Owensboro, KY vs Paducah, KY: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, Paducah, KY is 2.9% less expensive than Owensboro, KY (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Owensboro works out to about $72,900 in Paducah, before taxes.
- Most of the difference is housing, which costs 12.4% less in Paducah. Goods are 0.2% lower and other services 0.0% higher.
- Typical asking rent is $1,151 a month in Paducah and $1,236 in Owensboro, $1,020 a year less in Paducah (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $173,000 in Paducah and $214,000 in Owensboro.
- The gap is about where it was in 2019 (1.8%).
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.
Housing drives the gap: 12.4% lower in Paducah than in Owensboro
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Owensboro, KY
- Paducah, KY
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Owensboro, KY | Paducah, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 88.6 | 86.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.0 |
| Housing (rents) | 55.7 | 48.8 |
| Utilities | 75.2 | 76.9 |
| Other services | 96.9 | 96.9 |
| Category | Owensboro | Paducah | Paducah vs Owensboro |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 88.6 | 86.1 | −2.9% |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.0 | −0.2% |
| Housing (rents) | 55.7 | 48.8 | −12.4% |
| Utilities | 75.2 | 76.9 | +2.3% |
| Other services | 96.9 | 96.9 | 0.0% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,236 | $1,151 | −6.9% |
| Typical home value | $214,000 | $173,000 | −19.2% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Owensboro | $75,000 | $72,900 | −2.9% |
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 Owensboro and Paducah has narrowed since 2008: 4.3 points then, 2.5 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Owensboro, KY
- Paducah, KY
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Owensboro, KY | Paducah, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 88.6 | 84.4 |
| 2009 | 88.6 | 82.7 |
| 2010 | 90.1 | 86.6 |
| 2011 | 91.9 | 85.8 |
| 2012 | 93.7 | 84.6 |
| 2013 | 92.3 | 86.0 |
| 2014 | 92.1 | 85.3 |
| 2015 | 92.3 | 86.7 |
| 2016 | 92.1 | 86.0 |
| 2017 | 93.6 | 85.5 |
| 2018 | 88.0 | 86.6 |
| 2019 | 89.3 | 87.7 |
| 2020 | 89.0 | 85.5 |
| 2021 | 87.5 | 85.3 |
| 2022 | 88.6 | 84.7 |
| 2023 | 89.5 | 85.6 |
| 2024 | 88.6 | 86.1 |
Goods
- Owensboro, KY
- Paducah, KY
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Owensboro, KY | Paducah, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 97.0 | 95.1 |
| 2009 | 94.8 | 91.8 |
| 2010 | 97.0 | 96.9 |
| 2011 | 96.7 | 94.7 |
| 2012 | 96.7 | 91.1 |
| 2013 | 96.9 | 92.9 |
| 2014 | 97.6 | 91.9 |
| 2015 | 96.2 | 91.4 |
| 2016 | 97.0 | 92.7 |
| 2017 | 96.7 | 91.7 |
| 2018 | 92.8 | 92.6 |
| 2019 | 94.8 | 94.8 |
| 2020 | 94.4 | 94.3 |
| 2021 | 93.9 | 93.7 |
| 2022 | 94.2 | 94.0 |
| 2023 | 94.4 | 94.2 |
| 2024 | 96.2 | 96.0 |
Housing (rents)
- Owensboro, KY
- Paducah, KY
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Owensboro, KY | Paducah, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 54.4 | 49.0 |
| 2009 | 60.3 | 51.3 |
| 2010 | 61.1 | 55.1 |
| 2011 | 63.1 | 53.7 |
| 2012 | 72.0 | 49.1 |
| 2013 | 65.3 | 53.5 |
| 2014 | 63.0 | 48.3 |
| 2015 | 65.5 | 55.3 |
| 2016 | 63.2 | 53.9 |
| 2017 | 71.9 | 54.6 |
| 2018 | 61.1 | 56.6 |
| 2019 | 63.4 | 58.2 |
| 2020 | 65.5 | 54.9 |
| 2021 | 53.3 | 49.3 |
| 2022 | 57.3 | 45.0 |
| 2023 | 59.7 | 48.0 |
| 2024 | 55.7 | 48.8 |
Utilities
- Owensboro, KY
- Paducah, KY
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Owensboro, KY | Paducah, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 77.4 | 73.2 |
| 2009 | 77.9 | 72.8 |
| 2010 | 77.9 | 74.9 |
| 2011 | 80.7 | 78.2 |
| 2012 | 81.6 | 81.8 |
| 2013 | 82.5 | 81.3 |
| 2014 | 85.1 | 85.0 |
| 2015 | 85.5 | 87.2 |
| 2016 | 84.7 | 87.8 |
| 2017 | 83.6 | 89.3 |
| 2018 | 80.0 | 80.6 |
| 2019 | 78.5 | 79.5 |
| 2020 | 77.6 | 77.8 |
| 2021 | 80.4 | 81.1 |
| 2022 | 82.8 | 84.0 |
| 2023 | 80.9 | 82.3 |
| 2024 | 75.2 | 76.9 |
Other services
- Owensboro, KY
- Paducah, KY
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Owensboro, KY | Paducah, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 98.4 | 95.5 |
| 2009 | 97.8 | 93.1 |
| 2010 | 99.2 | 94.7 |
| 2011 | 100.9 | 96.2 |
| 2012 | 101.2 | 98.0 |
| 2013 | 100.5 | 98.6 |
| 2014 | 100.5 | 99.2 |
| 2015 | 100.8 | 97.9 |
| 2016 | 101.5 | 96.3 |
| 2017 | 100.4 | 94.6 |
| 2018 | 96.3 | 96.2 |
| 2019 | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| 2020 | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| 2021 | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| 2022 | 96.8 | 97.0 |
| 2023 | 97.8 | 97.9 |
| 2024 | 96.9 | 96.9 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,151 in Paducah vs $1,236 in Owensboro
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- Owensboro, KY
- Paducah, 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
