Jefferson County · Kentucky · South · 632k residents
Louisville, KY: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Louisville: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Kentucky median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in Louisville is $250,000, 20% above the Kentucky median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,300/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 89 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $61,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A river city with bourbon, horse racing, and a food scene that refuses to be background noise.
Known for: The Kentucky Derby, bourbon, bluegrass, riverfront history, and culinary traditions.
Calendar note: The Kentucky Derby Festival fills the spring calendar.
Story source: Louisville Tourism
- Scale: A large city with a quarter-million or more residents in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Louisville about 102 miles from the nearest tracked lake.
- Climate signal: The profile records 202 sunny days and 4 inches of annual snow.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 35 and an average commute of 23 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Louisville side by side
Cost of living index
89
Median home value
$250,000
2-bedroom rent
$1,300/mo
Median household income
$61,000
Housing momentum
How fast Louisville's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
52/100
Steady
Ranks Louisville's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Louisville's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $250,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $150 |
| Property tax rate | 0.9% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,050/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,300/mo |
| State & local income tax | 5.9% |
| Sales tax | 6% |
| Cost of living index | 89 |
| Groceries index | 94 |
| Utilities | $170/mo |
| Transit pass | $50/mo |
| Gas price | $3.00/gal |
| Healthcare index | 94 |
| Childcare (per child) | $950/mo |
| Median household income | $61,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% |
| Population | 632k |
| Crime index | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 |
| Walkability | 35/100 |
| Disaster risk | 98/100 |
| Avg. commute | 23 min |
| Sunny days / year | 202 days |
| July high | 89°F |
| January low | 26°F |
| Annual snowfall | 4 in |
| Home price YoY | +1.6% |
| Home price MoM | -0.3% |
| Rent YoY | +2.6% |
| Rent MoM | +0.4% |
| Ocean coast | 496 mi |
| Big lake | 102 mi |
| Mountains | 224 mi |
| Major airport | 5 mi |
| Ski resort | 79 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Shively, KY · 16k
- St. Matthews, KY · 18k
- Jeffersontown, KY · 29k
- Mount Washington, KY · 18k
- Shelbyville, KY · 18k
Similar size
- Lexington, KY · 324k
- Bowling Green, KY · 75k
- Owensboro, KY · 60k
- Covington, KY · 41k
- Georgetown, KY · 39k
Real listings in Louisville
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Louisville, KY?
- Louisville indexes at 89 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,300/mo and a median home value of $250,000.
- How much does a house cost in Louisville?
- The median home value in Louisville is $250,000, 20% above the Kentucky median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Louisville?
- A two-bedroom in Louisville rents for about $1,300/mo.