Rent Affordability for A Chef in Kentucky

A typical chef in Kentucky earns about $56,452 a year, which supports approximately $1,411 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked Kentucky city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.

As of May 2026. 21 of 43 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 22 are rent-burdened on this salary.

CityMedian rent% of incomeAffordability
Corbin, KY$875/mo18.6%very comfortable
Russellville, KY$890/mo18.9%very comfortable
Morehead, KY$973/mo20.7%affordable
Glasgow, KY$981/mo20.9%affordable
Paris, KY$1,023/mo21.7%affordable
Frankfort, KY$1,035/mo22%affordable
Bardstown, KY$1,044/mo22.2%affordable
Radcliff, KY$1,050/mo22.3%affordable
Hopkinsville, KY$1,062/mo22.6%affordable
Murray, KY$1,079/mo22.9%affordable
Paducah, KY$1,118/mo23.8%affordable
Lawrenceburg, KY$1,132/mo24.1%affordable
Owensboro, KY$1,161/mo24.7%affordable
Oak Grove, KY$1,163/mo24.7%affordable
Richmond, KY$1,179/mo25.1%affordable
Winchester, KY$1,226/mo26.1%affordable
Erlanger, KY$1,250/mo26.6%affordable
Bowling Green, KY$1,258/mo26.7%affordable
Elizabethtown, KY$1,278/mo27.2%affordable
Louisville, KY$1,362/mo29%affordable
Fort Thomas, KY$1,386/mo29.5%affordable
Southgate, KY$1,447/mo30.8%stretched
Alexandria, KY$1,488/mo31.6%stretched
Franklin, KY$1,538/mo32.7%stretched
Bellevue, KY$1,540/mo32.7%stretched
Nicholasville, KY$1,546/mo32.9%stretched
Lexington, KY$1,552/mo33%stretched
Georgetown, KY$1,551/mo33%stretched
Florence, KY$1,556/mo33.1%stretched
Fort Wright, KY$1,577/mo33.5%stretched
Newport, KY$1,587/mo33.7%stretched
Shelbyville, KY$1,608/mo34.2%stretched
Covington, KY$1,614/mo34.3%stretched
Cold Spring, KY$1,637/mo34.8%stretched
Shepherdsville, KY$1,720/mo36.6%stretched
Vine Grove, KY$1,775/mo37.7%stretched
Versailles, KY$1,783/mo37.9%stretched
Hebron, KY$1,787/mo38%stretched
Dayton, KY$2,037/mo43.3%rent-burdened
Independence, KY$2,071/mo44%rent-burdened
Burlington, KY$2,108/mo44.8%rent-burdened
La Grange, KY$2,114/mo44.9%rent-burdened
Prospect, KY$2,382/mo50.6%severely rent-burdened
Methodology: Salary is the BLS-derived state estimate for Kentucky. Rent is the latest ZORI monthly value for each city. Affordability uses the 30% rule (rent ≤ 30% of gross income).