States › Kentucky › Berea

Is Berea, KY expensive to live in?

CheapRent takes 19 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,01942% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$64,165about $5,347/month · 26% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$199,90040% lower than U.S. average

Rent is lower than in 87% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 3.1 years of household income.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $40,760 a year. That is $20 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 24 of 87 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Berea
$1,019
Shively
$1,079
Glasgow
$814
Shepherdsville
$1,143
Fort Thomas
$1,218
Danville
$974
St. Matthews
$1,707

How much do households earn in Berea?

Under $25k
16.1%
$25k–50k
25.7%
$50k–100k
36.7%
$100k–150k
10.0%
$150k+
3.5%

Share of households by yearly income. 13.5% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Berea

SizeBereaU.S. average
Studio$846$1,338
1 bedroom$706$1,324
2 bedrooms$875$1,509
3 bedrooms$988$1,698
4 bedrooms$1,263$2,098

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

How expensive is Berea 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 Berea, so the Kentucky figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Berea

🏛️ Property tax$1,447a year · 0.72% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$162a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Berea

Commute to work23.1 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree27.2%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home58.7%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line17.9%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment4.2%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Berea?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $368 a month less.

Renting
$1,019
Owning
$1,387

Owning assumes a typical $199,900 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $19,990 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Berea, KY?

Renting in Berea costs a median of about $1,019 a month in 2026, including utilities. The Kentucky median is $1,175.

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

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $40,760 a year, or $20 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Berea cheap or expensive?

Berea is rated Cheap: rent takes 19.1% of the typical household income of $64,165. It ranks 24th cheapest of 87 Kentucky cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Berea?

The median homeowner in Berea pays $1,447 a year in property taxes, about 0.72% of the median home value.

Is Berea 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 Berea?

The median home value in Berea is $199,900, about 3.1 times the typical yearly household income.

15,786 people live in Berea. Numbers are typical (middle) values.