CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

38.17° N · 85.65° W · GEOID 2148006

Louisville/Jefferson County

Jefferson County, Kentucky · part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY metro

KentuckyLouisville/Jefferson County, KYLouisville/Jefferson CountyLouisville/Jefferson County

The short answer

Louisville/Jefferson County is home to 631,818 people. Median household income is $66,849 a year and median rent is $1,120 a month, 20.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $233,900, about 3.5x annual median household income.

Louisville/Jefferson County stands out for what is close at hand. OpenStreetMap shows 2.6 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 99% of cities its size. Also notable: The median rent takes 20.1% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 87% of cities its size.

44OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

Louisville/Jefferson County scores better than 44% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 57th of 85 in Kentucky.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%56
Economy 20%36
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%36
Education 10%53
Commute 10%66
Growth 5%48

Not rated: safety, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,120
18% below the median place
Median household income
$66,849
17% below the median place
Median home value
$233,900
27% below the median place
Unemployment
5.5%
12% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Louisville/Jefferson County

  • Affordability48% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 80% of the 91 cities of 250,000 or more we track.
01

Moving to Louisville/Jefferson County

Jefferson County loses about 6.6 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in24,637
Moved out28,643
Net−4,006

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Bullitt County, KY1,9502,795−845
Oldham County, KY1,2921,896−604
Clark County, IN1,0631,731−668
Shelby County, KY6481,038−390
Floyd County, IN6091,054−445

Within Kentucky, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within KentuckyOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$60K
Leavers$75K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Jefferson County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
4.9% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.4% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Jefferson County report $60,500 a year in income on average; those leaving, $74,700, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$44,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,120 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,555 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $233,900.
Getting to work
23 minutes each way on average; 13.3% work from home; 1.8% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Cedar Rapids, IA matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
4.9%
14% below the median place
Moved from another state1
2.4%
23% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people8
-6.6
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureLouisville/Jefferson CountyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year14.9%14% below
Moved from another state12.4%23% above
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-6.6below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$60,46914% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$74,7326% above
02

What it costs to live here

The median home costs 3.5 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 80% of the 91 cities of 250,000 or more we track.

Louisville/Jefferson County20.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$44,800
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
20.1%
1% below the median place
Home price to income
3.5x
8% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
20%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$55,800
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Louisville/Jefferson County, $1,120 a month, and local prices for everything else (96.0 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Louisville/Jefferson County, but easier on the budget

Places that match Louisville/Jefferson County on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Cedar Rapids, IA8816.5% vs 20.1%$7,900Compare
Sioux Falls, SD8016.3% vs 20.1%$12,500Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Louisville/Jefferson County.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Louisville/Jefferson County? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,989
39% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,555
17% below the median place
Median home value1
$233,900
27% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureLouisville/Jefferson CountyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,12018% below
Rent to income120.1%1% below
Property tax rate10.8%7% below
Home price to income13.5x8% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure93.18% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,27621% below
HUD area median income4County figure$99,0008% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,98939% below
Median home value1$233,90027% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure4.0%26% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure43.3%16% below
Homeownership160.7%9% below
Renters paying 30%+147.8%6% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,55517% below
Vacant homes18.5%21% above
Median year built119710% below
03

Work and pay

OpenStreetMap shows 1.5 bus and rail stops per square mile, fewer than in 80% of the 91 cities of 250,000 or more we track.

Poverty rate1
15.8%
47% above the median place
Median household income1
$66,849
17% below the median place
Commutes by transit1
1.8%
107% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Mean commute23 min −10%
Unemployment5.5% +12%
Works from home13.3% +7%
Income per person$39,683 −1%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureLouisville/Jefferson CountyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$66,84917% below
Income per person1$39,6831% below
Unemployment15.5%12% above
Average annual pay6County figure$74,42413% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.4%19% above
Jobs6County figure480,013219% above
Poverty rate115.8%47% above
Mean commute123 min10% below
Works from home113.3%7% above
Commutes by transit11.8%107% above
04

Who lives here

Household size is 2.3, 6% below the median place.

Household size1
2.3
6% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
90.5%
2% below the median place
High school or higher1
90.3%
2% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Median age37.7 −3%
Born abroad10.4% +18%
No health insurance6.0% −6%
Bachelor's or higher33.8% +5%
All 9 people measures
MeasureLouisville/Jefferson CountyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population1631,81828th largest
Population change since 202071.6%38% above
Median age137.73% below
Bachelor's or higher133.8%5% above
High school or higher190.3%2% below
Household size12.36% below
Born abroad110.4%18% above
No health insurance16.0%6% below
Homes with broadband190.5%2% below
05

Life in Louisville/Jefferson County

OpenStreetMap shows 1.1 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 98% of the 91 cities of 250,000 or more we track.

