Lexington, KY vs Louisville, KY: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, living costs in Louisville, KY and Lexington, KY are within 1% of each other (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Lexington works out to about $75,100 in Louisville, before taxes.
- Housing is 1.9% higher in Louisville, goods 0.0% lower and other services 0.1% lower, which roughly cancel out.
- Typical asking rent is $1,339 a month in Louisville and $1,599 in Lexington, $3,120 a year less in Louisville (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $279,000 in Louisville and $325,000 in Lexington.
- The gap is about where it was in 2019 (1.3%).
derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.
Category by category
Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.
Overall prices are about the same in Lexington and Louisville
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Lexington, KY
- Louisville, KY
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Lexington, KY | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 92.9 | 93.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Housing (rents) | 77.1 | 78.6 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 75.0 |
| Other services | 96.9 | 96.8 |
| Category | Lexington | Louisville | Louisville vs Lexington |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 92.9 | 93.1 | +0.2% |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.2 | 0.0% |
| Housing (rents) | 77.1 | 78.6 | +1.9% |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 75.0 | +0.5% |
| Other services | 96.9 | 96.8 | −0.1% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,599 | $1,339 | −16.3% |
| Typical home value | $325,000 | $279,000 | −14.3% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Lexington | $75,000 | $75,100 | +0.2% |
Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.
How the gap has changed since 2008
The price gap between Lexington and Louisville has narrowed since 2008: 1.8 points then, 0.2 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Lexington, KY
- Louisville, KY
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Lexington, KY | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 95.0 | 93.2 |
| 2009 | 93.6 | 92.3 |
| 2010 | 94.2 | 94.3 |
| 2011 | 95.1 | 94.4 |
| 2012 | 96.2 | 94.9 |
| 2013 | 95.1 | 95.2 |
| 2014 | 95.1 | 95.4 |
| 2015 | 95.1 | 94.6 |
| 2016 | 95.2 | 95.1 |
| 2017 | 94.8 | 94.4 |
| 2018 | 91.3 | 91.6 |
| 2019 | 92.5 | 91.3 |
| 2020 | 91.6 | 91.6 |
| 2021 | 92.1 | 91.6 |
| 2022 | 91.3 | 92.1 |
| 2023 | 92.5 | 93.2 |
| 2024 | 92.9 | 93.1 |
Goods
- Lexington, KY
- Louisville, KY
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Lexington, KY | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 97.2 | 96.7 |
| 2009 | 95.1 | 94.6 |
| 2010 | 97.0 | 97.0 |
| 2011 | 96.9 | 96.6 |
| 2012 | 97.3 | 96.5 |
| 2013 | 97.3 | 96.7 |
| 2014 | 98.2 | 97.3 |
| 2015 | 96.6 | 96.0 |
| 2016 | 97.4 | 96.8 |
| 2017 | 97.1 | 96.4 |
| 2018 | 92.8 | 92.7 |
| 2019 | 94.8 | 94.7 |
| 2020 | 94.4 | 94.3 |
| 2021 | 93.9 | 93.8 |
| 2022 | 94.2 | 94.0 |
| 2023 | 94.4 | 94.3 |
| 2024 | 96.2 | 96.2 |
Housing (rents)
- Lexington, KY
- Louisville, KY
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Lexington, KY | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 82.8 | 76.5 |
| 2009 | 81.1 | 76.7 |
| 2010 | 78.1 | 79.0 |
| 2011 | 77.4 | 75.0 |
| 2012 | 82.2 | 77.4 |
| 2013 | 78.6 | 80.3 |
| 2014 | 76.3 | 79.2 |
| 2015 | 77.2 | 76.9 |
| 2016 | 74.4 | 75.8 |
| 2017 | 75.0 | 76.7 |
| 2018 | 76.4 | 78.2 |
| 2019 | 78.5 | 72.9 |
| 2020 | 75.5 | 77.2 |
| 2021 | 77.8 | 76.4 |
| 2022 | 70.8 | 75.2 |
| 2023 | 74.4 | 79.5 |
| 2024 | 77.1 | 78.6 |
Utilities
- Lexington, KY
- Louisville, KY
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Lexington, KY | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 77.5 | 76.9 |
| 2009 | 78.1 | 77.8 |
| 2010 | 79.1 | 79.1 |
| 2011 | 81.8 | 81.7 |
| 2012 | 81.6 | 82.2 |
| 2013 | 82.6 | 82.8 |
| 2014 | 85.1 | 85.6 |
| 2015 | 85.4 | 86.0 |
| 2016 | 84.1 | 85.0 |
| 2017 | 82.2 | 83.2 |
| 2018 | 78.0 | 78.3 |
| 2019 | 76.2 | 75.9 |
| 2020 | 74.9 | 74.1 |
| 2021 | 78.8 | 78.4 |
| 2022 | 81.2 | 80.9 |
| 2023 | 81.1 | 81.7 |
| 2024 | 74.6 | 75.0 |
Other services
- Lexington, KY
- Louisville, KY
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Lexington, KY | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 98.8 | 98.3 |
| 2009 | 98.3 | 97.6 |
| 2010 | 99.7 | 99.1 |
| 2011 | 101.4 | 100.7 |
| 2012 | 101.5 | 101.0 |
| 2013 | 100.7 | 100.3 |
| 2014 | 100.6 | 100.2 |
| 2015 | 101.0 | 100.4 |
| 2016 | 102.0 | 101.0 |
| 2017 | 100.8 | 99.7 |
| 2018 | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| 2019 | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| 2020 | 96.2 | 96.1 |
| 2021 | 96.2 | 96.0 |
| 2022 | 96.8 | 96.8 |
| 2023 | 97.8 | 97.8 |
| 2024 | 96.9 | 96.8 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,339 in Louisville vs $1,599 in Lexington
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- Lexington, KY
- Louisville, KY
- United States
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (typical asking rent, all homes, smoothed), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Lexington, KY | Louisville, KY | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $862 | $805 | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | $878 | $810 | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | $880 | $813 | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | $889 | $812 | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | $894 | $820 | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | $920 | $841 | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | $930 | $849 | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | $928 | $846 | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | $940 | $870 | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | $948 | $887 | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | $959 | $889 | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | $958 | $886 | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | $963 | $902 | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | $981 | $913 | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | $979 | $916 | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | $988 | $919 | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | $993 | $928 | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | $1,010 | $947 | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | $1,019 | $941 | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | $1,015 | $946 | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | $1,026 | $961 | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | $1,037 | $979 | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | $1,059 | $991 | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | $1,064 | $994 | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | $1,081 | $997 | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | $1,131 | $1,025 | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | $1,186 | $1,057 | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | $1,197 | $1,074 | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | $1,214 | $1,107 | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | $1,273 | $1,143 | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | $1,301 | $1,165 | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | $1,301 | $1,166 | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $1,325 | $1,186 | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $1,356 | $1,206 | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,376 | $1,212 | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $1,384 | $1,226 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $1,398 | $1,254 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $1,431 | $1,282 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,463 | $1,282 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,467 | $1,284 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,473 | $1,290 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,505 | $1,306 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,540 | $1,312 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,546 | $1,311 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,541 | $1,320 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,547 | $1,334 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,599 | $1,339 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $279,000 in Louisville vs $325,000 in Lexington
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- Lexington, KY
- Louisville, KY
- United States
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value, middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Lexington, KY | Louisville, KY | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $159K | $146K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $161K | $148K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $163K | $150K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $164K | $152K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $167K | $153K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $169K | $155K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $171K | $157K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $173K | $161K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $175K | $163K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $178K | $165K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $181K | $168K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $184K | $168K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $188K | $171K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $190K | $176K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $192K | $179K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $193K | $181K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $195K | $185K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $198K | $188K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $200K | $190K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $202K | $192K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $206K | $195K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $209K | $197K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $214K | $202K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $222K | $211K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $229K | $217K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $238K | $224K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $244K | $228K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $249K | $231K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $259K | $239K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $271K | $247K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $273K | $247K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $275K | $247K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $276K | $248K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $283K | $253K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $290K | $256K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $293K | $258K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $296K | $259K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $302K | $263K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $305K | $265K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $307K | $268K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $313K | $272K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $313K | $274K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $315K | $274K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $318K | $276K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $320K | $279K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $322K | $278K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $325K | $279K | $366K |
More about each city
What this comparison leaves out
- Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
- Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
- Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
- Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.