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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $100K 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. Louis…
622,981 residents · Kentucky
A closer look at Louisville: the cost index of 79 — for better or worse — breaks down to a Housing index of 79 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 96 (weakest). Pretty standard for this type of city. Median rent is $1,352/month — 29% below the national median — while household income sits at $64,731, meaning locals spend about 25% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
320,154 residents · Kentucky
Here's Lexington by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 87. Rent: $1,487/month. Income: $67,631/year. That's about what we'd expect given the state context. Home price: $322,743. Population: 320,154. The strongest category is Housing at 87; the most expensive is Healthcare at 97. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $4,896 per year vs. the national median. That could be a concern depending on your priorities.
#1 Ranked: Louisville — cost index 79, rent $1,352/mo, income $64,731
2 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $100K
2 of 2 cities keep rent under 30% of $100K 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 | 16% | 79 | Details |
| 2 | Lexington | $1,487 | 18% | 87 | Details |
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $100K 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 — saving renters $6,516 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 79, 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.
Bottom line: Louisville leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Louisville | 4% | 6% | 0.78% | $71,297 |
2Lexington | 4% | 6% | 0.78% | $71,297 |
We model what a $100K salary looks like after taxes in each city: federal income tax (marginal brackets), FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. Then we compare take-home against local rent and costs to determine where the salary stretches furthest. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Louisville ranks #1 in Kentucky for this analysis with a cost index of 79 and median income of $64,731.
Yes. On a $100K salary in Louisville, rent would consume about 16% 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 79 and rent of $1,352/mo, while Lexington (ranked #2) has a cost index of 87 and rent of $1,487/mo — a 8-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 $100K in Louisville is approximately $71,297/year ($5,941/month). After median rent of $1,352/month, you'd have roughly $55,073/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.