533 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 8 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents2.6 −74%
Playgrounds per 10k3.8 −60%
Grocery stores per 10k1.1 −50%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k4.0 −64%
Libraries per 10k0.1 −85%
Named paths and bike trails163 km 81.5×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi1.5 7.0×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park 38 miles
  • Camp Nelson National Monument 63 miles
  • Mammoth Cave National Park 72 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars22.2 +7%
Shops32.4 +7%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.6 +12%
Doctors' offices and clinics25.8 +28%
Child care centers2.6 +13%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site11
38.2
24% above the median place
Public schools13
174
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students13
95,579
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureLouisville/Jefferson CountyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13County figure174above (median 9)
Public school students13County figure95,579above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher13County figure15.40% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure22.27% above
Shops per 10k9County figure32.47% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure4.612% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure25.828% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.613% above
Parks per 10k102.674% below
Playgrounds per 10k103.860% below
Grocery stores per 10k101.150% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k104.064% below
Libraries per 10k100.185% below
Named paths and bike trails10162.9above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi101.5above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1138.224% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles11150% below
National Register listings12County figure533above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Tornado risk is 99.8, 23% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Louisville/Jefferson County. Larger places are fetched first.

Tornado risk15
99.8
23% above the median place
Natural hazard risk15
98.3
6% above the median place
Annual precipitation14
50.1 in
14% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureLouisville/Jefferson CountyAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure87°F1% above
January average low14County figure25°F1% below
Average temperature14County figure57°F3% above
Annual precipitation14County figure50.1 in14% above
Natural hazard risk15County figure98.36% above
Hurricane risk15County figure35.849% below
Tornado risk15County figure99.823% above
Wildfire risk15County figure56.18% below
Heat wave risk15County figure96.98% above
Median air quality index16County figure4914% above
Good air days16County figure51.5%25% below
08

Louisville/Jefferson County in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 20% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 20% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Louisville/Jefferson County does better than 55% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 51%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,120/mo (2024)$1,440/mo$1,180 to $1,760/mo+4.3%
Median household income$66,849 (2024)$84,500$71,500 to $100,000+4.0%
Median home value$233,900 (2024)$335,000$244,000 to $462,000+6.2%
Population641,962 (2025)653,400626,760 to 681,180+0.4%

The median home would be worth 4.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.5 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Louisville/Jefferson County

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
High Point, NC$1,116$64,561Compare
Sierra Vista, AZ$1,150$70,291Compare
White Oak, OH$1,091$70,341Compare
Glens Falls, NY$1,077$67,788Compare
Glens Falls, NYWhite Oak, OHSierra Vista, AZHigh Point, NCLouisville/Jefferson County, KYLouisville/Jefferson CountyHigh PointSierra VistaWhite OakGlens FallsLouisville/Jefferson CountyHigh PointSierra VistaWhite OakGlens Falls

Places built like Louisville/Jefferson County

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Louisville/Jefferson County performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY20.1%4.6%/yr1.6%
Memphis, TN27.4%4.6%/yr-3.0%Compare
Omaha, NE19.5%4.0%/yr-0.6%Compare
Indianapolis, IN20.9%6.7%/yr1.5%Compare
Kansas City, MO21.5%5.0%/yr2.6%Compare
Albuquerque, NM20.1%5.2%/yr-1.4%Compare
Chattanooga, TN23.4%7.2%/yr6.9%Compare

Common questions

Is Louisville/Jefferson County a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 44 out of 100, better than 44% of the places we rate and 57th of 85 in Kentucky. 48% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 80% of the 91 cities of 250,000 or more we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 32 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Louisville/Jefferson County expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 20.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $233,900.

What salary do you need to live in Louisville/Jefferson County?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $44,800 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Louisville/Jefferson County?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are High Point, NC, Sierra Vista, AZ, White Oak, OH and Glens Falls, NY.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  16. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Louisville/Jefferson County with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Louisville/Jefferson County itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/louisville-jefferson-county-kentucky

Citytistics. “Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/louisville-jefferson-county-kentucky/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.