Rents are 7% below what Nicholasville's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,454 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in Nicholasville usually run 0.6% below trend in January and 0.8% above it in August, about $20 a month apart at today's median. Based on 5 years of data.
Rent in Nicholasville is 0.1% below its high of $1,455 in June 2026, at $1,454 as of September 2026.
Rent in Nicholasville changed +4.2% over the year to September 2026. Across the 26 Kentucky cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +4.2%.
Rent has risen 2 months in a row, and rose in 9 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($68,503) is $1,713 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 4-bedroom ($1,630).
Richmond, 16 miles away, rents for 24% less ($1,109/mo), about $4,100 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Nicholasville. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Nicholasville, KY is majority owner-occupied, 26.9% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Nicholasville, KY has changed in 5 years
Rent in Nicholasville, KY has increased 56.3% since 2021, going from about $930 per month to roughly $1,454 today. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $56,790 in 2021 to $68,503 more recently. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 35.7 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 31,066 to 32,197 between 2021 and 2024, a 3.6% change. About 41.8% of households rent today, against 39.2% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 22.4% to 26.9%. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Nicholasville, KY market of 2021.
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Can you afford rent in Nicholasville on your salary?
At $1,454/mo, how Nicholasville rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Nicholasville rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Nicholasville. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Nicholasville
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Nicholasville is $1,454/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $730/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,060/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $890/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,440/mo.
At 25% of local median household income ($68,503/yr), Nicholasville ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 4.2% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Is rent going up or down in Nicholasville?
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How does Nicholasville rent compare to other cities in Kentucky?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Nicholasville?
At $1,454/mo, rent takes ~25% of Nicholasville's median household income ($68,503/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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