | HAP at 100% ($884) | HAP at 110% ($972) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $46 | $134 | $222 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 1% from FY 2025 ($892) to FY 2026 ($884). Since FY 2020 it's up 26% in total, about 3.9% 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 | $600 | $618 | $703 | $876 | $954 | — |
| FY 2021 | $635 | $650 | $741 | $922 | $1,007 | +5.4% |
| FY 2022 | $572 | $678 | $773 | $956 | $1,048 | +4.3% |
| FY 2023 | $611 | $745 | $843 | $1,026 | $1,408 | +9.1% |
| FY 2024 | $679 | $780 | $937 | $1,133 | $1,565 | +11.2% |
| FY 2025 | $642 | $759 | $892 | $1,158 | $1,409 | -4.8% |
| FY 2026 | $632 | $772 | $884 | $1,191 | $1,269 | -0.9% |
| FY 2027 | $656 | $824 | $918 | $1,266 | $1,283 | +3.8% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$884 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $632 for a studio, $772 for one bedroom, $1,191 for three and $1,269 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 Marshall actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Marshall for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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