County FMR · HUD FY2026
Lawrence County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Lawrence County, KY - 25% below the US average.
- $720
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $926
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +7.1%
- YoY change
- -25%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Lawrence is the 50th most expensive of 120 counties in Kentucky by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #661 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has climbed 7.1% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.
- #661
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #50
- most expensive of 120 in Kentucky (2BR)
- -9%
- vs the state average
- $28,800
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.1%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (31.8%); 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 Lawrence County, KY. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Lawrence County, Kentucky is $720 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $926/mo and a studio is $715/mo. This is 25% lower than the national average of $959 and 9% below the Kentucky average of $794.
Rent increased7.1% from FY 2025 ($672), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $28,800/year.
Observed renter burden: 34.1% of the 1,460 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: 16,228. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+2.5%, Census ACS). That's in line with Kentucky's statewide growth of +1.6% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area LAWRENCE·COUNTY·KY·KY
Lawrence County, KY: $720/mo 1BR · #661 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA KY
- 1BR-FMR $720
- 2BR-FMR $926
- RANK-MID #661
- YOY-SURGE +7.1%
- VSUS-BELOW -25%
- VS-ST-LOW -9% KY
- INC-ROOM 19%
- POP-SMALL 16K
- PHOTO-NEAR Jefferson County
- VOUCH-90-110 $648–$792
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Jefferson ($327 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $634 | $715 | +$81 (+12.8%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $672 | $720 | +$48 (+7.1%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $881 | $926 | +$45 (+5.1%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,074 | $1,110 | +$36 (+3.4%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,233 | $1,341 | +$108 (+8.8%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Lawrence 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 Lawrence sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$926 higher than 21% 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 Lawrence 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
- Lawrence
Lawrence County
$720 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Lawrence 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), Lawrence County (this county) ($720).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $720/mo, most of these Kentucky occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | KY Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $106,200 | 8.1% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,910 | 10.8% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $77,150 | 11.2% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $72,220 | 12% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $60,230 | 14.3% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $59,490 | 14.5% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $57,980 | 14.9% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $55,590 | 15.5% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $49,000 | 17.6% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,630 | 23% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $37,580 | 23% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $30,470 | 28.4% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $29,450 | 29.3% | Affordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $29,220 | 29.6% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,170 | 31.8% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Lawrence County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Lawrence (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 45.7% overall, from $494 to $720. 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 ↑7.1% | $715 | $720 | $926 |
| FY 2025 ↑3.9% | $634 | $672 | $881 |
| FY 2024 ↑14.7% | $616 | $647 | $850 |
| FY 2023 ↑10.2% | $538 | $564 | $742 |
| FY 2022 ↑1.8% | $482 | $512 | $674 |
| FY 2021 ↑1.8% | $475 | $503 | $663 |
| FY 2020 | $448 | $494 | $631 |
Part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Metro Area
Lawrence County is a outlying county of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metropolitan statistical area, alongside 7 other metro-area counties.
Lawrence County ranks #7 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 (this county) ($720), Carter County ($703).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Lawrence 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 Lawrence County? ▼
How does Lawrence County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Lawrence County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Lawrence County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Lawrence County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Lawrence County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Lawrence County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Lawrence County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Lawrence 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.