State ranking · HUD FMR + Census ACS

Kentucky: County Rent Burden

How much of household income goes to rent in each Kentucky county, FY 2026.

21.9%
State avg 2BR burden
6
Counties over 30% (of 120)
0
Severely burdened (>50%)

What rent burden reveals about Kentucky

Rent burden measures the share of household income going to rent. The federal standard, used by HUD and the Census Bureau, flags any household paying more than 30% of gross income on rent as "cost-burdened" and any household above 50% as "severely cost-burdened." This page calculates county-level burden by dividing HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rents — 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom — by Census-reported median household income for each county in Kentucky. Across the 120 counties with complete data, the weighted average 2-bedroom burden is 21.9%, compared with a national average of 21.7% — meaning Kentucky sits 0.2 percentage points higher than the US benchmark.

The distribution matters more than the state average. In Kentucky, 6 of 120 counties (5%) have a 2-bedroom burden above 30%, and 0 counties cross the severe-burden threshold of 50%. The most burdened county is Wolfe County at 35.8%, where the FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $866 eats that share of the local median income of $29,052. Because HUD's FMR sits at the 40th percentile of gross rents, this calculation understates the reality faced by renters paying market-rate: many higher-quality units in each county rent well above FMR, pushing actual burden rates even higher than the numbers shown below.

Burden data has direct policy stakes. High-burden counties see stronger demand for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (which cap tenant contribution at 30% of adjusted income and cover the gap up to FMR) and for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) units, both of which rely on HUD's FMR as the foundational input. High burden also correlates with longer waitlists for public housing and greater housing instability — eviction filings, doubling up, and homelessness all rise in counties above the 50% threshold. Pair this page with the cheapest-counties ranking and year-over-year rent growth to see which Kentucky counties are getting more affordable, which are tightening fastest, and where the burden gap between Kentucky and the rest of the country is widening or narrowing.

State Avg Burden
21.9%
National Avg
21.7%
Counties > 30%
6
of 120
Severely Burdened
0
> 50% of income

