County FMR · HUD FY2026
Letcher County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Letcher County, KY - 21% below the US average.
- $759
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $866
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +0.5%
- YoY change
- -21%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Letcher is the 30th cheapest of 120 counties in Kentucky by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #95 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #95
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #30
- cheapest of 120 in Kentucky (2BR)
- -4%
- vs the state average
- $30,360
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.6%), while Fast Food and Counter Workers spend the most (33.5%).
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Letcher County, KY. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Letcher County, Kentucky is $759 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $866/mo and a studio is $619/mo. This is 21% lower than the national average of $959 and 4% below the Kentucky average of $794.
Rent increased0.5% from FY 2025 ($755), roughly tracking inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $30,360/year.
Observed renter burden: 27.2% of the 2,292 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 2.7%, 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 5.4% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in Kentucky. Population: 21,490. Population declined 6.7% 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 LETCHER·COUNTY·KY·KY
Letcher County, KY: $759/mo 1BR · #95 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA KY
- 1BR-FMR $759
- 2BR-FMR $866
- RANK-LOW #95
- YOY-FLAT +0.5%
- VSUS-BELOW -21%
- VS-ST-NEAR -4% KY
- INC-MID 22%
- POP-SMALL 21K
- PHOTO-NEAR Jefferson County
- VOUCH-90-110 $683–$835
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Jefferson ($288 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $624 | $619 | $-5 (-0.8%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $755 | $759 | +$4 (+0.5%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $867 | $866 | $-1 (-0.1%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,215 | $1,166 | $-49 (-4.0%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,337 | $1,316 | $-21 (-1.6%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Letcher 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 Letcher 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 Letcher 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
- Letcher
Letcher County
$759 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Letcher 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), Letcher County (this county) ($759).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $759/mo, most of these Kentucky occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | KY Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $106,200 | 8.6% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,910 | 11.4% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $77,150 | 11.8% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $72,220 | 12.6% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $60,230 | 15.1% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $59,490 | 15.3% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $57,980 | 15.7% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $55,590 | 16.4% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $49,000 | 18.6% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $37,630 | 24.2% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $37,580 | 24.2% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $30,470 | 29.9% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $29,450 | 30.9% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $29,220 | 31.2% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,170 | 33.5% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Letcher County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Letcher (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 44.0% overall, from $527 to $759. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +20.4% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑0.5% | $619 | $759 | $866 |
| FY 2025 ↑3.0% | $624 | $755 | $867 |
| FY 2024 ↑20.4% | $616 | $733 | $850 |
| FY 2023 ↑7.2% | $538 | $609 | $742 |
| FY 2022 ↑0.4% | $482 | $568 | $674 |
| FY 2021 ↑7.4% | $475 | $566 | $663 |
| FY 2020 | $448 | $527 | $631 |
Where Letcher County Ranks in Kentucky
Letcher 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 #30 of 120 counties in Kentucky. Nearest by rank: Harrison County ($866), Hart County ($866), Hickman County ($866), Jackson County ($866), Johnson County ($866), Knott County ($866), Knox County ($866), Leslie County ($866), Letcher County (this county) ($866), Lewis County ($866), Lincoln County ($866), Logan County ($866), Lyon County ($866), Magoffin County ($866), Marion County ($866), Martin County ($866), McCreary County ($866).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Letcher 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 Letcher County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Letcher County is $759 per month. A 2-bedroom is $866 and a studio is $619.
How does Letcher County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Letcher County is 21% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $759 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Letcher County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Letcher County's 2-bedroom FMR of $866 ranks #95 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the lowest-rent tenth of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Letcher County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $30,360 ($2,530/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Letcher County.
Is rent going up or down in Letcher County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Letcher County increased by 0.5% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $755 to $759.
Which jobs can afford rent in Letcher 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 $759/mo. 12 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Letcher County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Letcher County went from $527 in FY 2020 to $759 in FY 2026, a total change of +44.0% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Letcher County?
In Letcher County, the FY 2026 FMR of $759/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 Letcher County?
For Letcher County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($759/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Letcher County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 2.7%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
What is the unemployment rate in Letcher County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 5.4% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Letcher'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 $759 implies about $30,360/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 Letcher 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.