County FMR · HUD FY2026
Carroll County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Carroll County, KY - 22% below the US average.
- $746
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $974
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -2.0%
- YoY change
- -22%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Carroll is the 42nd most expensive of 120 counties in Kentucky by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,322 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #1,322
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #42
- most expensive of 120 in Kentucky (2BR)
- -6%
- vs the state average
- $29,840
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.4%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (32.9%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Carroll County, KY. Verify with HUD →
Carroll County, Kentucky carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $746 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $974/mo and a studio is $696/mo. That's 22% below the national benchmark of $959 and 6% below the Kentucky average of $794.
Rent decreased2.0% from FY 2025 ($761), declining against the trend. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $29,840/year.
Observed renter burden: 33.1% of the 1,463 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.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Kentucky. Population: 10,842. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+1.6%, Census ACS). That's in line with Kentucky's statewide growth of +1.6% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area CARROLL·COUNTY·KY·KY
Carroll County, KY: $746/mo 1BR · #1322 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA KY
- 1BR-FMR $746
- 2BR-FMR $974
- RANK-MID #1,322
- YOY-FLAT -2.0%
- VSUS-BELOW -22%
- VS-ST-NEAR -6% KY
- INC-ROOM 16%
- POP-SMALL 11K
- PHOTO-NEAR Jefferson County
- VOUCH-90-110 $671–$821
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Jefferson ($301 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $653 | $696 | +$43 (+6.6%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $761 | $746 | $-15 (-2.0%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $908 | $974 | +$66 (+7.3%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,139 | $1,168 | +$29 (+2.5%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,273 | $1,290 | +$17 (+1.3%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Carroll 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 Carroll sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$974 higher than 42% 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 Carroll 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
- Carroll
Carroll County
$746 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Carroll 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), Carroll County (this county) ($746).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $746/mo, most of these Kentucky occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | KY Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $106,200 | 8.4% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,910 | 11.2% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $77,150 | 11.6% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $72,220 | 12.4% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $60,230 | 14.9% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $59,490 | 15% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $57,980 | 15.4% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $55,590 | 16.1% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $49,000 | 18.3% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,630 | 23.8% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $37,580 | 23.8% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $30,470 | 29.4% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $29,450 | 30.4% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $29,220 | 30.6% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,170 | 32.9% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Carroll County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Carroll (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 41.6% overall, from $527 to $746. 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 ↓2.0% | $696 | $746 | $974 |
| FY 2025 ↑0.5% | $653 | $761 | $908 |
| FY 2024 ↑15.2% | $616 | $757 | $850 |
| FY 2023 ↑11.0% | $538 | $657 | $742 |
| FY 2022 ↑1.7% | $482 | $592 | $674 |
| FY 2021 ↑10.4% | $475 | $582 | $663 |
| FY 2020 | $458 | $527 | $644 |
Where Carroll County Ranks in Kentucky
Carroll County is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #79 of 120 counties in Kentucky. Nearest by rank: Lawrence County ($926), Pulaski County ($926), Washington County ($929), Lee County ($939), Henderson County ($949), Perry County ($959), Boyd County ($973), Greenup County ($973), Carroll County (this county) ($974), Pike County ($977), Owen County ($995), Allen County ($996), Trimble County ($1,001), Hancock County ($1,016), Nelson County ($1,016), Anderson County ($1,042), Simpson County ($1,055).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Carroll 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 Carroll County? ▼
How does Carroll County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Carroll County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Carroll County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Carroll County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Carroll County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Carroll County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Carroll County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Carroll County? ▼
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
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.