?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Owensboro, KY vs Paducah, KY

Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.

A household earning $85,000 in Owensboro needs about $82,500 in Paducah to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Paducah, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $87,500 in Owensboro.

A few differences

Owensboro vs Paducah · facet by facet
FacetOwensboro, KYPaducah, KY
Median home price$178,900$165,300
2-bedroom rent$931/mo$934/mo
Property tax rate0.83%0.83%
State & local income tax5.45%5.45%
Sales tax6%6%
Cost of living index7776
Groceries index9595
Utilities$160/mo$160/mo
Median household income$56,357$49,915
Unemployment rate4.3%4.3%
Crime index45/10045/100
School rating5.2/105.2/10
Sunny days / year190 days190 days

Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.

Full profiles: Owensboro, KY · Paducah, KY
Questions & answers
Is Owensboro cheaper than Paducah?
Paducah has the lower day-to-day cost index (76 vs 77 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in Paducah equals $85,000 in Owensboro?
A household earning $85,000 in Owensboro needs about $82,500 in Paducah to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Paducah lifestyle costs about $87,500 in Owensboro.