USA Cost of Living Compare US cities and states with official data

Kentucky vs Florida: cost of living compared

Statewide price levels and incomes from BEA (2024); gas prices from EIA (weekly).

Is it cheaper to live in Kentucky or Florida?

  • Overall, Florida is 14.7% more expensive than Kentucky (BEA, 2024).
  • To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Kentucky works out to about $86,000 in Florida, before taxes.
  • Most of the difference is housing, which costs 89.9% more in Florida. Goods are 2.2% higher and other services 4.2% higher.
  • Utility prices (electricity, gas, water) are 19.6% higher in Florida.
  • After adjusting for local prices, personal income per person is $57,131 in Florida and $52,290 in Kentucky (9.3% higher in Florida; BEA, 2024, in 2017 dollars).
  • Inside each state, metro price levels run from 85.4 in The Villages, FL to 114.2 in Miami, FL (Florida) and from 86.1 in Paducah, KY to 93.1 in Louisville, KY (Kentucky), US = 100.
  • The gap has widened since 2019, when Florida was 11.2% more expensive than Kentucky.

derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities and real personal income by state. Statewide averages mix cities and rural areas; taxes are not included. How we calculate.

Try your own salary

18% matches BEA's average basket. Set your own share if housing takes more or less of your budget.

Category by category

Both states against the US average (100).

Housing drives the gap: 89.9% higher in Florida than in Kentucky

Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.

  • Kentucky
  • Florida
All items
90.2 103.4
Goods
96.0 98.1
Housing (rents)
64.3 122.1
Utilities
75.3 90.1
Other services
97.3 101.3

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
KentuckyFlorida
All items90.2103.4
Goods96.098.1
Housing (rents)64.3122.1
Utilities75.390.1
Other services97.3101.3
CategoryKentuckyFloridaFlorida vs Kentucky
All items90.2103.4+14.7%
Goods96.098.1+2.2%
Housing (rents)64.3122.1+89.9%
Utilities75.390.1+19.6%
Other services97.3101.3+4.2%
Income per person, adjusted for prices $52,290 $57,131 +9.3%
Regular gas, week of October 19, 2026* $4.14 $3.98 −4.0%
Salary to match $75,000 in Kentucky $75,000 $86,000 +14.7%

Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Income: BEA real personal income per person, 2017 dollars. Gas: EIA weekly retail prices. *Midwest region average (EIA has no separate Kentucky figure).

Cheapest and most expensive places in each state

Kentucky

  1. Paducah, KY 86.1
  2. Huntington, WV 88.4
  3. Owensboro, KY 88.6
  4. Bowling Green, KY 90.2
  5. Elizabethtown, KY 90.6
  6. Clarksville, TN 90.9
  7. Lexington, KY 92.9
  8. Louisville, KY 93.1
  9. Cincinnati, OH 95.4

Florida

  1. The Villages, FL 85.4
  2. Sebring, FL 92.5
  3. Homosassa Springs, FL 93.5
  4. Tallahassee, FL 93.9
  5. Ocala, FL 95.2
  6. Gainesville, FL 96.7
  7. Crestview, FL 97.0
  8. Lakeland, FL 97.1
  9. Panama City, FL 97.3
  10. Pensacola, FL 97.7
  11. Sebastian, FL 98.3
  12. Deltona, FL 99.4
  13. Jacksonville, FL 99.5
  14. Palm Bay, FL 100.0
  15. Port St. Lucie, FL 100.2
  16. Punta Gorda, FL 100.5
  17. Tampa, FL 100.9
  18. Orlando, FL 101.4
  19. Cape Coral, FL 102.3
  20. North Port, FL 102.4
  21. Naples, FL 103.2
  22. Miami, FL 114.2

Metro areas ordered from cheapest to most expensive. BEA, 2024, US = 100.

How the gap has changed since 2008

The price gap between Kentucky and Florida has been fairly stable since 2008

Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.

  • Kentucky
  • Florida
US average = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
KentuckyFlorida
200889.8101.7
200988.5100.5
201090.4100.4
201190.5100.8
201290.7101.1
201390.9100.7
201491.1100.9
201590.7101.3
201690.7101.1
201790.0100.9
201889.1100.3
201989.699.6
202089.1100.6
202189.2101.4
202289.4102.3
202389.9103.6
202490.2103.4

Goods

  • Kentucky
  • Florida
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
KentuckyFlorida
200896.398.9
200993.597.0
201096.697.3
201195.497.4
201294.098.0
201395.098.6
201495.198.3
201594.297.4
201695.497.5
201794.698.4
201893.397.7
201994.996.1
202094.397.4
202194.098.4
202294.198.0
202394.598.2
202496.098.1

Housing (rents)

  • Kentucky
  • Florida
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
KentuckyFlorida
200864.2115.1
200964.8111.0
201066.6108.7
201164.6108.2
201266.2108.8
201366.1107.4
201465.5108.2
201566.3109.3
201664.3109.4
201763.7110.5
201864.7110.7
201964.3112.0
202064.8113.6
202163.4112.9
202262.2116.3
202362.9123.2
202464.3122.1

Utilities

  • Kentucky
  • Florida
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
KentuckyFlorida
200873.598.6
200973.7101.2
201075.496.2
201179.095.3
201282.493.5
201382.793.6
201485.495.3
201585.892.4
201685.789.9
201785.687.5
201879.291.1
201977.594.4
202076.289.8
202179.790.0
202281.894.8
202380.993.7
202475.390.1

Other services

  • Kentucky
  • Florida
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
KentuckyFlorida
200897.699.0
200996.699.0
201097.499.8
201198.7101.0
201299.2100.9
201399.1100.3
201499.1100.5
201598.5101.8
201698.4101.3
201797.3100.1
201896.399.2
201996.998.3
202096.498.8
202196.5100.4
202297.0101.2
202397.9101.5
202497.3101.3

What incomes buy in each state

Income per person after adjusting for prices: $57,131 in Florida, $52,290 in Kentucky

Real personal income per person, constant 2017 dollars (adjusted for each state's price level and for inflation).

  • Kentucky
  • Florida
  • United States

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real personal income by state (SARPI), 2008–2024.

Show the numbers
KentuckyFloridaUnited States
2008$41,015$43,259$45,816
2009$40,948$41,209$44,204
2010$40,600$42,735$44,808
2011$41,282$43,268$45,957
2012$41,617$43,189$46,796
2013$41,126$42,278$46,358
2014$42,144$43,812$47,661
2015$43,986$45,693$49,396
2016$44,214$46,126$49,828
2017$45,005$48,141$51,006
2018$45,925$49,935$52,242
2019$46,956$52,128$53,683
2020$50,641$53,897$56,514
2021$53,512$56,789$59,365
2022$50,765$55,163$57,104
2023$51,428$56,138$58,088
2024$52,290$57,131$59,195

More

Related state comparisons

What this comparison leaves out

  • Taxes. State income, sales and property taxes differ a lot between states and are not included.
  • Where you live inside the state. Statewide figures average cities and rural areas; the metro lists above show the spread.
  • Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider if housing is a bigger share of your budget.
  • Timing. BEA price levels and incomes are for 2024; gas prices are weekly.

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