HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Whitley County, Kentucky (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Whitley County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $909 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Whitley keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$909
+5.0% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$818–$1,000
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$36,360
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in Kentucky
119th of 120
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 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 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $690 | $621–$759 | $27,600 | $13.27/hr | +11.5% |
| 1 bedroom | $695 | $626–$765 | $27,800 | $13.37/hr | +5.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $909 | $818–$1,000 | $36,360 | $17.48/hr | +5.0% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,129 | $1,016–$1,242 | $45,160 | $21.71/hr | +8.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,298 | $1,168–$1,428 | $51,920 | $24.96/hr | +12.2% |
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 | $1,493 | $1,344–$1,642 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,687 | $1,518–$1,856 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,882 | $1,694–$2,070 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,077 | $1,869–$2,285 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Whitley actually rent for?
Search any address in Whitley for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
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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 Whitley somewhere between $818 and $1,000. 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.
$909 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $36,360 a year. Put another way, $17 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%$818 | Voucher pays at 100%$909 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $68 | $159 | $250 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 5% from FY 2026 ($866) to FY 2027 ($909). Since FY 2020 it's up 44% in total, about 5.4% 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 | $448 | $554 | $631 | $798 | $1,093 | — |
| FY 2021 | $475 | $582 | $663 | $841 | $1,148 | +5.1% |
| FY 2022 | $482 | $592 | $674 | $856 | $1,034 | +1.7% |
| FY 2023 | $538 | $588 | $742 | $918 | $997 | +10.1% |
| FY 2024 | $616 | $647 | $850 | $1,028 | $1,132 | +14.6% |
| FY 2025 | $624 | $661 | $867 | $1,045 | $1,149 | +2.0% |
| FY 2026 | $619 | $660 | $866 | $1,038 | $1,157 | -0.1% |
| FY 2027In effect | $690 | $695 | $909 | $1,129 | $1,298 | +5.0% |
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Whitley, that runs from $690 for a studio up to $1,298 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Whitley 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, Corbin included.
Among Kentucky's 120 counties, Whitley ranks 119th for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $925 and about 14% below the national median county at $1,063. About 36,920 people live here, 28th 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 40730 (Emlyn) and $940 in 40701 (Corbin), 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.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Whitley.
Knox County
15 mi · 29,865 people
$909
same rate
McCreary County
21 mi · 16,867 people
$909
same rate
Laurel County
22 mi · 62,983 people
$943
+4%
Bell County
24 mi · 23,509 people
$909
same rate
Clay County
33 mi · 19,921 people
$909
same rate
Pulaski County
34 mi · 65,897 people
$924
+2%
Rockcastle County
41 mi · 16,163 people
$909
same rate
Wayne County
41 mi · 19,602 people
$909
same rate
Questions people ask
$909 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $690 for a studio, $695 for one bedroom, $1,129 for three and $1,298 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 Whitley actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Whitley for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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