State rental market analysis · KY
Kentucky rental markets
80 tracked cities over 5,000 population, 80 ranked and summarized by their median Overall; 11 of 73 evaluable cities pass the modeled Buy & Hold screen. Every number traces to Census, Zillow and BLS. Compare state coverage and results →
Browse every Kentucky ZIP Code area → · the full server-rendered index for this state.
Part of the East South Central Census division (South region).
The honest read
Kentucky ranks #14 of 37 coverage-eligible states for rental investing, with a median Overall of 51.2/100 across its ranked cities, above the national median. 80 ranked cities roll up into this grade. Its strongest factor is home-value growth: 4.8%, 16th of 51.
The biggest drag is income growth: 4.6%, 38th of 51. A state grade is the median of its ranked cities, a screen for where to look, not underwriting. Open any city below for its full shown-math breakdown, or run a specific deal through the cap rate and cash-flow calculators.
Where it ranks, factor by factor
Every value is the median across the 80 ranked cities in this state. The national rank compares all 51 states on that one factor; the engine already flips inverted factors (affordability, low unemployment) so a better rank always means a better market. Each factor sits in one of the model’s three categories (Cash Flow, Growth, or Stability); this is a representative summary, and the full thirteen-factor breakdown is on each city’s page. Full methodology.
| Factor | Category | State value | National rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross rent yield | Cash Flow | 6.0% | #23 of 51 |
| Rent growth | Growth | 4.3% | #19 of 51 |
| Home value growth | Growth | 4.8% | #16 of 51 |
| Population growth | Growth | 0.6% | #24 of 51 |
| Job growth | Growth | 0.5% | #29 of 51 |
| Price-to-income | Cash Flow | 4.2× | #19 of 51 |
| Unemployment | Stability | 4.4% | #36 of 51 |
| Rental demand | Stability | 42% renters · 5.5% vacancy | two-part measure |
| Income growth | Growth | 4.6% | #38 of 51 |
Every city in Kentucky, ranked
Led by Corbin at 72/100. Click any column to re-sort; every city links to its full shown-math breakdown.
| KY rank | City | Grade | Cash Flow | Growth | Stability | Typical home value | Gross yield | National rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corbin | 72 | A | B | B | $170,311 | 7.1% | #97 |
| 2 | Franklin | 72 | B | B | B | $248,924 | 7.0% | #98 |
| 3 | Independence | 71 | A | B | B | $328,011 | 7.5% | #127 |
| 4 | Georgetown | 69 | B | B | B | $341,864 | 5.5% | #170 |
| 5 | Lawrenceburg | 66 | B | B | B | $269,158 | 5.7% | #319 |
| 6 med | Williamsburg | 65 | A | B | C | $117,882 | 8.4% | #331 |
| 7 | Nicholasville | 65 | C | A | B | $326,642 | 5.5% | #360 |
| 8 | Shelbyville | 64 | B | B | B | $308,434 | 6.0% | #433 |
| 9 med | Princeton | 62 | A | C | C | $143,586 | 9.5% | #529 |
| 10 | Dayton | 62 | A | C | C | $203,688 | 11.5% | #559 |
| 11 | Covington | 61 | A | B | C | $219,450 | 8.7% | #591 |
| 12 med | Jeffersontown | 61 | B | C | B | $250,700 | 6.3% | #594 |
| 13 | Florence | 61 | B | C | C | $287,459 | 6.4% | #601 |
| 14 | Winchester | 61 | B | C | B | $253,754 | 6.4% | #656 |
| 15 | Elizabethtown | 60 | B | C | B | $267,942 | 5.8% | #709 |
| 16 med | Middletown | 60 | B | C | B | $336,000 | 5.4% | #720 |
| 17 | Mount Sterling | 60 | B | C | C | $217,856 | 6.6% | #729 |
| 18 med | Wilmore | 60 | C | B | B | $319,900 | 4.7% | #741 |
| 19 med | Mayfield | 60 | B | C | B | $163,165 | 6.9% | #753 |
| 20 med | Hillview | 59 | A | C | C | $226,775 | 8.5% | #791 |
| 21 | Elsmere | 59 | A | C | C | $221,554 | 8.8% | #811 |
| 22 med | Flatwoods | 58 | A | D | C | $153,991 | 9.8% | #930 |
| 23 | Erlanger | 58 | B | C | C | $247,625 | 6.1% | #942 |
| 24 med | Shively | 58 | B | C | C | $154,700 | 7.0% | #949 |
