Rent Trends / KY
Rent Trends in Kentucky: 2015 to 2026
Yearly Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) for 48 cities in Kentucky. The average across tracked cities is $1,402/month in 2026, up from $840 in 2015 (+66.9%). That sits $563 below (-28.7% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,965.
Last updated: July 19, 2026
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) · Jan snapshots for 2015–2025; 2026 column = June 2026 release · U.S. typical rent $1,965 (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 ($1,965/month in June 2026, up from $1,362 in January 2019 on our national series).
Since 2023, the tracked-city average in Kentucky has risen from about $1,247 to $1,402 (+12.4%). That is the post-spike path — not a full reset to mid-2010s rents. The latest year step (2025 → 2026) is +6.5% ($1,317 → $1,402).
Within the state, long-run winners and losers split by city. The largest percentage increase from the earliest reading to 2026 is Lexington (+79.3%, $865 → $1,551). 2 of 48 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
- Corbin — $875
- Russellville — $890
- Henderson — $955
- Morehead — $969
- Hopkinsville — $997
Highest 2026 rents
- Union — $2,375
- Prospect — $2,343
- Independence — $2,143
- Burlington — $2,050
- Hebron — $1,950
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 | $815 | $844 | $886 | $929 | $958 | $983 | $1,032 | $1,127 | $1,220 | $1,287 | $1,337 | $1,394 | +71.0% | |
| Lexington | $865 | $898 | $939 | $958 | $991 | $1,020 | $1,071 | $1,200 | $1,317 | $1,394 | $1,465 | $1,551 | +79.3% | |
| Bowling Green | — | — | — | $906 | $920 | $938 | $969 | $1,089 | $1,147 | $1,198 | $1,238 | $1,284 | +41.7% | |
| Owensboro | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,003 | $1,042 | $1,121 | +11.8% | |
| Richmond | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $918 | $1,038 | $1,085 | $1,159 | $1,188 | +29.4% | |
| Paducah | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,198 | $1,285 | +7.3% | |
| Elizabethtown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,163 | $1,291 | $1,322 | $1,327 | +14.1% | |
| Florence | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,337 | $1,378 | $1,474 | $1,547 | $1,588 | +18.8% | |
| Frankfort | — | — | — | — | — | — | $777 | $877 | $988 | $1,003 | $1,083 | $1,151 | +48.1% | |
| Georgetown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,364 | $1,455 | $1,524 | +11.7% | |
| Nicholasville | — | — | — | — | — | — | $997 | $1,088 | $1,186 | $1,315 | $1,422 | $1,546 | +55.1% | |
| Covington | — | — | — | $902 | $963 | $1,055 | $1,138 | $1,262 | $1,364 | $1,443 | $1,497 | $1,615 | +79.0% | |
| Somerset | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,246 | +0.0% | |
| Hopkinsville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $881 | $932 | $997 | +13.2% | |
| Henderson | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $955 | +0.0% | |
| Winchester | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,209 | +0.0% | |
| Shelbyville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,448 | +0.0% | |
| Independence | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,143 | +0.0% | |
| Murray | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,008 | $1,112 | +10.3% | |
| Bardstown | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,075 | +0.0% | |
| Corbin | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $875 | +0.0% | |
| Berea | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,084 | +0.0% | |
| Morehead | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $969 | +0.0% | |
| Danville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,134 | +0.0% | |
| Burlington | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,050 | +0.0% | |
| Versailles | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,650 | +0.0% | |
| Union | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,375 | +0.0% | |
| Lawrenceburg | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,138 | +0.0% | |
| Mount Washington | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,531 | +0.0% | |
| Radcliff | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,007 | $994 | $1,055 | +4.8% | |
| Erlanger | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,046 | $1,105 | $1,159 | $1,242 | +18.7% | |
| Prospect | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $2,065 | $2,117 | $2,160 | $2,343 | +13.5% | |
| Paris | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,023 | +0.0% | |
| Alexandria | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,488 | +0.0% | |
| Shepherdsville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,652 | +0.0% | |
| Hebron | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,950 | +0.0% | |
| Vine Grove | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,625 | +0.0% | |
| Fort Thomas | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,272 | $1,402 | +10.2% | |
| Newport | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,199 | $1,286 | $1,371 | $1,457 | $1,614 | +34.6% | |
| Russellville | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $890 | +0.0% | |
| Fort Mitchell | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,190 | +0.0% | |
| Oak Grove | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $935 | $1,007 | $1,063 | $1,104 | $1,140 | +21.9% | |
| Fort Wright | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,565 | +0.0% | |
| Cold Spring | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,637 | +0.0% | |
| Dayton | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,797 | $1,869 | +4.0% | |
| Highland Heights | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,578 | +0.0% | |
| Ludlow | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $998 | +0.0% | |
| Southgate | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $1,447 | +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 48 tracked Kentucky cities is about $1,402/month, which is $563 below (-28.7% vs) the U.S. typical rent of $1,965. 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 $1,965.
What city in Kentucky has the cheapest rent?
Among cities in our ZORI sample, Corbin is the lowest at about $875/month (2026). Other lower-rent cities include Russellville ($890), Henderson ($955), Morehead ($969).
What city in Kentucky has the most expensive rent?
Union leads our sample at about $2,375/month in 2026, followed by Prospect ($2,343) and Independence ($2,143).
How much have rents in Kentucky changed since 2015?
Across tracked cities, the average moved from about $840 in 2015 to $1,402 in 2026 (+66.9%). 2 of 48 cities are higher than their earliest reading in this series; the largest percentage jump is Lexington (+79.3%).
Are rents in Kentucky still rising year over year?
From 2025 to 2026, the average across tracked Kentucky cities went from about $1,317 to $1,402 (+6.5%). Since 2023 ($1,247), that is +12.4%. Individual cities can diverge — sort by % Chg or compare the '25 and '26 columns.
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