42104 Bowling Green, KY Fair Market Rent

What the FMR for ZIP 42104 actually means

HUD publishes Small Area Fair Market Rents at the ZIP code level for designated metros. ZIP 42104 (Bowling Green, KY) is covered by Simpson County, KY, so FY 2026 figures here are ZIP-specific: $1,010 for a 1-bedroom, studio $920, 2-bedroom $1,190, 3-bedroom $1,430, and 4-bedroom $1,860. 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 Warren can show different bedroom figures. Against the national benchmark the 1-bedroom SAFMR here is 5% above the US average of $959, and 27% 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 $1,010, that implies a household income of $40,400 per year (about $3,367/month) to avoid being cost-burdened, a 2-bedroom at $1,190 lifts that threshold higher still. ZIP 42104 has a population of 29,610 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%).