44 cities · Updated March 2026
Kentucky is significantly more affordable than the national average, with a state-wide cost index of 68. The average monthly rent across Kentucky cities is $976, with median household incomes averaging $65,358 per year. The cheapest city is Campbellsville (index 48) and the most expensive is Francisville (index 107).
Kentucky has a moderate tax environment with a 4.0% top income tax rate, 6.0% sales tax, and 0.83% effective property tax rate.
Sorted from cheapest to most expensive (US average = 100)
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent | Income | Home Value | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Campbellsville | 48 | $657/mo | $49,389 | $162,900 | 11,523 |
| 2 | Ashland | 53 | $859/mo | $52,199 | $125,300 | 21,405 |
| 3 | Henderson | 53 | $788/mo | $47,176 | $151,400 | 27,994 |
| 4 | Somerset | 53 | $830/mo | $32,910 | $140,900 | 12,108 |
| 5 | Glasgow | 54 | $836/mo | $42,417 | $147,700 | 15,141 |
| 6 | Hopkinsville | 55 | $869/mo | $47,428 | $140,200 | 31,011 |
| 7 | Paris | 55 | $728/mo | $49,464 | $182,100 | 10,107 |
| 8 | Shively | 55 | $847/mo | $46,522 | $139,200 | 15,556 |
| 9 | Madisonville | 56 | $860/mo | $56,902 | $152,300 | 19,442 |
| 10 | Paducah | 56 | $817/mo | $51,243 | $164,600 | 26,894 |
| 11 | Berea | 57 | $806/mo | $56,484 | $178,000 | 15,557 |
| 12 | Danville | 58 | $767/mo | $53,370 | $202,200 | 17,235 |
| 13 | Murray | 60 | $835/mo | $40,348 | $193,300 | 17,888 |
| 14 | Owensboro | 60 | $900/mo | $53,295 | $162,900 | 60,112 |
| 15 | Radcliff | 61 | $965/mo | $60,976 | $163,300 | 22,967 |
| 16 | Winchester | 61 | $867/mo | $57,653 | $180,400 | 19,133 |
| 17 | Bardstown | 62 | $917/mo | $49,781 | $190,800 | 13,673 |
| 18 | Frankfort | 62 | $935/mo | $54,438 | $171,600 | 28,452 |
| 19 | Lawrenceburg | 62 | $901/mo | $63,690 | $185,400 | 11,838 |
| 20 | Covington | 63 | $949/mo | $58,814 | $167,900 | 40,902 |
| 21 | Richmond | 63 | $860/mo | $48,223 | $205,900 | 35,498 |
| 22 | Elizabethtown | 66 | $876/mo | $56,250 | $223,200 | 31,870 |
| 23 | Franklin | 66 | $1,034/mo | $55,552 | $170,400 | 10,254 |
| 24 | Shepherdsville | 66 | $898/mo | $71,250 | $202,300 | 14,351 |
| 25 | Erlanger | 68 | $981/mo | $78,420 | $189,400 | 19,677 |
| 26 | Bowling Green | 70 | $948/mo | $48,419 | $232,100 | 73,638 |
| 27 | Nicholasville | 71 | $996/mo | $67,514 | $210,700 | 31,625 |
| 28 | Newport | 72 | $994/mo | $58,422 | $221,100 | 14,039 |
| 29 | Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), Kentucky | 74 | $1,069/mo | $64,731 | $221,500 | 627,210 |
| 30 | Shelbyville | 74 | $979/mo | $73,733 | $238,600 | 17,436 |
| 31 | Versailles | 75 | $1,051/mo | $58,834 | $257,600 | 10,382 |
| 32 | Florence | 76 | $1,199/mo | $68,508 | $196,200 | 32,334 |
| 33 | Mount Washington | 77 | $919/mo | $93,852 | $253,700 | 18,228 |
| 34 | Alexandria | 82 | $1,062/mo | $103,750 | $253,400 | 10,430 |
| 35 | Lexington-Fayette urban county, Kentucky | 82 | $1,101/mo | $67,631 | $272,100 | 321,122 |
| 36 | Georgetown | 83 | $1,199/mo | $78,373 | $244,200 | 38,206 |
| 37 | Jeffersontown | 84 | $1,253/mo | $78,185 | $236,800 | 28,988 |
| 38 | Independence | 85 | $1,204/mo | $98,653 | $240,500 | 29,024 |
| 39 | Lyndon | 85 | $1,196/mo | $65,392 | $273,300 | 10,956 |
| 40 | Fort Thomas | 86 | $1,095/mo | $100,819 | $301,400 | 17,242 |
| 41 | La Grange | 86 | $1,192/mo | $86,222 | $268,000 | 10,188 |
| 42 | Burlington | 92 | $1,442/mo | $101,550 | $229,700 | 18,090 |
| 43 | St. Matthews | 93 | $1,253/mo | $80,716 | $325,700 | 17,491 |
| 44 | Francisville | 107 | $1,246/mo | $146,280 | $374,100 | 10,313 |
Common questions about cost of living in Kentucky