County FMR · HUD FY2026
Ballard County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Ballard County, KY - 15% below the US average.
- $817
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,072
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +15.1%
- YoY change
- -15%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Ballard is the 30th most expensive of 120 counties in Kentucky by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,384 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 15.1% since FY 2025, a sharp move relative to most counties.
- #1,384
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #30
- most expensive of 120 in Kentucky (2BR)
- +3%
- vs the state average
- $32,680
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.2%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (36.1%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Ballard County, KY. Verify with HUD →
Ballard County, Kentucky carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $817 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,072/mo and a studio is $800/mo. That's 15% below the national benchmark of $959 and 3% above the Kentucky average of $794.
Rent increased15.1% from FY 2025 ($710), outpacing inflation. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $32,680/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 25.8% of the 633 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 1.7%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.9% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Kentucky. Population: 7,742. Population declined 5.1% over the past five years (Census ACS), a trend that can ease rental-market pressure over time even as FMR reflects recent rent levels. That's slower than Kentucky's statewide growth of +1.6% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area BALLARD·COUNTY·KY·KY
Ballard County, KY: $817/mo 1BR · #1384 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA KY
- 1BR-FMR $817
- 2BR-FMR $1,072
- RANK-MID #1,384
- YOY-SURGE +15.1%
- VSUS-BELOW -15%
- VS-ST-NEAR +3% KY
- INC-ROOM 15%
- POP-SMALL 8K
- PHOTO-NEAR Jefferson County
- VOUCH-90-110 $735–$899
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Jefferson ($230 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $670 | $800 | +$130 (+19.4%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $710 | $817 | +$107 (+15.1%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $931 | $1,072 | +$141 (+15.1%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,122 | $1,285 | +$163 (+14.5%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,283 | $1,640 | +$357 (+27.8%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Ballard County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
How we calculate this
Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.
Where Ballard sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,072 higher than 56% of 3,145 counties
Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026
How Ballard compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other Kentucky counties
- Fayette
Fayette County
$1,079 1BR FMR / mo
- Kenton
Kenton County
$1,051 1BR FMR / mo
- Boone
Boone County
$1,051 1BR FMR / mo
- Jefferson
Jefferson County
$1,047 1BR FMR / mo
- Warren
Warren County
$985 1BR FMR / mo
- Hardin
Hardin County
$846 1BR FMR / mo
- Ballard
Ballard County
$817 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Ballard is highlighted. Nearby Kentucky counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Fayette County ($1,079), Kenton County ($1,051), Boone County ($1,051), Jefferson County ($1,047), Warren County ($985), Hardin County ($846), Ballard County (this county) ($817).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $817/mo compares to Kentucky salaries for popular occupations (BLS wage data, 30%-of-income rule).
| Occupation | KY Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $106,200 | 9.2% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,910 | 12.3% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $77,150 | 12.7% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $72,220 | 13.6% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $60,230 | 16.3% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $59,490 | 16.5% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $57,980 | 16.9% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $55,590 | 17.6% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $49,000 | 20% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,630 | 26.1% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $37,580 | 26.1% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $30,470 | 32.2% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $29,450 | 33.3% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $29,220 | 33.6% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,170 | 36.1% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Ballard County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Ballard (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 58.0% overall, from $517 to $817. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +15.2% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑15.1% | $800 | $817 | $1,072 |
| FY 2025 ↑6.3% | $670 | $710 | $931 |
| FY 2024 ↑15.2% | $636 | $668 | $878 |
| FY 2023 ↑10.5% | $553 | $580 | $763 |
| FY 2022 ↓0.4% | $494 | $525 | $691 |
| FY 2021 ↑1.9% | $498 | $527 | $695 |
| FY 2020 | $484 | $517 | $681 |
Part of the Paducah, KY-IL Metro Area
Ballard County is a outlying county of the Paducah, KY-IL metropolitan statistical area, alongside 4 other metro-area counties.
Ballard County ranks #3 of 5 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Livingston County ($960), McCracken County ($851), Ballard County (this county) ($817), Massac County ($789), Carlisle County ($717).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Ballard County, both outside Kentucky so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.
Similar 2-bedroom FMR
Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside KY (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside KY).
Nearby Counties in Kentucky
Largest counties by population in Kentucky
Showing the 8 largest of 119 other counties in Kentucky.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Ballard County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Ballard County is $817 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,072 and a studio is $800.
How does Ballard County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Ballard County is 15% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $817 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Ballard County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Ballard County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,072 ranks #1,384 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the middle half of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Ballard County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $32,680 ($2,723/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Ballard County.
Is rent going up or down in Ballard County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Ballard County increased by 15.1% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $710 to $817.
Which jobs can afford rent in Ballard County?
Based on Kentucky BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, Registered Nurses, General and Operations Managers can afford a 1-bedroom at $817/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Ballard County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Ballard County went from $517 in FY 2020 to $817 in FY 2026, a total change of +58.0% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Ballard County?
In Ballard County, the FY 2026 FMR of $817/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Ballard County?
For Ballard County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($817/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Ballard County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 1.7%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
What is the unemployment rate in Ballard County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 4.9% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Ballard's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $817 implies about $32,680/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Kentucky counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Jefferson
- See where Ballard ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.