States › Kentucky › Bardstown

Is Bardstown, KY expensive to live in?

OKRent takes 25 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,16134% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$55,414about $4,618/month · 36% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$203,50039% lower than U.S. average

Rent is lower than in 78% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 3.7 years of household income.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $46,440 a year. That is $22 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other Kentucky cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of Kentucky. It is number 42 of 87 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Bardstown
$1,161
Newport
$1,613
Shepherdsville
$1,143
Glasgow
$814
Somerset
$982
Shively
$1,079
Berea
$1,019

How much do households earn in Bardstown?

Under $25k
22.8%
$25k–50k
27.7%
$50k–100k
30.5%
$100k–150k
9.4%
$150k+
5.6%

Share of households by yearly income. 14.9% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Bardstown

SizeBardstownU.S. average
1 bedroom$401$1,324
2 bedrooms$1,027$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,142$1,698

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Bardstown overall?

Everyday prices in Kentucky overall are 10% below the U.S. average (index 90.2, U.S. = 100).

Housing
64
Goods (food, clothes…)
96
Utilities
75
Other services
97
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Bardstown, so the Kentucky figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Bardstown

🏛️ Property tax$1,810a year · 0.89% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$147a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Bardstown

Commute to work20.5 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree26.7%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home61.1%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line14.7%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment4%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bardstown?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $251 a month less.

Renting
$1,161
Owning
$1,412

Owning assumes a typical $203,500 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $20,350 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Bardstown, KY?

Renting in Bardstown costs a median of about $1,161 a month in 2026, including utilities. The Kentucky median is $1,175.

How much do I need to make to live in Bardstown?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $46,440 a year, or $22 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Bardstown cheap or expensive?

Bardstown is rated OK: rent takes 25.1% of the typical household income of $55,414. It ranks 42nd cheapest of 87 Kentucky cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Bardstown?

The median homeowner in Bardstown pays $1,810 a year in property taxes, about 0.89% of the median home value.

Is Bardstown more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in Kentucky are 10% below the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Bardstown?

The median home value in Bardstown is $203,500, about 3.7 times the typical yearly household income.

13,804 people live in Bardstown. Numbers are typical (middle) values.