HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Mason County, Kentucky (FY 2026)
$913 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Mason County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Mason is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$913
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$822 to $1,004
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$36,520
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in Kentucky
54th of 120
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Mason moves to $1,001. That's up 10%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Mason actually rent for?
Search any address in Mason 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 | $629 | $566 to $692 | $25,160 | $12.10/hr | +2.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $764 | $688 to $840 | $30,560 | $14.69/hr | +2.6% |
| 2 bedroom | $913 | $822 to $1,004 | $36,520 | $17.56/hr | +1.6% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,111 | $1,000 to $1,222 | $44,440 | $21.37/hr | +0.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,274 | $1,147 to $1,401 | $50,960 | $24.50/hr | +2.8% |
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 | $1,465 | $1,319 to $1,612 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,656 | $1,490 to $1,822 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,847 | $1,662 to $2,032 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,038 | $1,834 to $2,242 |
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 Mason, that runs from $629 for a studio up to $1,274 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Mason 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, Dover included.
Among Kentucky's 120 counties, Mason ranks 54th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $900 and about 10% below the national median county at $1,018. About 17,068 people live here, 67th 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 41056 (Maysville) and $980 in 41034 (Dover), with the 5 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 Mason somewhere between $822 and $1,004. 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.
$913 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $36,520 a year. Put another way, $18 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% ($822) | HAP at 100% ($913) | HAP at 110% ($1,004) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $72 | $163 | $254 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($899) to FY 2026 ($913). Since FY 2020 it's up 43% in total, about 6.2% 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 | $516 | $637 | $822 | $865 | — |
| FY 2021 | $494 | $550 | $689 | $857 | $936 | +8.2% |
| FY 2022 | $524 | $568 | $732 | $905 | $1,134 | +6.2% |
| FY 2023 | $551 | $641 | $824 | $1,003 | $1,110 | +12.6% |
| FY 2024 | $617 | $752 | $911 | $1,102 | $1,238 | +10.6% |
| FY 2025 | $616 | $745 | $899 | $1,110 | $1,239 | -1.3% |
| FY 2026 | $629 | $764 | $913 | $1,111 | $1,274 | +1.6% |
| FY 2027 | $715 | $797 | $1,001 | $1,196 | $1,477 | +9.6% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$913 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $629 for a studio, $764 for one bedroom, $1,111 for three and $1,274 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 Mason actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Mason for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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