Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
People move for jobs, weather, and family. But they stay for this: 2 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K. The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 2 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've go…
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisville | $1,352 | 11% | 94 | Details |
| 2 | Lexington | $1,487 | 12% | 98 | Details |
#1 Ranked: Louisville — cost index 94, rent $1,352/mo, income $64,731
2 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K
2 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
People move for jobs, weather, and family. But they stay for this: 2 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $150K. The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 2 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. On a teacher's salary, this difference is the line between paycheck-to-paycheck and comfortable.
The way we see it, the 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $150K salary, 2 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. We ran the numbers on 2 cities in Kentucky using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Louisville comes out on top — here's the full ranking and analysis.
The #1 spot goes to Louisville, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,352/month — we had to double-check this one — — saving renters $6,516 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 84, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 96. A 25% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone.
Balance that against the cost side: The 2 cities we track in Kentucky paint a clearly affordable picture. Average cost index: 96. Median rent: $1,420/month. Household income: $66,181. Kentucky is known for Appalachian value and bourbon country charm — and the data backs that reputation convincingly (more on that below).
In plain English: If you're ready to act on this, three things to do next: 1) Click into the city pages for the top 3 and check rent trends — direction matters more than the snapshot. 2) Run your income through the salary calculator for a personalized cost comparison. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours (more on that below).
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Louisville | 4% | 6% | 0.78% | $103,483 |
2Lexington | 4% | 6% | 0.78% | $103,483 |
622,981 residents · Kentucky
Look, Why Louisville ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 94 on the cost index, residents save roughly 18% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,352/month while the median household pulls in $64,731/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 84, though Healthcare (96) lags behind. Home prices average $259,139 — $208,231 below the national median.
320,154 residents · Kentucky
Dive into Lexington's numbers: cost index 98 (14 points below national average), rent $1,487/month, income $67,631, and a home price of $322,743. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 91, while Healthcare runs 102. With 320,154 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
Louisville ranks #1 in Kentucky for this analysis with a cost index of 94 and median income of $64,731.
Yes. On a $150K salary in Louisville, rent would consume about 11% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. You're well within that guideline.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Louisville (ranked #1) has a cost index of 94 and rent of $1,352/mo, while Lexington (ranked #2) has a cost index of 98 and rent of $1,487/mo — a 4-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Louisville is $1,352/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $543 below the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 4% state income tax, estimated take-home on $150K in Louisville is approximately $103,483/year ($8,624/month). After median rent of $1,352/month, you'd have roughly $87,259/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Louisville is $259,139, which is 4.0× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Kentucky has a 4% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 6%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.78%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.