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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
In plain English: 2 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $75K. The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $75K salary, 2 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. That's not something you see o…
622,981 residents · Kentucky
Look, Dive into Louisville's numbers: cost index 94 — not a number you see very often, by the way — (18 points below national average), rent $1,352/month, income $64,731, and a home price of $259,139. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 84, while Healthcare runs 96. As a major city with 622,981 residents, amenities and job markets are robust.
320,154 residents · Kentucky
A closer look at Lexington: the cost index of 98 breaks down to a Utilities index of 91 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 102 (weakest). Median rent is $1,487/month — 22% below the national median — while household income sits at $67,631, meaning locals spend about 26% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
#1 Ranked: Louisville — cost index 94, rent $1,352/mo, income $64,731
2 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $75K
2 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $75K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Median Rent | Rent % of Gross | Cost Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisville | $1,352 | 22% | 94 | Details |
| 2 | Lexington | $1,487 | 24% | 98 | Details |
In plain English: 2 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $75K. The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $75K salary, 2 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. That's not something you see often in the data.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $75K 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.
Dive into Louisville's numbers: cost index 94 (18 points below national average), rent $1,352/month, income $64,731, and a home price of $259,139. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 84, while Healthcare runs 96. As a major city with 622,981 residents, amenities and job markets are robust (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
(Tangentially — this is the kind of city where you can actually build equity on a median salary, which is increasingly rare.)
The broader context shifts things: Across Kentucky, the average cost of living index is 96 — 16 points below the national median. Known for Appalachian value and bourbon country charm, the state offers 2 tracked cities with median rents averaging $1,420/month. That's $475 less than the national average of $1,895. There's real money on the table here.
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. It lines up with what you'd expect. 3) Compare your top two picks head-to-head on our comparison page. The data is here; the decision is yours.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Louisville | 4% | 6% | 0.78% | $54,710 |
2Lexington | 4% | 6% | 0.78% | $54,710 |
Louisville ranks #1 in Kentucky for this analysis with a cost index of 94 and median income of $64,731.
Yes. On a $75K salary in Louisville, rent would consume about 22% 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 $75K in Louisville is approximately $54,710/year ($4,559/month). After median rent of $1,352/month, you'd have roughly $38,486/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.