County FMR · HUD FY2026
Owen County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Owen County, KY - 21% below the US average.
- $758
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $995
- 2-bedroom FMR
- +4.8%
- YoY change
- -21%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Owen is the 40th most expensive of 120 counties in Kentucky by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #1,416 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #1,416
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #40
- most expensive of 120 in Kentucky (2BR)
- -5%
- vs the state average
- $30,320
- 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 Owen County, KY. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Owen County, Kentucky is $758 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $995/mo and a studio is $711/mo. This is 21% lower than the national average of $959 and 5% below the Kentucky average of $794.
Rent increased4.8% from FY 2025 ($723), outpacing inflation. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $30,320/year.
Observed renter burden: 31.9% of the 518 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: 11,229. Population has held roughly steady over the past five years (+4.9%, Census ACS). That's faster than Kentucky's statewide growth of +1.6% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area OWEN·COUNTY·KY·KY
Owen County, KY: $758/mo 1BR · #1416 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA KY
- 1BR-FMR $758
- 2BR-FMR $995
- RANK-MID #1,416
- YOY-UP +4.8%
- VSUS-BELOW -21%
- VS-ST-NEAR -5% KY
- INC-ROOM 15%
- POP-SMALL 11K
- PHOTO-NEAR Jefferson County
- VOUCH-90-110 $682–$834
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Jefferson ($289 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $683 | $711 | +$28 (+4.1%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $723 | $758 | +$35 (+4.8%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $949 | $995 | +$46 (+4.8%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,223 | $1,329 | +$106 (+8.7%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,307 | $1,389 | +$82 (+6.3%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Owen 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 Owen sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$995 higher than 45% 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 Owen 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
- Owen
Owen County
$758 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Owen 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), Owen County (this county) ($758).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $758/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 | 31.1% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $27,170 | 33.5% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Owen County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Owen (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 56.0% overall, from $486 to $758. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +20.7% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↑4.8% | $711 | $758 | $995 |
| FY 2025 ↑6.2% | $683 | $723 | $949 |
| FY 2024 ↑20.7% | $649 | $681 | $895 |
| FY 2023 ↑10.2% | $538 | $564 | $742 |
| FY 2022 ↑1.8% | $482 | $512 | $674 |
| FY 2021 ↑3.5% | $475 | $503 | $663 |
| FY 2020 | $455 | $486 | $640 |
Where Owen County Ranks in Kentucky
Owen 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 #81 of 120 counties in Kentucky. Nearest by rank: Washington County ($929), Lee County ($939), Henderson County ($949), Perry County ($959), Boyd County ($973), Greenup County ($973), Carroll County ($974), Pike County ($977), Owen County (this 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), Hardin County ($1,056), Larue County ($1,056).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Owen 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 Owen County? ▼
How does Owen County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Owen County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Owen County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Owen County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Owen County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Owen County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Owen County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Owen 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.