Paducah, KY vs Decatur, AL: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, Decatur, AL is 1.3% more expensive than Paducah, KY (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Paducah works out to about $76,000 in Decatur, before taxes.
- Most of the difference is housing, which costs 19.0% more in Decatur. Goods are 0.4% higher and other services 0.2% lower.
- Typical asking rent is $1,082 a month in Decatur and $1,151 in Paducah, $828 a year less in Decatur (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $227,000 in Decatur and $173,000 in Paducah.
- The gap has narrowed since 2019, when Decatur was 3.8% less expensive than Paducah.
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: 19.0% higher in Decatur than in Paducah
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Paducah, KY
- Decatur, AL
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Paducah, KY | Decatur, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 86.1 | 87.2 |
| Goods | 96.0 | 96.4 |
| Housing (rents) | 48.8 | 58.1 |
| Utilities | 76.9 | 84.7 |
| Other services | 96.9 | 96.7 |
| Category | Paducah | Decatur | Decatur vs Paducah |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 86.1 | 87.2 | +1.3% |
| Goods | 96.0 | 96.4 | +0.4% |
| Housing (rents) | 48.8 | 58.1 | +19.0% |
| Utilities | 76.9 | 84.7 | +10.2% |
| Other services | 96.9 | 96.7 | −0.2% |
| Typical asking rent | $1,151 | $1,082 | −6.0% |
| Typical home value | $173,000 | $227,000 | +31.0% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Paducah | $75,000 | $76,000 | +1.3% |
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 Paducah and Decatur has narrowed since 2008: 5.4 points then, 1.1 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Paducah, KY
- Decatur, AL
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Paducah, KY | Decatur, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 84.4 | 89.8 |
| 2009 | 82.7 | 85.2 |
| 2010 | 86.6 | 88.8 |
| 2011 | 85.8 | 90.6 |
| 2012 | 84.6 | 88.2 |
| 2013 | 86.0 | 90.7 |
| 2014 | 85.3 | 87.3 |
| 2015 | 86.7 | 90.2 |
| 2016 | 86.0 | 89.2 |
| 2017 | 85.5 | 89.0 |
| 2018 | 86.6 | 87.2 |
| 2019 | 87.7 | 84.4 |
| 2020 | 85.5 | 87.2 |
| 2021 | 85.3 | 86.2 |
| 2022 | 84.7 | 87.4 |
| 2023 | 85.6 | 89.2 |
| 2024 | 86.1 | 87.2 |
Goods
- Paducah, KY
- Decatur, AL
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Paducah, KY | Decatur, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 95.1 | 96.7 |
| 2009 | 91.8 | 94.8 |
| 2010 | 96.9 | 96.5 |
| 2011 | 94.7 | 96.5 |
| 2012 | 91.1 | 96.7 |
| 2013 | 92.9 | 97.2 |
| 2014 | 91.9 | 97.8 |
| 2015 | 91.4 | 96.5 |
| 2016 | 92.7 | 97.2 |
| 2017 | 91.7 | 97.1 |
| 2018 | 92.6 | 92.5 |
| 2019 | 94.8 | 94.6 |
| 2020 | 94.3 | 94.3 |
| 2021 | 93.7 | 93.9 |
| 2022 | 94.0 | 94.7 |
| 2023 | 94.2 | 94.6 |
| 2024 | 96.0 | 96.4 |
Housing (rents)
- Paducah, KY
- Decatur, AL
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Paducah, KY | Decatur, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 49.0 | 58.1 |
| 2009 | 51.3 | 49.1 |
| 2010 | 55.1 | 54.9 |
| 2011 | 53.7 | 56.3 |
| 2012 | 49.1 | 48.2 |
| 2013 | 53.5 | 59.1 |
| 2014 | 48.3 | 50.7 |
| 2015 | 55.3 | 57.9 |
| 2016 | 53.9 | 50.0 |
| 2017 | 54.6 | 51.8 |
| 2018 | 56.6 | 58.8 |
| 2019 | 58.2 | 45.3 |
| 2020 | 54.9 | 52.3 |
| 2021 | 49.3 | 49.7 |
| 2022 | 45.0 | 55.4 |
| 2023 | 48.0 | 58.5 |
| 2024 | 48.8 | 58.1 |
Utilities
- Paducah, KY
- Decatur, AL
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Paducah, KY | Decatur, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 73.2 | 92.2 |
| 2009 | 72.8 | 92.2 |
| 2010 | 74.9 | 93.8 |
| 2011 | 78.2 | 94.0 |
| 2012 | 81.8 | 94.5 |
| 2013 | 81.3 | 92.2 |
| 2014 | 85.0 | 93.3 |
| 2015 | 87.2 | 92.8 |
| 2016 | 87.8 | 94.0 |
| 2017 | 89.3 | 92.1 |
| 2018 | 80.6 | 88.0 |
| 2019 | 79.5 | 87.5 |
| 2020 | 77.8 | 85.6 |
| 2021 | 81.1 | 86.8 |
| 2022 | 84.0 | 88.4 |
| 2023 | 82.3 | 89.8 |
| 2024 | 76.9 | 84.7 |
Other services
- Paducah, KY
- Decatur, AL
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Paducah, KY | Decatur, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 95.5 | 98.6 |
| 2009 | 93.1 | 98.2 |
| 2010 | 94.7 | 100.0 |
| 2011 | 96.2 | 101.5 |
| 2012 | 98.0 | 101.8 |
| 2013 | 98.6 | 100.6 |
| 2014 | 99.2 | 100.4 |
| 2015 | 97.9 | 101.0 |
| 2016 | 96.3 | 102.2 |
| 2017 | 94.6 | 100.8 |
| 2018 | 96.2 | 95.9 |
| 2019 | 96.7 | 96.9 |
| 2020 | 96.2 | 96.5 |
| 2021 | 96.2 | 96.1 |
| 2022 | 97.0 | 97.1 |
| 2023 | 97.9 | 98.2 |
| 2024 | 96.9 | 96.7 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,082 in Decatur vs $1,151 in Paducah
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- Paducah, KY
- Decatur, AL
- United States
