Can A Bus Driver Afford Rent in Bowling Green, KY?

Stretched but workable — rent takes 33.8% of gross income.

Bowling Green rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Kentucky state estimate).

Bowling Green median rent
$1,284/mo
Bus Driver salary (Kentucky)
$45,602/yr
Rent as % of income
33.8%
Gross monthly income works out to about $3,800, and the 30% rule supports up to $1,140/mo in rent. Bowling Green's median rent of $1,284 exceeds that threshold by $144/mo, putting a bus driver salary into the rent-burdened range here. A bus driver works roughly 58.6 hours a month to cover that rent.

About rent and a bus driver salary

Transit bus driver pay sits near the US median household income, with municipal and unionized routes often paying more. At the national-average bus driver salary, the 30% rule supports about $1,296 a month in rent.

Cheaper rent nearby

These Kentucky cities have lower median rent than Bowling Green, which improves the affordability math on a bus driver salary:

Elizabethtown, KY
$1,283/mo (33.8% of income)
Erlanger, KY
$1,282/mo (33.7% of income)
Winchester, KY
$1,280/mo (33.7% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Bowling Green

View full rent data for Bowling Green, KY

Frequently asked questions

Can a bus driver afford rent in Bowling Green, KY?

Median rent in Bowling Green is $1,284 a month. A typical bus driver in Kentucky earns about $45,602 a year, which makes that rent 33.8% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is no — rent exceeds the 30% threshold.

How much rent can a bus driver afford in Bowling Green?

Using the 30% rule, a bus driver salary in Kentucky (~$45,602/yr) supports up to $1,140 a month in rent. Bowling Green's current median rent is $1,284/mo, which is $144/mo over the affordability threshold.

How many hours does a bus driver work to cover rent in Bowling Green?

At an hourly equivalent of about $22 an hour, a bus driver in Kentucky works roughly 58.6 hours a month to cover Bowling Green's median rent of $1,284.

Where is rent cheaper than Bowling Green for a bus driver?

Nearby Kentucky cities with lower median rent include Elizabethtown ($1,283/mo), Erlanger ($1,282/mo), Winchester ($1,280/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a bus driver salary.

Methodology: Salary uses the BLS-derived Kentucky state estimate from OEWS May 2024. Rent is the most recent ZORI monthly value for Bowling Green, KY. Affordability applies the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income). Real take-home varies with taxes, household composition, overtime, tips, and benefits.