40511 Lexington, KY Fair Market Rent

What the FMR for ZIP 40511 actually means

HUD publishes Small Area Fair Market Rents at the ZIP code level for designated metros. ZIP 40511 (Lexington, KY) is covered by Lexington-Fayette, KY MSA, so FY 2026 figures here are ZIP-specific: $1,180 for a 1-bedroom, studio $960, 2-bedroom $1,390, 3-bedroom $1,900, and 4-bedroom $2,120. These are 40th-percentile gross rents (utilities except telephone), not live asking rents. Housing Choice Voucher payment standards are typically set between 90% and 110% of the applicable FMR/SAFMR.

Because this page uses SAFMR, nearby ZIPs in Fayette can show different bedroom figures. Against the national benchmark the 1-bedroom SAFMR here is 23% above the US average of $959, and 49% above the KY state average of $794.

For budgeting, the 30% affordability rule says rent should not exceed 30% of gross household income. At the FY 2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,180, that implies a household income of $47,200 per year (about $3,933/month) to avoid being cost-burdened, a 2-bedroom at $1,390 lifts that threshold higher still. ZIP 40511 has a population of 31,798 residents, so the gap between these FMR figures and local wages shapes how many households qualify as rent-burdened (paying more than 30% of income) or severely burdened (above 50%).