Cost of Living in Louisville, KY (2026)

Louisville's cost of living is 7% below the US average. $100,000 here is worth about $107,441 nationally. Rent, homes and monthly costs.

Louisville has a cost-of-living index of 93 against a US average of 100 — about 7% below average. $100,000 of income here is worth roughly $107,441 at the national average.

What it costs to live in Louisville

MeasureLouisvilleUS average
Cost-of-living index93100
Median rent$1,069/mo-
Median home value$221,500-
Median household income$64,731-
Population627,210-

Monthly cost breakdown in Louisville

Estimates use BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey shares scaled by the local cost-of-living index. Housing uses the city’s median rent; the owning column uses a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down on the median home.

CategoryRentingOwning
Housing$1,069$1,286
Transport$823$823
Food$648$648
Healthcare$407$407
Other$1,446$1,446
Total$4,393$4,610

Affordability in Louisville

Median rent takes about 19.8% of the median household income in Louisville — comfortably inside the 30% rule of thumb.

The median home costs 3.4x the median household income. Three times income is the traditional comfort line; five times is where affordability usually breaks down.

Highest-paying roles in Louisville

RoleTypical salaryWorth nationally
Marketing Manager$127,020$136,472
Software Developer$105,990$113,877
Mechanical Engineer$97,280$104,519
Physical Therapist$89,300$95,945
Data Scientist$86,810$93,270
Registered Nurse$79,260$85,158
Web Developer$77,420$83,181
Dental Hygienist$74,811$80,378

“Worth nationally” adjusts each salary for Louisville’s cost of living, so you can compare offers between cities on equal terms.

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Frequently asked questions

Louisville has a cost-of-living index of 93 against a US average of 100, so it is about 7% below the national average. In practical terms, $100,000 of income in Louisville has roughly the purchasing power of $107,441 at the national average.

A common benchmark is keeping rent at or under 30% of gross income. At Louisville's median rent of $1,069/month that implies about $42,760 a year before tax. The median household in Louisville earns $64,731.

Renting, a single household spends roughly $4,393 a month in Louisville across housing, transport, food, healthcare and everything else. Buying at the median home price, the estimate is about $4,610 a month including a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down.

The median home in Louisville costs $221,500, which is 3.4x the median household income of $64,731. Lenders traditionally treat 3x as comfortable and about 5x as stretched, so Louisville is manageable but tight.