| Owensboro, KY | Paducah, KY | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | – | – | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | – | – | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | – | – | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | – | – | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | – | – | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | – | – | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | – | – | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | – | – | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | – | – | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | – | – | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | – | – | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | – | – | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | – | – | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | – | – | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | – | – | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | – | – | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | – | – | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | – | – | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | – | – | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | – | – | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | – | – | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | – | – | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | – | – | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | – | – | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | – | – | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | – | – | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | – | – | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | – | – | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | – | – | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | – | – | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | – | – | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | – | – | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $995 | – | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $1,039 | – | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $1,029 | – | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $1,077 | – | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $1,064 | – | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $1,080 | – | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $1,118 | – | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,105 | $1,052 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,138 | $1,016 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,147 | $1,049 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,198 | $1,062 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,184 | $1,104 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,200 | $1,087 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,195 | $1,131 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,236 | $1,151 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $173,000 in Paducah vs $214,000 in Owensboro
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- Owensboro, KY
- Paducah, 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
| Owensboro, KY | Paducah, KY | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $106K | $100K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $107K | $102K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $109K | $103K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $111K | $104K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $111K | $107K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $112K | $107K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $112K | $106K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $111K | $107K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $113K | $106K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $116K | $106K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $119K | $108K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $123K | $109K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $127K | $110K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $129K | $112K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $131K | $112K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $133K | $113K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $135K | $115K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $137K | $117K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $138K | $117K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $140K | $120K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $141K | $122K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $143K | $125K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $148K | $127K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $154K | $131K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $158K | $131K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $162K | $134K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $165K | $136K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $169K | $139K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $176K | $145K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $182K | $147K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $186K | $149K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $188K | $152K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $187K | $155K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $192K | $160K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $193K | $160K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $194K | $161K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $197K | $160K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $200K | $163K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $201K | $163K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $203K | $166K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $209K | $174K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $210K | $177K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $207K | $177K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $208K | $173K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $210K | $174K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $212K | $171K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $214K | $173K | $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.