Prices, pay, taxes, homes and family budgets, county by county, from the same official data the site's calculators use.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis measures price levels in every state against a national average of 100. Kentucky scores 90.2 overall, so a $75,000 salary at average US prices buys what $67,619 buys here. Compare any salary with another state.
| Price level | Kentucky (US = 100) | Rank, most expensive first |
|---|---|---|
| Everything | 90.2 | 40th of 51 |
| Rents | 64.3 | 45th of 51 |
| Goods | 96.0 | — |
| Other services | 97.3 | — |
Home electricity averaged 12.79 cents a kilowatt-hour in 2024, against 17.06 across all states. A gallon of regular gas cost $3.71 at the end of August 2026, against $4.12.
Across all 2,000,360 jobs the Bureau of Labor Statistics counts in Kentucky, the median pay is $46,920 a year, or $22.56 an hour; that ranks 44th of the 50 states and DC. One worker in ten earns less than $27,970 and one in ten more than $98,380.
Kentucky taxes wages at a flat 3.5%. The brackets in Kentucky. A single filer on the median $46,920, with no retirement or health deductions, takes home about $38,238 a year, or $1,471 every two weeks, after $3,450 of federal income tax, $3,589 of Social Security and Medicare and $1,642 of state income tax. Work out your own paycheck in Kentucky.
The five occupations employing the most people, with their median annual pay:
| Occupation | Jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 57,930 | $42,770 |
| General and Operations Managers | 52,100 | $79,370 |
| Retail Salespersons | 51,250 | $29,650 |
| Registered Nurses | 50,300 | $81,040 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 47,730 | $36,810 |
Of the 20 largest occupations, the best paid are registered nurses ($81,040), general and operations managers ($79,370), first-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers ($63,180). See what common jobs pay in every state.
Across the 120 Kentucky counties with their own Zillow home value, the median typical home is worth $180,497, and across the 31 with their own rent figure the median typical rent is $1,258 a month. A typical home costs 2.74 years of the county's median family income, at the median county.
With 10% down at 7.03%, the average 30-year rate on September 24, 2026, that home costs about $1,493 a month with tax, insurance and mortgage insurance, which takes $63,973 a year of income under the usual 28% guideline. The median family can afford its own county's typical home in 56.7% of Kentucky's counties, against 44.9% of counties nationally. Try it with your own income.
At the median county, home values changed −3.2% over the past year and +28.1% over five years, and rents +3.0% over the past year.
The most expensive Kentucky counties are Oldham County ($452,819), Spencer County ($380,890) and Woodford County ($355,420); the least expensive are Knott County ($60,790), Letcher County ($65,584) and Breathitt County ($72,947).
The Economic Policy Institute prices what a modest but adequate standard of living costs in every county: housing, food, transport, healthcare, childcare, other necessities and taxes. In the median Kentucky county, that comes to $42,589 a year for one adult and $91,087 for two adults and two children, of which $13,871 is childcare. The national averages are $47,367 and $101,771. Median family income in the median county is $70,319.
| Two adults, two children | Per year, median county | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | $10,404 | $867 |
| Food | $10,881 | $907 |
| Transportation | $18,404 | $1,534 |
| Healthcare | $17,375 | $1,448 |
| Childcare | $13,871 | $1,156 |
| Other necessities | $6,619 | $552 |
| Taxes | $12,863 | $1,072 |
Each line is its own median across counties, so the lines do not add up exactly to the total.
The Department of Education's College Scorecard lists 87 colleges in Kentucky, 24 of them public. The median public college reports a cost of attendance of $14,148 a year, covering tuition, housing, books and other expenses. Ten years after enrolling, the median school's former students earn $36,235. Compare degrees and schools.
