Median rent is 23% lower in Lexington-Fayette ($1,164/mo vs $1,509/mo). Buying is cheaper in Lexington-Fayette, where the median home runs $293,500 versus $303,000. Households earn more in Fort Worth ($79,507 vs $69,479 a year).
City A
Fort Worth, TX
City B
Lexington-Fayette, KY
How much would you need to earn in Lexington-Fayette, KY to maintain your standard of living from Fort Worth, TX?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Fort Worth
Texas
Lexington-Fayette
Kentucky
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Renters will find significantly cheaper housing in Lexington-Fayette — median rent of $1,164/mo versus $1,509/mo in Fort Worth, a 23% difference. Median home values are within 3% of each other: $303,000 in Fort Worth and $293,500 in Lexington-Fayette.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Fort Worth
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Lexington-Fayette
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Air quality data is available for Lexington-Fayette (avg AQI 24.0) but not yet for Fort Worth.
Pick Fort Worth if you prioritize higher median household income ($79,507/yr).
Pick Lexington-Fayette if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,164/mo median).
Is Fort Worth cheaper than Lexington-Fayette?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Fort Worth vs Lexington-Fayette?
Median rent is $1,509/mo in Fort Worth, TX and $1,164/mo in Lexington-Fayette, KY. Lexington-Fayette, KY has the lower rent by about 23%.
Which has higher salaries — Fort Worth or Lexington-Fayette?
Median household income is $79,507 in Fort Worth, TX and $69,479 in Lexington-Fayette, KY. Fort Worth, TX has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Air quality data is not yet available for one or both cities.
Which has lower taxes — Fort Worth or Lexington-Fayette?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Lexington-Fayette to match my Fort Worth income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
