Per diem · KY · GSA FY2027 from October 1, 2026
Per diem rates in Kentucky, FY2027
Kentucky's 4 GSA areas use 3 different meal tiers, and Louisville is the only one whose room rate moves during the year.
GSA FY2027 ZIP file published · rates checked · Published by Radif Partners · Rules and data
- GSA areas above the standard rate
- 4
- Highest lodging maximum
- $185
- Where
- Louisville
- Everywhere else
- $113 + $68
Federal per diem for the trip
$820
Louisville, KY · Sun, Oct 25 to Wed, Oct 28
| Lodging, 3 nights at the GSA maximum | $540 |
| M&IE before meal deductions | $280 |
| M&IE paid | $280 |
| Total | $820 |
Rates of fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027). How this is calculated.
Day by day
| Day | Lodging | M&IE rate | Share | Meals off | M&IE paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Oct 25 FY2027 | $180 | $80 | 75% | – | $60 |
| Mon, Oct 26 FY2027 | $180 | $80 | 100% | – | $80 |
| Tue, Oct 27 FY2027 | $180 | $80 | 100% | – | $80 |
| Wed, Oct 28 FY2027 | – | $80 | 75% | – | $60 |
Kentucky per diem in FY2027 peaks at $185 a night in Louisville (Jefferson County) in February, March, April and May, falls to $132 in November, December and January, and carries $80 of M&IE all year. Kenton County pays $170 with $86 of M&IE, Lexington $125, Boone County $119 with the base $68 meal rate, and every other county the standard $113 and $68. These rates run from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027. Timing changes the bill more than anywhere else in the state: three nights in Louisville from April 12 to 15, 2027 come to $835.00 at the federal maximum, while the same stay from December 7 to 10, 2026 is worth $676.00. The calculator above is set on Louisville; pick your own dates to see the month that applies to each night.
Louisville now peaks in spring, not in autumn
In FY2026 the dearest Louisville months were October and September, at $164. The FY2027 file moves the top of the scale to February, March, April and May, at $185, which is $30 more than the same months paid a year earlier. October and September still sit near the top at $180, June to August at $158, and the winter floor rose from $120 to $132. Four price levels in one year means a long assignment can cross three of them, and a booking made in winter for a spring meeting should be checked against the spring figure, not the one on the day you reserve; the federal rule pays each night at the maximum of its own month, and the M&IE stays at $80 throughout.
Louisville, KY: per diem for a stay
Lodging + M&IE at the federal maximum
$676
| Lodging: 3 × $132 | $396 |
| M&IE: 2 travel days at $60 | $120 |
| M&IE: 2 full days at $80 | $160 |
Lodging taxes on top; provided meals are deducted in the full calculator.
Kenton and Boone counties, $18 apart on meals
Two of the four Kentucky areas are single counties with very different meal allowances. Kenton County, home to Covington, Independence and Erlanger, is on the $86 tier, the highest in the state. Boone County, where Florence is the largest Census place, stays on $68, the same meal amount as a county with no listing at all. Its lodging line is only $6 above the standard. On a four-day trip the gap in M&IE alone is $63.00, so the county of the work site, not the nearest big city, decides the claim. GSA's M&IE breakdown splits each tier into breakfast, lunch, dinner and incidentals, which is what you deduct when a meal is provided.
Lexington and the standard-rate cities
Fayette County (Lexington) is flat at $125, up from $118. Bowling Green, Owensboro, Georgetown and Richmond have no area of their own and take $113 and $68. Fuel is a small mercy for drivers: Kentucky falls in the EIA Midwest series, $4.109 a gallon of regular in the week of October 5, 2026, under the U.S. average of $4.354. The road trip cost calculator adds fuel to the per diem for a full itinerary.
Every GSA area in Kentucky: FY2027 against FY2026
| GSA area | Counties or limits | Lodging FY2027 | M&IE | Lodging FY2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville | Jefferson | $132 to $185 | $80 | $120 to $164 |
| Kenton | Kenton | $170 | $86 | $163 |
| Lexington | Fayette | $125 | $80 | $118 |
| Boone | Boone | $119 | $68 | $116 |
| Rest of the state | All other counties | $113 | $68 | $110 |