HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · Effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Rowan County, Kentucky (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Rowan County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $911 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Rowan keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$911
+4.0% from FY 2025
Payment standard
$820–$1,002
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$36,440
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Kentucky
55th of 120
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Rowan moves to $977. That's up 7%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $628 | $565–$691 | $25,120 | $12.08/hr | +4.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $735 | $662–$809 | $29,400 | $14.13/hr | +4.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $911 | $820–$1,002 | $36,440 | $17.52/hr | +4.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,156 | $1,040–$1,272 | $46,240 | $22.23/hr | +4.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,528 | $1,375–$1,681 | $61,120 | $29.38/hr | +3.9% |
Five to eight 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 | $1,757 | $1,581–$1,933 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,986 | $1,787–$2,185 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,216 | $1,994–$2,438 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,445 | $2,201–$2,690 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Rowan actually rent for?
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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 Rowan somewhere between $820 and $1,002. 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.
$911 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $36,440 a year. Put another way, $18 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$820 | Voucher pays at 100%$911 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $70 | $161 | $252 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($876) to FY 2026 ($911). Since FY 2020 it's up 32% in total, about 4.7% a year. The Kentucky median moved up 3% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $491 | $607 | $691 | $861 | $1,080 | — |
| FY 2021 | $511 | $612 | $713 | $887 | $1,137 | +3.2% |
| FY 2022 | $504 | $603 | $704 | $870 | $1,162 | -1.3% |
| FY 2023 | $558 | $634 | $770 | $965 | $1,310 | +9.4% |
| FY 2024 | $588 | $704 | $867 | $1,104 | $1,471 | +12.6% |
| FY 2025 | $601 | $704 | $876 | $1,103 | $1,471 | +1.0% |
| FY 2026In effect | $628 | $735 | $911 | $1,156 | $1,528 | +4.0% |
| FY 2027From Oct 1, 2026 | $701 | $791 | $977 | $1,252 | $1,633 | +7.2% |
About this rate
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 Rowan, that runs from $628 for a studio up to $1,528 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Rowan 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, Clearfield included.
Among Kentucky's 120 counties, Rowan ranks 55th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $900 and about 11% below the national median county at $1,018. About 24,551 people live here, 46th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $890 in 40351 (Morehead) and $1,020 in 40313 (Clearfield), 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.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Rowan.
Menifee County
17 mi · 6,174 people
$866
-5%
Bath County
18 mi · 12,739 people
$866
-5%
Elliott County
20 mi · 7,378 people
$866
-5%
Morgan County
20 mi · 13,840 people
$866
-5%
Fleming County
21 mi · 15,111 people
$866
-5%
Carter County
23 mi · 26,671 people
$866
-5%
Lewis County
26 mi · 13,063 people
$866
-5%
Montgomery County
26 mi · 28,188 people
$905
-1%
Questions people ask
$911 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $628 for a studio, $735 for one bedroom, $1,156 for three and $1,528 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Rowan actually go for?
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