| Adair County | $166,274 | −10.4% | — | $64,569 | $85,130 |
| Allen County | $211,177 | −5.9% | — | $76,166 | $97,799 |
| Anderson County | $267,561 | +1.3% | $1,132 | $85,921 | $93,652 |
| Ballard County | $137,952 | −10.6% | — | $82,747 | $96,817 |
| Barren County | $218,668 | −1.4% | — | $61,990 | $86,545 |
| Bath County | $183,624 | +1.8% | — | $69,492 | $81,256 |
| Bell County | $92,464 | −18.4% | — | $46,263 | $84,131 |
| Boone County | $350,807 | +2.5% | $1,651 | $114,142 | $118,503 |
| Bourbon County | $259,234 | −3.3% | — | $76,560 | $98,479 |
| Boyd County | $138,845 | −4.9% | — | $72,397 | $86,241 |
| Boyle County | $245,870 | +0.7% | $1,112 | $78,151 | $89,503 |
| Bracken County | $205,035 | +7.2% | — | $76,336 | $93,212 |
| Breathitt County | $72,947 | −20.9% | — | $54,978 | $84,057 |
| Breckinridge County | $175,222 | −2.5% | — | $70,845 | $92,662 |
| Bullitt County | $298,368 | +0.7% | $1,547 | $90,615 | $101,394 |
| Butler County | $177,093 | −7.6% | — | $67,125 | $93,017 |
| Caldwell County | $152,850 | −8.6% | — | $76,230 | $92,471 |
| Calloway County | $180,311 | −21.1% | $1,079 | $78,027 | $95,456 |
| Campbell County | $298,114 | +3.0% | $1,526 | $105,673 | $112,198 |
| Carlisle County | $136,918 | −4.9% | — | $71,523 | $91,636 |
| Carroll County | $193,260 | −3.2% | — | $74,002 | $94,938 |
| Carter County | $161,661 | −6.2% | — | $64,750 | $90,447 |
| Casey County | $159,230 | −3.1% | — | $52,526 | $84,690 |
| Christian County | $204,594 | 0.0% | $1,135 | $62,703 | $93,184 |
| Clark County | $256,927 | +5.2% | $1,226 | $84,941 | $98,481 |
| Clay County | $111,885 | −11.5% | — | $45,462 | $84,821 |
| Clinton County | $151,231 | −10.8% | — | $54,784 | $85,330 |
| Crittenden County | $121,435 | −11.5% | — | $76,193 | $93,810 |
| Cumberland County | $152,428 | −8.7% | — | $54,625 | $85,529 |
| Daviess County | $220,446 | +2.4% | $1,161 | $83,065 | $97,596 |
| Edmonson County | $195,982 | −0.4% | — | $67,436 | $97,481 |
| Elliott County | $154,953 | −8.0% | — | $49,012 | $83,379 |
| Estill County | $124,116 | −10.9% | — | $59,216 | $93,211 |
| Fayette County | $334,562 | +3.2% | $1,551 | $95,958 | $101,524 |
| Fleming County | $182,467 | −0.8% | — | $63,005 | $81,102 |
| Floyd County | $86,666 | −21.7% | — | $56,707 | $85,840 |
| Franklin County | $247,227 | −0.8% | $1,035 | $85,554 | $90,643 |
| Fulton County | $92,556 | −9.3% | — | $49,023 | $89,492 |
| Gallatin County | $204,973 | +4.9% | — | $67,360 | $108,508 |
| Garrard County | $257,902 | +0.1% | — | $70,488 | $97,094 |
| Grant County | $282,104 | +2.8% | — | $79,271 | $104,165 |
| Graves County | $171,214 | −0.5% | — | $62,518 | $90,525 |
| Grayson County | $167,716 | −17.2% | — | $65,234 | $87,618 |
| Green County | $189,694 | +2.7% | — | $56,755 | $84,843 |
| Greenup County | $162,036 | −1.5% | — | $73,604 | $89,092 |
| Hancock County | $205,091 | +3.8% | — | $78,750 | $99,461 |
| Hardin County | $246,588 | −3.6% | $1,258 | $82,970 | $95,571 |
| Harlan County | $76,648 | −10.4% | — | $51,342 | $84,335 |
| Harrison County | $245,365 | +0.4% | — | $78,411 | $94,869 |
| Hart County | $190,947 | −1.2% | — | $63,872 | $88,112 |
| Henderson County | $208,278 | +0.8% | — | $74,845 | $91,699 |
| Henry County | $252,314 | +1.0% | — | $77,934 | $100,963 |
| Hickman County | $129,974 | −5.4% | — | $82,254 | $92,669 |
| Hopkins County | $144,960 | −9.5% | — | $69,515 | $94,039 |
| Jackson County | $112,185 | −20.9% | — | $53,487 | $83,569 |
| Jefferson County | $268,324 | +1.0% | $1,369 | $88,392 | $110,679 |
| Jessamine County | $328,895 | +2.6% | $1,542 | $92,041 | $101,139 |
| Johnson County | $139,606 | −8.5% | — | $58,065 | $83,157 |
| Kenton County | $291,225 | +2.0% | $1,499 | $100,311 | $109,532 |
| Knott County | $60,790 | −23.5% | — | $47,002 | $85,243 |
| Knox County | $131,697 | −5.7% | — | $43,456 | $83,592 |
| Larue County | $224,713 | −5.2% | — | $77,383 | $97,645 |
| Laurel County | $184,267 | −2.9% | — | $67,071 | $84,850 |
| Lawrence County | $139,776 | −3.3% | — | $63,744 | $79,744 |
