County FMR · HUD FY2026
Carter County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Carter County, KY - 27% below the US average.
- $703
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $866
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +6.4%
- YoY change
- -27%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Carter is the 8th cheapest of 120 counties in Kentucky by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #95 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 6.4% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #95
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #8
- cheapest of 120 in Kentucky (2BR)
- -11%
- vs the state average
- $28,120
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.9%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (31%); 14 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Carter County, KY. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Carter County, Kentucky at $703 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $866/mo and a studio is $698/mo. This is 27% lower than the national average of $959 and 11% below the Kentucky average of $794.
Rent increased6.4% from FY 2025 ($661), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $28,120/year.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Kentucky. Population: 26,671. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (-2.8%, Census ACS). That's slower than Kentucky's statewide growth of +1.6% over the same period.
What these rents mean for Carter County
HUD publishes one FMR schedule per FMR area (often the county). Local housing authorities use it as the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment-standard baseline. See how FMR is calculated.
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Carter County's 2-bedroom of $866 ranks #95 most affordable of 3,145 US counties, in the lowest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
This is a below-average rent market: 1-bedroom FMR is 27% under the US average of $959 and 11% below Kentucky's $794. HUD's 1-bedroom figure shifted from $661 (FY 2025) to $703 (FY 2026), a +6.4% move that still leaves this county below the US mid-point.
A 1-bedroom at $703 needs $28,120/year under the 30% rule against a county median of $50,389, and the median household clears that line with room to spare. A 2-bedroom at $866 is the next step up.
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $657 | $698 | +$41 (+6.2%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $661 | $703 | +$42 (+6.4%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $867 | $866 | $-1 (-0.1%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,215 | $1,204 | $-11 (-0.9%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,301 | $1,254 | $-47 (-3.6%) |
Affordability Snapshot
Based on the standard that rent should not exceed 30% of gross income:
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Carter 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 Carter sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$866 higher than 3% 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 Carter 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
- Carter
Carter County
$703 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Carter 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), Carter County (this county) ($703).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $703/mo, most of these Kentucky occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | KY Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $106,200 | 7.9% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,910 | 10.6% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $77,150 | 10.9% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $72,220 | 11.7% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $60,230 | 14% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $59,490 | 14.2% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $57,980 | 14.5% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $55,590 | 15.2% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $49,000 | 17.2% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,630 | 22.4% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $37,580 | 22.4% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $30,470 | 27.7% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $29,450 | 28.6% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $29,220 | 28.9% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,170 | 31% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Carter County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Carter (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 46.8% overall, from $479 to $703. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +14.7% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑6.4% | $698 | $703 | $866 |
| FY 2025 ↑2.2% | $657 | $661 | $867 |
| FY 2024 ↑14.7% | $643 | $647 | $850 |
| FY 2023 ↑10.2% | $560 | $564 | $742 |
| FY 2022 ↑1.8% | $501 | $512 | $674 |
| FY 2021 ↑5.0% | $475 | $503 | $663 |
| FY 2020 | $448 | $479 | $631 |
Part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Metro Area
Carter County is a outlying county of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metropolitan statistical area, alongside 7 other metro-area counties.
Carter County ranks #8 of 8 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Cabell County ($853), Lawrence County ($853), Boyd County ($853), Wayne County ($853), Greenup County ($853), Putnam County ($803), Lawrence County ($720), Carter County (this county) ($703).
Nearby Counties in Kentucky
Largest counties by population in Kentucky
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Carter County? ▼
How does Carter County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Carter County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Carter County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Carter County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Carter County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Carter County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Carter County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Carter County? ▼
What this means for renters
Treat Carter's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $703 implies about $28,120/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- Compare this county against nearby metros and states before signing a lease. Compare areas
- See where it sits on the national rent map. View rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents in Carter can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This page is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
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.