| 25 | Fort Wright | 57 | B | B | C | $341,888 | 5.7% | #1006 |
| 26 | Walton | 57 | C | B | C | $354,750 | 5.6% | #1019 |
| 27 | Shepherdsville | 56 | B | B | D | $289,112 | 7.3% | #1089 |
| 28 | Paducah | 56 | B | C | C | $194,069 | 7.1% | #1109 |
| 29 med | Cynthiana | 56 | C | B | C | $245,572 | 5.4% | #1114 |
| 30 | La Grange | 56 | C | B | C | $398,854 | 5.9% | #1154 |
| 31 | Vine Grove | 55 | A | C | D | $261,566 | 8.2% | #1195 |
| 32 | Owensboro | 54 | B | C | D | $214,021 | 6.8% | #1351 |
| 33 med | Harrodsburg | 53 | C | B | C | $241,537 | 6.1% | #1452 |
| 34 | Lexington-Fayette | 53 | C | C | C | $333,115 | 5.6% | #1526 |
| 35 | Somerset | 53 | C | C | C | $201,609 | 7.0% | #1537 |
| 36 | Crestwood | 53 | C | B | C | $489,356 | 4.4% | #1552 |
| 37 | Versailles | 53 | C | B | C | $359,153 | 5.4% | #1553 |
| 38 med | Ashland | 53 | A | D | D | $128,835 | 8.4% | #1561 |
| 39 med | Union | 52 | C | B | D | $463,506 | 4.8% | #1660 |
| 40 | Danville | 51 | C | B | C | $250,008 | 5.5% | #1760 |
| 41 | Bardstown | 51 | D | C | B | $261,850 | 4.7% | #1791 |
| 42 med | Lebanon | 51 | C | C | C | $232,008 | 5.6% | #1878 |
| 43 | Bowling Green | 50 | C | B | C | $281,762 | 5.3% | #1926 |
| 44 | Louisville/Jefferson County | 50 | B | C | C | $263,130 | 6.2% | #1953 |
| 45 med | Campbellsville | 50 | C | C | B | $218,752 | 5.0% | #2000 |
| 46 med | Mount Washington | 50 | C | B | D | $326,828 | 4.5% | #2002 |
| 47 | Berea | 49 | C | B | C | $250,875 | 4.4% | #2090 |
| 48 med | Monticello | 49 | A | D | C | $161,590 | 7.1% | #2133 |
| 49 med | Hazard | 49 | B | D | C | $107,750 | 5.9% | #2164 |
| 50 | Murray | 48 | C | C | C | $208,638 | 6.3% | #2183 |
| 51 med | Villa Hills | 48 | C | C | C | $406,696 | 4.7% | #2229 |
| 52 | Frankfort | 48 | C | C | C | $250,122 | 4.9% | #2235 |
| 53 | Radcliff | 48 | B | D | C | $212,236 | 5.8% | #2264 |
| 54 med | Leitchfield | 47 | C | D | C | $160,553 | 4.7% | #2430 |
| 55 | Bellevue | 47 | B | D | D | $244,409 | 7.3% | #2489 |
| 56 | Richmond | 46 | D | B | C | $301,436 | 4.6% | #2525 |
| 57 | Alexandria | 46 | C | C | D | $345,924 | 4.9% | #2552 |
| 58 | Newport | 46 | B | D | D | $247,838 | 7.6% | #2590 |
| 59 | Cold Spring | 46 | C | C | C | $303,870 | 5.6% | #2608 |
| 60 med | Taylor Mill | 46 | C | B | D | $278,967 | 5.7% | #2616 |
| 61 med | Russellville | 45 | C | C | D | $191,726 | 5.2% | #2667 |
| 62 med | St. Matthews | 44 | C | C | C | $338,000 | 4.9% | #2801 |
| 63 med | Madisonville | 44 | B | D | D | $156,600 | 6.1% | #2833 |
| 64 med | Lyndon | 44 | C | D | C | $276,800 | 5.4% | #2895 |
| 65 med | Paris | 43 | C | C | C | $266,298 | 5.4% | #3001 |
| 66 | Hopkinsville | 43 | B | D | C | $192,475 | 6.5% | #3025 |
| 67 | Oak Grove | 41 | B | D | D | $211,260 | 6.8% | #3299 |
| 68 med | Central City | 40 | B | D | D | $114,177 | 5.7% | #3376 |
| 69 med | Edgewood | 40 | C | D | C | $373,851 | 4.1% | #3427 |
| 70 | Morehead | 39 | C | D | C | $189,538 | 6.0% | #3588 |
| 71 | Highland Heights | 38 | A | F | D | $207,498 | 9.1% | #3672 |
| 72 | Glasgow | 37 | D | D | D | $217,566 | 4.8% | #3765 |
| 73 | Henderson | 37 | C | D | C | $203,792 | 5.7% | #3796 |
| 74 | Fort Thomas | 35 | D | C | D | $377,281 | 4.3% | #3900 |
| 75 | London | 35 | B | D | D | $181,751 | 5.9% | #3916 |
| 76 med | Middlesborough | 34 | A | F | C | $99,900 | 7.2% | #4060 |
| 77 med | Maysville | 34 | C | F | D | $161,420 | 5.5% | #4066 |
| 78 med | Pikeville | 33 | C | F | C | $124,005 | 3.9% | #4086 |
| 79 med | Douglass Hills | 33 | D | D | D | $346,300 | 4.7% | #4122 |
| 80 | Fort Mitchell | 32 | F | C | D | $421,635 | 3.5% | #4176 |
Data as of: Zillow ZHVI/ZORI through the latest monthly release · Census ACS 5-yr 2020–2024 · Census PEP July 2025 · BLS LAUS county 2025 annual (11-month average). Generated 2026-10-06. Methodology & limitations · underwrite any specific deal with the free calculators.
