Median rent is 28% lower in Lexington-Fayette ($1,164/mo vs $1,619/mo). Buying is cheaper in Lexington-Fayette, where the median home runs $293,500 versus $315,600. Households earn more in Irving ($81,830 vs $69,479 a year).
City A
Irving, TX
City B
Lexington-Fayette, KY
How much would you need to earn in Lexington-Fayette, KY to maintain your standard of living from Irving, 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
Irving
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 $1,619/mo in Irving, a 28% difference. Median home values are within 7% of each other: $315,600 in Irving 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.
Irving
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Lexington-Fayette
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Lexington-Fayette has cleaner air on average: 24.0 AQI (Good) compared to 55.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Irving if you prioritize higher median household income ($81,830/yr).
Pick Lexington-Fayette if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,164/mo median).
Pick Lexington-Fayette if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 24.0).
Is Irving cheaper than Lexington-Fayette?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Irving vs Lexington-Fayette?
Median rent is $1,619/mo in Irving, TX and $1,164/mo in Lexington-Fayette, KY. Lexington-Fayette, KY has the lower rent by about 28%.
Which has higher salaries — Irving or Lexington-Fayette?
Median household income is $81,830 in Irving, TX and $69,479 in Lexington-Fayette, KY. Irving, 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?
Lexington-Fayette, KY has better air quality on average: 24.0 AQI versus 55.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Irving 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 Irving 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
