Can A Registered Nurse Afford Rent in Elizabethtown, KY?

Comfortably affordable — rent takes 18.4% of gross income.

Elizabethtown rent: July 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Kentucky state estimate).

Elizabethtown median rent
$1,278/mo
Registered Nurse salary (Kentucky)
$83,142/yr
Rent as % of income
18.4%
Gross monthly income works out to about $6,929, and the 30% rule supports up to $2,079/mo in rent. Elizabethtown's median rent of $1,278 leaves roughly $801/mo of headroom under that threshold. A registered nurse works roughly 32 hours a month to cover that rent.

About rent and a registered nurse salary

Rent is the single largest fixed cost most renters carry, and the rent-to-income ratio is the simplest measure of whether a city is livable on a given salary. For renters earning a typical registered-nurse income, the 30% rule supports about $2,360 a month in rent. That margin covers comfortable one-bedroom rent in the vast majority of US metros but tightens significantly in the highest-rent coastal cities, where rent can claim 40% or more of an RN paycheck. The per-city pages below show the local rent, the local nurse-pay estimate, and where that combination sits on the affordability scale.

Cheaper rent nearby

These Kentucky cities have lower median rent than Elizabethtown, which improves the affordability math on a registered nurse salary:

Bowling Green, KY
$1,277/mo (18.4% of income)
Paris, KY
$1,274/mo (18.4% of income)
Erlanger, KY
$1,271/mo (18.3% of income)

Compare with full rent data for Elizabethtown

View full rent data for Elizabethtown, KY

Frequently asked questions

Can a registered nurse afford rent in Elizabethtown, KY?

Median rent in Elizabethtown is $1,278 a month. A typical registered nurse in Kentucky earns about $83,142 a year, which makes that rent 18.4% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.

How much rent can a registered nurse afford in Elizabethtown?

Using the 30% rule, a registered nurse salary in Kentucky (~$83,142/yr) supports up to $2,079 a month in rent. Elizabethtown's current median rent is $1,278/mo, which leaves a $801/mo buffer.

How many hours does a registered nurse work to cover rent in Elizabethtown?

At an hourly equivalent of about $40 an hour, a registered nurse in Kentucky works roughly 32 hours a month to cover Elizabethtown's median rent of $1,278.

Where is rent cheaper than Elizabethtown for a registered nurse?

Nearby Kentucky cities with lower median rent include Bowling Green ($1,277/mo), Paris ($1,274/mo), Erlanger ($1,271/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a registered nurse salary.

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