ZIP markets in Kentucky
779 Census ZIP Codes (ZCTAs) in Kentucky · 338 data-eligible for subscores. These are sub-city government areas ranked separately from the Kentucky city table. The overall Rental Investor ZIP Score leaderboard leads; the two component subscores (affordability, rental-market context) follow as independent percentiles. ZIP ranks are shown within the ZIP universe only, never mixed with, and not directly comparable to, city ranks. Vintage: the Key metric column is Census ACS 2020–2024 (5-year), the same release the city table above uses; the geographies differ, so the same measure can still disagree between the two.
Best overall ZIP Codes in Kentucky
Ranked by the overall Rental Investor ZIP Score. The # is each ZIP Code's canonical KY state rank; the smaller figure is its national rank. Separate from the Kentucky city table and not directly comparable to it.
| KY rank | ZIP Code | Overallgrade · national | Key metric |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 40324Georgetown | A 78#8 nat | 5.2%Survey yield |
| #2 | 40356Nicholasville | A 74#129 nat | 5.2%Survey yield |
| #3 | 41042Florence | A 73#155 nat | 7.3%Survey yield |
| #4 | 41005Burlington | A 70#496 nat | 6.5%Survey yield |
| #5 | 42101Bowling Green | A 70#535 nat | 5.5%Survey yield |
| #6 | 42164Scottsville | A 70#565 nat | 5.2%Survey yield |
| #7 | 40065Shelbyville | A 69#626 nat | 4.5%Survey yield |
| #8 | 40475Richmond | A 69#746 nat | 4.5%Survey yield |
| #9 | 40769Williamsburg | A 68#893 nat | 9.6%Survey yield |
| #10 | 42104Bowling Green | A 67#1,002 nat | 4.0%Survey yield |
| #11 | 40071Elk Creek | A 67#1,028 nat | 3.5%Survey yield |
| #12 | 40342Lawrenceburg | A 67#1,051 nat | 5.0%Survey yield |
Top affordability ZIP Codes in Kentucky
State-scoped leaders on the affordability subscore only (national rank shown is within that subscore’s data-eligible universe). Substantially an inverse housing-cost signal: a component of the overall score, not a predicted return.
| # | ZIP Code | Affordability | Key metric |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 41642 | 98#36 nat | 12.0%Survey yield |
| 2 | 42367Powderly | 94#152 nat | 9.0%Survey yield |
| 3 | 42337Drakesboro | 93#212 nat | 9.3%Survey yield |
| 4 | 41862 | 91#297 nat | 8.7%Survey yield |
| 5 | 42782 | 90#362 nat | 11.4%Survey yield |
| 6 | 40769Williamsburg | 89#416 nat | 9.6%Survey yield |
| 7 | 40155Muldraugh | 89#437 nat | 13.8%Survey yield |
| 8 | 40740 | 88#468 nat | 7.9%Survey yield |
| 9 | 42567Eubank | 87#561 nat | 9.1%Survey yield |
| 10 | 40313 | 87#584 nat | 10.3%Survey yield |
| 11 | 41522Elkhorn City | 86#655 nat | 11.6%Survey yield |
| 12 | 40078Willisburg | 85#742 nat | 6.8%Survey yield |
Deepest rental-market ZIP Codes in Kentucky
State-scoped leaders on the rental-market-context subscore only (national rank shown is within that subscore’s data-eligible universe). Rental depth/tightness: a separate component, never combined here with affordability.
| # | ZIP Code | Rental market | Key metric |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42127Cave City | 80#253 nat | 5.2%Survey yield |
| 2 | 41240Paintsville | 80#278 nat | 5.5%Survey yield |
| 3 | 41014Covington | 79#368 nat | 7.6%Survey yield |
| 4 | 40823Cumberland | 79#382 nat | 10.8%Survey yield |
| 5 | 40218Louisville/Jefferson County metro government | 78#421 nat | 6.8%Survey yield |
| 6 | 40831Harlan | 78#434 nat | 8.3%Survey yield |
| 7 | 41008Carrollton | 78#510 nat | 7.4%Survey yield |
| 8 | 40502Lexington-Fayette urban county | 77#662 nat | 2.5%Survey yield |
| 9 | 42054 | 76#711 nat | 8.2%Survey yield |
| 10 | 40517Lexington-Fayette urban county | 76#827 nat | 6.3%Survey yield |
| 11 | 40504Lexington-Fayette urban county | 75#996 nat | 5.2%Survey yield |
| 12 | 40507Lexington-Fayette urban county | 75#996 nat | 3.1%Survey yield |