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (typical asking rent, all homes, smoothed), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Paducah, KY | Decatur, AL | 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 | – | $849 | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | – | $896 | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | – | $906 | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | – | $919 | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | – | $949 | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | – | $965 | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | – | $987 | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | – | $995 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | – | $1,001 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | – | $1,027 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | – | $1,027 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $1,052 | $1,012 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $1,016 | $1,035 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $1,049 | $1,069 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $1,062 | $1,056 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $1,104 | $1,043 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $1,087 | $1,063 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $1,131 | $1,097 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $1,151 | $1,082 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $227,000 in Decatur vs $173,000 in Paducah
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- Paducah, KY
- Decatur, AL
- 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
| Paducah, KY | Decatur, AL | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $100K | $124K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $102K | $127K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $103K | $128K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $104K | $129K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $107K | $130K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $107K | $130K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $106K | $131K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $107K | $133K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $106K | $135K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $106K | $136K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $108K | $136K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $109K | $138K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $110K | $141K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $112K | $141K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $112K | $142K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $113K | $144K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $115K | $149K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $117K | $152K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $117K | $154K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $120K | $157K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $122K | $161K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $125K | $165K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $127K | $168K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $131K | $174K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $131K | $181K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $134K | $189K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $136K | $197K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $139K | $203K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $145K | $207K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $147K | $213K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $149K | $214K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $152K | $211K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $155K | $211K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $160K | $216K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $160K | $218K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $161K | $218K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $160K | $218K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $163K | $223K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $163K | $224K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $166K | $225K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $174K | $226K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $177K | $226K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $177K | $225K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $173K | $227K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $174K | $228K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $171K | $228K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $173K | $227K | $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.