All Counties by Rent Burden

# County 1 BR Rent 2 BR Rent 1 BR Burden 2 BR Burden
1 Wolfe County $683 $866 28.2% 35.8%
2 Owsley County $683 $866 26.4% 33.5%
3 Lee County $740 $939 26% 33%
4 Bell County $790 $866 29.3% 32.1%
5 Knox County $745 $866 27% 31.3%
6 Magoffin County $790 $866 28.2% 30.9%
7 Christian County $1,094 $1,346 24.2% 29.8%
8 Trigg County $1,094 $1,346 24% 29.6%
9 Fulton County $660 $866 21.5% 28.2%
10 Harlan County $699 $866 22.5% 27.9%
11 McCreary County $790 $866 25.4% 27.8%
12 Pike County $745 $977 21.2% 27.8%
13 Knott County $683 $866 21.7% 27.5%
14 Bracken County $1,051 $1,353 21.2% 27.3%
15 Bourbon County $1,079 $1,272 23% 27.1%
16 Clay County $759 $866 23% 26.2%
17 Cumberland County $701 $866 21.2% 26.2%
18 Floyd County $689 $904 19.9% 26.1%
19 Gallatin County $1,051 $1,353 20.3% 26.1%
20 Powell County $660 $866 19.9% 26.1%
21 Elliott County $683 $866 20.5% 25.9%
22 Leslie County $790 $866 23.6% 25.9%
23 Letcher County $759 $866 22.5% 25.7%
24 Calloway County $837 $1,098 19.4% 25.4%
25 Edmonson County $985 $1,153 21.7% 25.4%
26 Perry County $731 $959 19.4% 25.4%
27 Breathitt County $714 $866 20.8% 25.3%
28 Green County $790 $866 23.1% 25.3%
29 Henry County $1,047 $1,272 20.7% 25.1%
30 Jackson County $660 $866 19.1% 25.1%
31 Lewis County $660 $866 19% 25%
32 Casey County $790 $866 22.7% 24.9%
33 Whitley County $660 $866 19% 24.9%
34 Wayne County $677 $866 19.4% 24.8%
35 Clinton County $660 $866 18.8% 24.6%
36 Lawrence County $720 $926 19% 24.4%
37 Pendleton County $1,051 $1,353 18.9% 24.4%
38 Johnson County $696 $866 19.4% 24.2%
39 Estill County $790 $866 21.6% 23.7%
40 Livingston County $960 $1,158 19.3% 23.3%
41 Menifee County $683 $866 18.3% 23.3%
42 Fayette County $1,079 $1,272 19.1% 22.6%
43 Clark County $1,079 $1,272 19.1% 22.5%
44 Jefferson County $1,047 $1,272 18.5% 22.5%
45 Martin County $683 $866 17.7% 22.5%
46 Crittenden County $660 $866 16.8% 22.1%
47 Simpson County $872 $1,055 18.2% 22.1%
48 Morgan County $660 $866 16.7% 21.9%
49 Pulaski County $706 $926 16.6% 21.8%
50 Rockcastle County $741 $866 18.4% 21.5%
51 Metcalfe County $755 $866 18.7% 21.4%
52 Warren County $985 $1,153 18.2% 21.4%
53 Mason County $764 $913 17.8% 21.3%
54 Barren County $662 $868 16.2% 21.2%
55 Campbell County $1,051 $1,353 16.3% 21%
56 Monroe County $660 $866 16% 21%
57 Fleming County $703 $866 17% 20.9%
58 Hart County $747 $866 18.1% 20.9%
59 Grayson County $712 $866 17.1% 20.8%
60 Adair County $683 $866 16.3% 20.7%
61 Carter County $703 $866 16.7% 20.6%
62 Russell County $660 $866 15.7% 20.6%
63 Graves County $660 $866 15.7% 20.5%
64 Daviess County $846 $1,110 15.5% 20.4%
65 Grant County $899 $1,155 15.9% 20.4%
66 Jessamine County $1,079 $1,272 17.3% 20.4%
67 Kenton County $1,051 $1,353 15.9% 20.4%
68 Lincoln County $753 $866 17.8% 20.4%
69 McCracken County $851 $1,058 16.4% 20.4%
70 Rowan County $735 $911 16.4% 20.4%
71 Allen County $759 $996 15.4% 20.2%
72 Carroll County $746 $974 15.5% 20.2%
73 Butler County $660 $866 15.2% 20%
74 Owen County $758 $995 15.2% 20%
75 Ballard County $817 $1,072 15.1% 19.9%
76 Robertson County $660 $866 15.1% 19.9%
77 Bullitt County $1,047 $1,272 16.2% 19.7%
78 Muhlenberg County $660 $866 15% 19.7%
79 Franklin County $859 $1,083 15.5% 19.6%
80 Greenup County $853 $973 17.2% 19.6%
81 Henderson County $764 $949 15.7% 19.6%
82 Breckinridge County $690 $866 15.4% 19.4%
83 Nicholas County $696 $866 15.6% 19.4%
84 Bath County $668 $866 14.8% 19.2%
85 Boyd County $853 $973 16.9% 19.2%
86 Ohio County $660 $866 14.6% 19.1%
87 Todd County $700 $918 14.5% 19.1%
88 Woodford County $1,079 $1,272 16.2% 19.1%
89 McLean County $846 $1,110 14.4% 18.9%
90 Montgomery County $690 $905 14.4% 18.9%
91 Marion County $660 $866 14.3% 18.8%
92 Hardin County $846 $1,056 15% 18.7%
93 Hopkins County $686 $900 14.3% 18.7%
94 Larue County $846 $1,056 15% 18.7%
95 Washington County $708 $929 14.2% 18.7%
96 Laurel County $676 $881 14.2% 18.5%
97 Meade County $819 $1,075 14% 18.4%
98 Hancock County $774 $1,016 13.9% 18.2%
99 Scott County $1,079 $1,272 15.5% 18.2%
100 Caldwell County $714 $866 14.9% 18%
101 Nelson County $781 $1,016 13.8% 18%
102 Union County $694 $911 13.7% 17.9%
103 Boyle County $698 $913 13.6% 17.8%
104 Carlisle County $717 $915 13.9% 17.7%
105 Trimble County $780 $1,001 13.8% 17.7%
106 Webster County $660 $866 13.5% 17.7%
107 Anderson County $951 $1,042 15.9% 17.4%
108 Madison County $785 $904 15.1% 17.4%
109 Garrard County $821 $900 15.7% 17.3%
110 Boone County $1,051 $1,353 13.3% 17.1%
111 Logan County $660 $866 12.9% 16.9%
112 Taylor County $790 $866 15.3% 16.8%
113 Marshall County $772 $884 14.6% 16.7%
114 Shelby County $1,027 $1,143 14.9% 16.6%
115 Mercer County $660 $866 12.5% 16.5%
116 Harrison County $790 $866 15% 16.4%
117 Hickman County $660 $866 12.4% 16.3%
118 Lyon County $660 $866 12.3% 16.1%
119 Spencer County $1,047 $1,272 12.8% 15.5%
120 Oldham County $1,047 $1,272 10.3% 12.6%
National burden rankings → All Kentucky rents → Cheapest counties →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rent burden in Kentucky? ▼
The average 2-bedroom rent burden in Kentucky is 21.9% of household income. 6 of 120 counties exceed the 30% affordability threshold.
Which counties in Kentucky are most rent burdened? ▼
The most rent-burdened county is Wolfe County at 35.8% of income. No counties exceed the 50% severe burden threshold.
How does Kentucky compare to the national average? ▼
Kentucky's average rent burden is 21.9% vs the national average of 21.7%. That's 0.2 percentage points higher than average.

Data sources: HUD FY 2026 Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau median household income. Rent burden = (annual FMR ÷ median income) × 100.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.