Cost of Living in Louisville, Kentucky
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Louisville, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 641,962
- Median household income
- $67,251
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 93.1
- Unemployment rate
- 6.7%
Is Louisville a good place to live?
Louisville sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 104 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job.
A typical worker in Louisville keeps $7,910 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living7% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,155 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$1,575 of state income tax on a typical wage, plus $1,064 of local income tax
Cost of living in Louisville
Prices in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN area run 7% below the US average. Utilities is the biggest difference, at 25% below the US average.
- Housing21% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities25% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)3% below the US average
- All items7% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,155 | $13,860 |
| Food | $475 | $5,700 |
| Transportation | $376 | $4,512 |
| Healthcare | $341 | $4,092 |
| Utilities | $195 | $2,340 |
| Total before taxes | $2,542 | $30,504 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Louisville | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,064 | $976 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,155 | $1,058 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,392 | $1,276 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,777 | $1,629 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,046 | $1,874 |
Living in Louisville
How Louisville compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Louisville | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,251 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $241,700 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,144 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 39.7% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.7% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 15.5% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 33.6% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 38.3 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 23.7 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 12.2% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 1.3% | 3.7% |
Home internet
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Louisville, led by Spectrum, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon. Fiber reaches 73.1% of homes and 98.1% can get gigabit speeds. Compare providers in Louisville
Pros and cons of living in Louisville
Pros
- Cheaper rent. Median rent is $1,144 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 23.7 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Lower cost of living. Prices are 7% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Affordable homes to buy. The median home is worth $241,700, against $360,600 nationally.
Cons
- Higher unemployment. Unemployment is 6.7%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
- Local income tax. Residents also pay Louisville Metro (1.25%), TARC (0.2%) and school boards (0.75%) occupational license tax income tax: $1,064 on a typical wage.
- Lower incomes. Median household income is $67,251, against $81,604 nationally.
What your job keeps in Louisville
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $48,370
- Federal income tax
- −$3,624
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,700
- State income tax
- −$1,575
- Local income tax
- −$1,064
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$13,860
- Everyday costs
- −$16,637
a year, or $659 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurse | $84,850 | $33,306 |
| Project manager | $82,660 | $31,890 |
| Accountant | $76,320 | $27,792 |
| Teacher | $65,774 | $20,901 |
| Electrician | $62,440 | $18,411 |
| Truck driver | $59,000 | $15,844 |
| Carpenter | $56,520 | $13,993 |
| Auto mechanic | $47,440 | $7,214 |
| Medical assistant | $44,450 | $4,983 |
| Nursing assistant | $42,220 | $3,318 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Louisville on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Civil engineer $44,814
- Data scientist $43,087
- Dental assistant $8,454
- Dental hygienist $31,069
- Dentist $75,751
- Diesel mechanic $17,569
- Financial analyst $28,684
- Firefighter $5,512
- HVAC technician $15,792
- Lawyer $58,904
- Licensed practical nurse $19,920
- Lineman $28,245
- Mechanical engineer $42,641
- Nurse practitioner $57,883
- Occupational therapist $43,126
- Paralegal $17,539
- Paramedic $13,425
- Pharmacist $71,052
- Pharmacy technician $3,811
- Physical therapist $44,561
- Physician assistant $62,853
- Plumber $26,731
- Police officer $18,995
- Radiologic technologist $28,140
- Respiratory therapist $27,947
- Social worker $16,004
- Software engineer $49,740
- Speech-language pathologist $45,312
- Veterinarian $48,273
- Welder $9,775
Local income tax:
Compare Louisville with other cities
Compare Louisville with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Louisville
18 licensed interstate movers are based in Louisville, and 12 more elsewhere in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Louisville, KY a good place to live?
Louisville sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 104 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job. The typical worker here earns $48,370 and keeps $7,910 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Louisville?
Prices in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN area are 7% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,155 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,386 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Louisville?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $37,800 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN area earns $48,370.
What is the average rent in Louisville?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,064 for a studio, $1,155 for a 1-bedroom and $1,392 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Louisville at $1,144 a month (2024).
Does Louisville have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $48,370, Kentucky state income tax comes to about $1,575 a year. Louisville residents also pay Louisville Metro (1.25%), TARC (0.2%) and school boards (0.75%) occupational license tax income tax, about $1,064 on the same wage.
What internet providers serve Louisville?
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Louisville, led by Spectrum, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon. 73.1% of homes can get fiber and 98.1% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate