Median rent is 3% lower in Louisville/Jefferson County ($1,069/mo vs $1,101/mo). Buying is cheaper in Louisville/Jefferson County, where the median home runs $221,500 versus $272,100. Households earn more in Lexington-Fayette ($67,631 vs $64,731 a year).
City A
Lexington-Fayette, KY
City B
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY
How much would you need to earn in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY to maintain your standard of living from Lexington-Fayette, KY?
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 city's metro area. A rough estimate of overall purchasing power, not tax or take-home pay.
Metric
Lexington-Fayette
Kentucky
Louisville/Jefferson County
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: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rents are similar in both cities: $1,101/mo in Lexington-Fayette and $1,069/mo in Louisville/Jefferson County. Median home values are within 19% of each other: $272,100 in Lexington-Fayette and $221,500 in Louisville/Jefferson County.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
Kentucky's top income tax rate is 4.00% versus 4.00% in Kentucky, so Louisville/Jefferson County is more tax-friendly for high earners. Sales tax is 6.00% in Kentucky and 6.00% in Kentucky; Louisville/Jefferson County has the lower rate (local add-ons may apply in both).
Lexington-Fayette
Income tax: 4.00%
Sales tax: 6.00%
Louisville/Jefferson County
Income tax: 4.00%
Sales tax: 6.00%
Lexington-Fayette has cleaner air on average: 18.0 AQI (Good) compared to 31.0 AQI (Good) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Lexington-Fayette if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 18.0).
Is Lexington-Fayette cheaper than Louisville/Jefferson County?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Lexington-Fayette vs Louisville/Jefferson County?
Median rent is $1,101/mo in Lexington-Fayette, KY and $1,069/mo in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY. Louisville/Jefferson County, KY has the lower rent by about 3%.
Which has higher salaries — Lexington-Fayette or Louisville/Jefferson County?
Median household income is $67,631 in Lexington-Fayette, KY and $64,731 in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY. Lexington-Fayette, KY 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: 18.0 AQI versus 31.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Lexington-Fayette or Louisville/Jefferson County?
Kentucky's top income tax rate is 4.00% and Kentucky's is 4.00%. Louisville/Jefferson County, KY has the lower rate.
What salary do I need in Louisville/Jefferson County to match my Lexington-Fayette income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2024 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology