County FMR · HUD FY2026
Hardin County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Hardin County, KY - 12% below the US average.
- $846
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,056
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -1.9%
- YoY change
- -12%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Hardin is the 33rd most expensive of 120 counties in Kentucky by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,447 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #1,447
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #33
- most expensive of 120 in Kentucky (2BR)
- +7%
- vs the state average
- $33,840
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (9.6%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (37.4%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Hardin County, KY. Verify with HUD →
HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Hardin County, Kentucky at $846 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,056/mo and a studio is $841/mo. This is 12% lower than the national average of $959 and 7% above the Kentucky average of $794.
Rent decreased1.9% from FY 2025 ($862), declining against the trend. Under the 30% rule, affordability starts near $33,840/year for a 1-bedroom.
Observed renter burden: 33.2% of the 16,385 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 6.6%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 5.1% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Kentucky. Population: 111,005. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+3.1%, Census ACS). That's faster than Kentucky's statewide growth of +1.6% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area HARDIN·COUNTY·KY·KY
Hardin County, KY: $846/mo 1BR · #1447 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA KY
- 1BR-FMR $846
- 2BR-FMR $1,056
- RANK-MID #1,447
- YOY-FLAT -1.9%
- VSUS-BELOW -12%
- VS-ST-NEAR +7% KY
- INC-ROOM 15%
- POP-MID 111K
- PHOTO-NEAR Jefferson County
- VOUCH-90-110 $761–$931
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Jefferson ($201 1BR gap)
Read with: How Fair Market Rent works
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $857 | $841 | $-16 (-1.9%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $862 | $846 | $-16 (-1.9%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,075 | $1,056 | $-19 (-1.8%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,506 | $1,469 | $-37 (-2.5%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,805 | $1,771 | $-34 (-1.9%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Hardin 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 Hardin sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,056 higher than 54% 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 Hardin 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
- Daviess
Daviess County
$846 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Hardin 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 (this county) ($846), Daviess County ($846).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
How a 1-bedroom at $846/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 | 9.6% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,910 | 12.7% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $77,150 | 13.2% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $72,220 | 14.1% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $60,230 | 16.9% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $59,490 | 17.1% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $57,980 | 17.5% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $55,590 | 18.3% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $49,000 | 20.7% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,630 | 27% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $37,580 | 27% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $30,470 | 33.3% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $29,450 | 34.5% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $29,220 | 34.7% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,170 | 37.4% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Hardin County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Hardin (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 42.7% overall, from $593 to $846. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +18.3% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓1.9% | $841 | $846 | $1,056 |
| FY 2025 ↑9.1% | $857 | $862 | $1,075 |
| FY 2024 ↑18.3% | $785 | $790 | $1,003 |
| FY 2023 ↑5.2% | $664 | $668 | $868 |
| FY 2022 ↓1.1% | $630 | $635 | $835 |
| FY 2021 ↑8.3% | $638 | $642 | $846 |
| FY 2020 | $587 | $593 | $781 |
Part of the Elizabethtown, KY Metro Area
Hardin County is a central county of the Elizabethtown, KY metropolitan statistical area, alongside 1 other metro-area county.
Hardin County ranks #2 of 2 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Larue County ($846), Hardin County (this county) ($846).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Hardin 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 Hardin County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Hardin County is $846 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,056 and a studio is $841.
How does Hardin County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Hardin County is 12% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $846 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Hardin County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Hardin County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,056 ranks #1,447 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 Hardin County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $33,840 ($2,820/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Hardin County.
Is rent going up or down in Hardin County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Hardin County decreased by 1.9% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $862 to $846.
Which jobs can afford rent in Hardin 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 $846/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Hardin County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Hardin County went from $593 in FY 2020 to $846 in FY 2026, a total change of +42.7% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Hardin County?
In Hardin County, the FY 2026 FMR of $846/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 Hardin County?
For Hardin County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($846/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Hardin County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 6.6%, close to the range where market rents and HUD's FMR benchmark tend to track each other.
What is the unemployment rate in Hardin County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 5.1% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Hardin'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 $846 implies about $33,840/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 Hardin 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.