| Lee County | $135,980 | −8.3% | — | $42,516 | $84,320 |
| Leslie County | $75,431 | −21.5% | — | $56,042 | $85,282 |
| Letcher County | $65,584 | −19.4% | — | $54,588 | $84,696 |
| Lewis County | $118,519 | −7.0% | — | $57,844 | $79,724 |
| Lincoln County | $199,961 | −2.9% | — | $60,544 | $92,171 |
| Livingston County | $149,849 | −7.1% | — | $73,750 | $93,433 |
| Logan County | $196,883 | −2.2% | $886 | $75,801 | $87,791 |
| Lyon County | $180,683 | −10.3% | — | $83,433 | $94,039 |
| Madison County | $287,618 | +1.2% | $1,159 | $80,808 | $92,294 |
| Magoffin County | $131,639 | −20.3% | — | $39,293 | $83,815 |
| Marion County | $240,180 | +1.6% | — | $68,432 | $87,167 |
| Marshall County | $205,185 | −6.4% | $1,050 | $77,895 | $94,550 |
| Martin County | $103,943 | −14.8% | — | $49,735 | $83,981 |
| Mason County | $174,584 | −4.9% | — | $66,260 | $79,851 |
| McCracken County | $191,342 | −1.7% | $1,118 | $83,470 | $92,415 |
| McCreary County | $100,883 | −12.8% | — | $41,729 | $84,242 |
| McLean County | $159,588 | −13.0% | — | $91,122 | $95,456 |
| Meade County | $280,919 | +1.0% | $1,290 | $80,362 | $100,411 |
| Menifee County | $132,055 | −15.5% | — | $54,052 | $82,024 |
| Mercer County | $242,832 | −1.4% | $877 | $84,164 | $94,328 |
| Metcalfe County | $176,026 | −3.3% | — | $57,413 | $88,232 |
| Monroe County | $147,577 | +4.2% | — | $62,763 | $87,572 |
| Montgomery County | $232,734 | +4.9% | $1,165 | $73,213 | $81,622 |
| Morgan County | $133,959 | −10.7% | — | $59,375 | $80,921 |
| Muhlenberg County | $130,485 | −10.9% | — | $70,149 | $91,879 |
| Nelson County | $268,186 | +4.2% | $1,044 | $81,035 | $92,259 |
| Nicholas County | $208,846 | −0.9% | — | $68,110 | $95,055 |
| Ohio County | $153,835 | −3.7% | — | $59,822 | $88,278 |
| Oldham County | $452,819 | +1.7% | $1,973 | $136,115 | $107,039 |
| Owen County | $183,099 | −4.1% | — | $78,875 | $95,737 |
| Owsley County | $132,336 | −4.5% | — | $42,292 | $84,424 |
| Pendleton County | $238,153 | +3.8% | — | $79,256 | $107,120 |
| Perry County | $97,314 | −14.0% | — | $53,537 | $85,355 |
| Pike County | $100,440 | −11.6% | — | $58,340 | $86,704 |
| Powell County | $147,107 | −12.6% | — | $71,052 | $92,498 |
| Pulaski County | $180,103 | −1.7% | $1,302 | $62,843 | $85,234 |
| Robertson County | $202,283 | +6.9% | — | $57,283 | $81,170 |
| Rockcastle County | $150,190 | −12.4% | — | $62,438 | $82,098 |
| Rowan County | $189,868 | −1.3% | $1,037 | $72,544 | $79,973 |
| Russell County | $154,560 | −6.1% | — | $66,960 | $85,362 |
| Scott County | $344,917 | +4.1% | $1,573 | $99,521 | $113,807 |
| Shelby County | $329,483 | −0.6% | $1,624 | $97,901 | $100,782 |
| Simpson County | $256,937 | −0.9% | $1,542 | $71,830 | $92,579 |
| Spencer County | $380,890 | +5.5% | — | $110,430 | $104,112 |
| Taylor County | $216,217 | −1.9% | — | $79,393 | $82,617 |
| Todd County | $224,536 | −4.5% | — | $71,140 | $90,861 |
| Trigg County | $119,637 | −25.0% | — | $69,688 | $94,998 |
| Trimble County | $244,671 | −0.1% | — | $76,497 | $91,988 |
| Union County | $141,257 | −0.5% | — | $70,781 | $89,465 |
| Warren County | $292,575 | +0.4% | $1,259 | $82,221 | $97,666 |
| Washington County | $252,628 | +2.4% | — | $82,356 | $91,313 |
| Wayne County | $168,210 | −3.5% | — | $57,786 | $85,517 |
| Webster County | $140,054 | +7.0% | — | $66,456 | $90,319 |
| Whitley County | $145,275 | −10.7% | — | $53,640 | $84,339 |
| Wolfe County | $139,162 | +0.4% | — | $35,063 | $83,699 |
| Woodford County | $355,420 | −1.3% | $1,651 | $102,639 | $101,015 |
A dash means the source publishes no figure for that county. Home values and rents are Zillow's own county figures only; counties Zillow does not cover are left blank rather than filled with a state average.
Cincinnati, OH (typical rent $1,552), Louisville, KY (typical rent $1,357).
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County figures are medians across Kentucky's counties, each counting once, so they describe the spread of places rather than of people. Property tax and insurance vary widely; the calculators let you use your own.