HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Metcalfe County, Kentucky (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Metcalfe 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 Metcalfe 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
105th of 120
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Metcalfe 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 Metcalfe actually rent for?
Search any address in Metcalfe 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 | $755 | $680 to $831 | $30,200 | $14.52/hr | +9.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $866 | $779 to $953 | $34,640 | $16.65/hr | -0.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,081 | $973 to $1,189 | $43,240 | $20.79/hr | -0.4% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,209 | $1,088 to $1,330 | $48,360 | $23.25/hr | +5.2% |
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 | $1,390 | $1,251 to $1,529 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,572 | $1,415 to $1,729 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,753 | $1,578 to $1,928 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,934 | $1,741 to $2,127 |
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 Metcalfe, that runs from $619 for a studio up to $1,209 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Metcalfe 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, Beaumont included.
Among Kentucky's 120 counties, Metcalfe ranks 105th 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 10,313 people live here, 99th 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 42124 (Beaumont) and $900 in 42154 (Knob Lick), 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 Metcalfe 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 | $554 | $631 | $786 | $855 | — |
| FY 2021 | $475 | $577 | $663 | $825 | $904 | +5.1% |
| FY 2022 | $482 | $547 | $674 | $833 | $914 | +1.7% |
| FY 2023 | $538 | $582 | $742 | $903 | $997 | +10.1% |
| FY 2024 | $616 | $655 | $850 | $1,028 | $1,132 | +14.6% |
| FY 2025 | $624 | $687 | $867 | $1,085 | $1,149 | +2.0% |
| FY 2026 | $619 | $755 | $866 | $1,081 | $1,209 | -0.1% |
| FY 2027 | $650 | $835 | $909 | $1,191 | $1,270 | +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, $755 for one bedroom, $1,081 for three and $1,209 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 Metcalfe actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Metcalfe for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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