Rent affordability
How much rent can you afford in Kentucky?
At Kentucky's median household income of $64,526, the 30% rule leaves about $1,383 a month for rent after about $230 in utilities, internet, and renters insurance. 1-bedroom medians run from $844 in the Bowling Green metro to $1,003 in the Louisville metro. Each of the 3 city pages below adds its metro's rent and local utilities.
Max rent in Kentucky
$1,383/mo
30% of gross income is $1,613 a month. Utilities, internet, and renters insurance take $230, which leaves $1,383 for rent.
Metro 1-bedroom medians here run from $844 to $1,003. Pick a city below to compare one with your max.
- Take-home
- $4,287/moAfter estimated federal tax, state tax, and FICA.
- Move-in cash
- $2,766First month and a one-month deposit, at your max rent.
- Landlord screen
- $1,792/moHighest rent if a landlord wants income of 36× the rent.
Monthly budget
Where take-home pay of $4,287 goes at your max rent of $1,383. Each slice is its share of take-home.
- Rent32%$1,383
- Electric, gas, water3%$139
- Internet2%$78
- Renters insurance<1%$13
- Left over63%$2,674
Housing comes to $1,613 a month, 30% of gross income and 38% of take-home. That leaves $2,674 for food, transportation, savings, and everything else.
Rent by metro in Kentucky
Cities in the same metro share its median rent, as of August 2026. Each city page compares that rent with your max and adds local utilities and Census figures for the city.
Louisville metro
$1,003 1-bed
Lexington metro
$981 1-bed
Bowling Green metro
$844 1-bed
Household income in Kentucky
The U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates put median household income in Kentucky at $64,526. That was up 2.6% from $62,914 in 2023. The margin of error on the 2024 figure is $1,165. The estimate covers income of everyone age 15 or older in the household, in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars.
Household utility bills in Kentucky
These are typical monthly bills for all household types in Kentucky, not an apartment quote. The rent calculator uses a smaller apartment estimate for electricity, gas, water, sewer, and trash, plus the internet row. The all-household core of those housing bills is $369 a month.
| Bill | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Electricity | $135 |
| Natural gas | $89 |
| Water | $36 |
| Sewer | $47 |
| Trash | $62 |
| Internet | $78 |
Methodology and sources
Updated . Max rent is 30% of gross monthly income minus estimated utilities, internet, and renters insurance. If you enter other bills, max rent also keeps housing plus those bills within 36% of gross income, a debt-to-income ratio lenders generally consider good. Take-home pay uses 2026 federal brackets, Kentucky's 2025 single-filer income tax brackets, and FICA. Metro rents are Apartment List estimates. City pages add Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates. See how Kentucky's metros compare in the rent affordability rankings. None of this is tax, legal, or housing advice.