Rent Trends / KY
Rent Trends in Kentucky: 2015 to 2026
Yearly Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) for 44 cities in Kentucky. The average across tracked cities is $1,437/month in 2026, up from $830 in 2015 (+73.1%). That sits $525 below (-26.8% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,962.
Last updated: September 14, 2026
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) · Jan snapshots for 2015–2025; 2026 column = June 2026 release · U.S. typical rent $1,962 (June 2026)
What the Kentucky rent trend shows
This page follows market rents in Kentucky from 2015 through mid-2026 using the same Zillow ZORI vintage for every city in the table. State figures below are simple averages of the tracked cities — useful for comparing places inside Kentucky and stacking the state against the published U.S. typical rent ($1,962/month in June 2026, up from $1,357 in January 2019 on our national series).
Since 2023, the tracked-city average in Kentucky has risen from about $1,226 to $1,437 (+17.2%). That is the post-spike path — not a full reset to mid-2010s rents. The latest year step (2025 → 2026) is +10.5% ($1,300 → $1,437).
Within the state, long-run winners and losers split by city. The largest percentage increase from the earliest reading to 2026 is Lexington (+80.0%, $862 → $1,552). 2 of 44 tracked cities are higher than their 2015 (or earliest) level.
For the national rent story, see the Rent Index. Statewide maps live on Rent by State. Full city database: Rent by City.
City-level breakdown in Kentucky
Lowest 2026 rents
- Harrodsburg — $877
- Morehead — $973
- Berea — $997
- Frankfort — $1,035
- Bardstown — $1,044
Highest 2026 rents
- Prospect — $2,382
- La Grange — $2,114
- Burlington — $2,108
- Independence — $2,071
- Dayton — $2,037
Full list with every year from 2015–2026 is in the sortable table below.
All Kentucky cities — yearly rent table
| City | Metro | '15 | '16 | '17 | '18 | '19 | '20 | '21 | '22 | '23 | '24 | '25 | '26 | % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville | $798 | $826 | $868 | $909 | $938 | $962 | $1,010 | $1,102 | $1,193 | $1,258 | $1,306 | $1,362 | +70.7% | |
| Lexington | $862 | $895 | $935 | $954 | $987 | $1,015 | $1,066 | $1,194 | $1,311 | $1,388 | $1,459 | $1,552 | +80.0% | |
| Bowling Green | — | — | — | $895 | $909 | $925 | $957 | $1,073 | $1,132 | $1,184 | $1,220 | $1,258 | +40.6% | |
| Owensboro | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,028 | $1,067 | $1,161 | +12.9% | |
| Richmond | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $906 | $1,025 | $1,072 | $1,145 | $1,179 | +30.1% | |
| Paducah | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,030 | $1,118 | +8.5% | |
| Elizabethtown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,125 | $1,249 | $1,278 | $1,278 | +13.6% | |
| Florence | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,311 | $1,346 | $1,440 | $1,512 | $1,556 | +18.7% | |
| Frankfort | — | — | — | — | — | — | $696 | $785 | $880 | $898 | $969 | $1,035 | +48.7% | |
| Georgetown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,372 | $1,465 | $1,551 | +13.0% | |
| Nicholasville | — | — | — | — | — | — | $993 | $1,082 | $1,180 | $1,309 | $1,413 | $1,546 | +55.7% | |
| Covington | — | — | — | $887 | $947 | $1,037 | $1,117 | $1,240 | $1,340 | $1,419 | $1,474 | $1,614 | +82.0% | |
| Somerset | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,178 | +0.0% | |
| Hopkinsville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $933 | $990 | $1,062 | +13.8% | |
| Winchester | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,226 | +0.0% | |
| Shelbyville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,608 | +0.0% | |
| Independence | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,071 | +0.0% | |
| Murray | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $976 | $1,079 | +10.6% | |
| Bardstown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,044 | +0.0% | |
| Berea | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $997 | +0.0% | |
| Morehead | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $973 | +0.0% | |
| Danville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,108 | +0.0% | |
| La Grange | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,114 | +0.0% | |
| Burlington | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,108 | +0.0% | |
| Versailles | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,783 | +0.0% | |
| Lawrenceburg | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,132 | +0.0% | |
| Mount Washington | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,612 | +0.0% | |
| Radcliff | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,012 | $998 | $1,050 | +3.8% | |
| Harrodsburg | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $877 | +0.0% | |
| Erlanger | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,040 | $1,093 | $1,154 | $1,250 | +20.2% | |
| Prospect | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,069 | $2,116 | $2,161 | $2,382 | +15.1% | |
| Franklin | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,538 | +0.0% | |
| Shepherdsville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,720 | +0.0% | |
| Hebron | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,787 | +0.0% | |
| Vine Grove | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,775 | +0.0% | |
| Fort Thomas | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,259 | $1,386 | +10.1% | |
| Newport | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,187 | $1,265 | $1,347 | $1,433 | $1,587 | +33.7% | |
| Elsmere | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,564 | +0.0% | |
| Fort Mitchell | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,263 | +0.0% | |
| Oak Grove | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $953 | $1,026 | $1,085 | $1,126 | $1,163 | +22.0% | |
| Fort Wright | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,577 | +0.0% | |
| Dayton | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,860 | $2,037 | +9.5% | |
| Mount Sterling | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,450 | +0.0% | |
| Highland Heights | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,529 | +0.0% |
Click any column header to sort · % Chg uses earliest available year → 2026
Frequently asked questions — Kentucky rent
Is Kentucky cheap to rent in 2026?
Yes — relative to the national market. The average rent across 44 tracked Kentucky cities is about $1,437/month, which is $525 below (-26.8% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,962. That is a city-average in our sample, not a single statewide ZORI print, but it is a clear signal that Kentucky screens cheaper than the U.S. typical $1,962.
What city in Kentucky has the cheapest rent?
Among cities in our ZORI sample, Harrodsburg is the lowest at about $877/month (2026). Other lower-rent cities include Morehead ($973), Berea ($997), Frankfort ($1,035).
What city in Kentucky has the most expensive rent?
Prospect leads our sample at about $2,382/month in 2026, followed by La Grange ($2,114) and Burlington ($2,108).
How much have rents in Kentucky changed since 2015?
Across tracked cities, the average moved from about $830 in 2015 to $1,437 in 2026 (+73.1%). 2 of 44 cities are higher than their earliest reading in this series; the largest percentage jump is Lexington (+80.0%).
Are rents in Kentucky still rising year over year?
From 2025 to 2026, the average across tracked Kentucky cities went from about $1,300 to $1,437 (+10.5%). Since 2023 ($1,226), that is +17.2%. Individual cities can diverge — sort by % Chg or compare the '25 and '26 columns.
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