Rent in Kentucky
The median 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Kentucky is $1,075/mo, ranking #43 out of 51 states for highest rent. This is $175 below the national median of $1,250/mo. Kentucky has a population of 4.5M. About 31.7% of households rent their homes. Fair Market Rent data covers 20 areas across the state.
Highlights
All 20 Areas in Kentucky
| Area | Studio | 1BR | 2BR | 3BR | Burden | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Pop. 2.3M | $958 | $1,051 | $1,353 | $1,785 | 20.4% | +13.2% |
| Clarksville Pop. 329K | $1,090 | $1,094 | $1,346 | $1,871 | 24.4% | +8% |
| Lexington-Fayette Pop. 517K | $883 | $1,079 | $1,272 | $1,743 | 21.6% | +8.1% |
| Louisville Pop. 1.4M | $966 | $1,047 | $1,272 | $1,625 | 21.3% | -2.2% |
| Livingston County Pop. 8.9K | $865 | $960 | $1,158 | $1,388 | 23.3% | - |
| Grant County Pop. 2.3M | $823 | $899 | $1,155 | $1,385 | 17.4% | +18.5% |
| Bowling Green Pop. 183K | $889 | $985 | $1,153 | $1,384 | 22.2% | +4.4% |
| Shelby County Pop. 49K | $954 | $1,027 | $1,143 | $1,417 | 16.6% | +1.2% |
| Owensboro Pop. 112K | $840 | $846 | $1,110 | $1,466 | 20.3% | +1.7% |
| Meade County Pop. 30K | $814 | $819 | $1,075 | $1,463 | 18.4% | +3.9% |
| Ballard County Pop. 7.7K | $800 | $817 | $1,072 | $1,285 | 19.9% | - |
| McCracken County Pop. 68K | $729 | $851 | $1,058 | $1,269 | 20.4% | - |
| Elizabethtown Pop. 126K | $841 | $846 | $1,056 | $1,469 | 18.7% | +5.3% |
| Nelson County Pop. 47K | $770 | $781 | $1,016 | $1,360 | 18% | - |
| Allen County Pop. 21K | $759 | $759 | $996 | $1,224 | 20.2% | +4.4% |
| Huntington-Ashland Pop. 373K | $848 | $853 | $973 | $1,249 | 20% | +3.7% |
| Lawrence County Pop. 16K | $715 | $720 | $926 | $1,110 | 24.4% | - |
| Carlisle County Pop. 4.8K | $683 | $717 | $915 | $1,173 | 17.7% | - |
| Butler County Pop. 12K | $660 | $660 | $866 | $1,204 | 20% | +1.9% |
| Carter County Pop. 27K | $698 | $703 | $866 | $1,204 | 20.6% | +1.9% |
Frequently Asked Questions
The median 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent across Kentucky is $1,075 per month. Rents range from $866/mo in Carter County to $1,353/mo in Cincinnati. The actual median gross rent statewide is $933/mo according to Census data.
Kentucky ranks #43 out of 51 states for highest median Fair Market Rent. The state median 2BR FMR of $1,075/mo is $175 below the national median of $1,250/mo.
The average rent burden across Kentucky is 20.3%, meaning a typical household would spend 20.3% of income on a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent. No areas exceed HUD's 30% cost-burden threshold. The statewide median household income is $62,417.
The most affordable area in Kentucky is Carter County with a 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $866/mo. The median household income there is $50,389.
The most expensive area in Kentucky is Cincinnati with a 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,353/mo. The median household income there is $79,490.
Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality rental units. State-level income and demographic data comes from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year estimates. Rent burden is calculated as annual 2BR FMR divided by area median household income.