Can A Registered Nurse Afford Rent in Lexington, KY?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 22.4% of gross income.
Lexington rent: June 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Kentucky state estimate).
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 Lexington, which improves the affordability math on a registered nurse salary:
Compare with full rent data for Lexington
View full rent data for Lexington, KY →Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford rent in Lexington, KY?
Median rent in Lexington is $1,551 a month. A typical registered nurse in Kentucky earns about $83,142 a year, which makes that rent 22.4% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a registered nurse afford in Lexington?
Using the 30% rule, a registered nurse salary in Kentucky (~$83,142/yr) supports up to $2,079 a month in rent. Lexington's current median rent is $1,551/mo, which leaves a $528/mo buffer.
How many hours does a registered nurse work to cover rent in Lexington?
At an hourly equivalent of about $40 an hour, a registered nurse in Kentucky works roughly 38.8 hours a month to cover Lexington's median rent of $1,551.
Where is rent cheaper than Lexington for a registered nurse?
Nearby Kentucky cities with lower median rent include Nicholasville ($1,546/mo), Shepherdsville ($1,543/mo), Newport ($1,540/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a registered nurse salary.