Relocation profile · Federal data
Bowling Green, KY
LiveAbility 57.7/100 places Bowling Green #88 of 387 (top third of scored metros).
- 90.2
- Cost index (US=100)
- $996
- 2BR rent / mo
- $57,585
- Median salary
- 57.7
- LiveAbility Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Bowling Green ranks #88 of 387 US metros on the LiveAbility Score (57.7/100), with its strongest marks in housing and safety.
- #88
- of 387 US metros · Above median
- 4,588,372
- metro-area population
- 225
- violent crimes per 100K (state-level)
- 1,395
- schools in the state (NCES)
Weakest dimension: job market (13/100). Weigh every dimension against your own priorities, use the City Finder to re-rank by what matters to you.
According to PlainRelocate's LiveAbility composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, EPA, NOAA, and FEMA inputs), Bowling Green ranks #88 of 387 scored US metros by LiveAbility Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 90.2 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $996/mo, median salary $57,585; LiveAbility Score 57.7/100, strongest in housing and safety.
Signature: LiveAbility 57.7/100 places Bowling Green #88 of 387 (top third of scored metros).
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP 90.2 lands in the cheaper third of scored metros (cuts at 91.5 / 97.0). Median 2BR rent $996/mo.
LiveAbility 57.7/100 puts Bowling Green in the top third (#88 of 387).
BLS OEWS total employment in the Bowling Green area is 74,850.
Bowling Green vs all US metros by LiveAbility Score
Where this metro's LiveAbility Score falls among every scored US metro (composite placement, not a desirability verdict)
58 Top 23% higher than 77% of 387 US metros
Metros banded by LiveAbility Score (0–100)
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainRelocate LiveAbility Score · June 2026
Bowling Green housing and rent
HUD Fair Market Rents for the Bowling Green MSA; housing RPP 63.4 (100 = national average); 2BR $996/mo.
Bowling Green wages and employment
Bowling Green posts 74,850 total employment with median salary $57,585 against a cheaper-than-average RPP.
Top Occupations by Employment
| Occupation | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | $28,430 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,650 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $38,040 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | $42,940 |
| General and Operations Managers | $71,170 |
Schools & Education
State-level education data for the Bowling Green area from NCES.
Childcare Costs
State-average childcare costs for the Bowling Green area (DOL data).
Life Score Breakdown
Bowling Green's composite Life Score is 61.8/100 (C), computed across 7 of 7 dimensions.
LiveAbility Score
View full rankings →Bowling Green ranks #88 out of 387 metros with a LiveAbility Score of 57.7/100 - a composite of 8 of 8 quality-of-life dimensions from federal data. Customize the weights to match your priorities →
Bowling Green - dimension scores
Percentile vs all US metros (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Housing
Housing
93 /100
- Safety
Safety
78 /100
- Cost of living
Cost of living
74 /100
- Air quality
Air quality
68 /100
- Schools
Schools
51 /100
- Climate
Climate
43 /100
- Low hazard 29
Low hazard
29 /100
- Job market 13
Job market
13 /100
What this shows Bowling Green's strongest dimensions are housing and safety; its weakest among scored dims is job market at 13/100. Default weights: cost 18%, jobs & housing 15% each, safety & schools 12%, air & hazard 10%, climate 8%.
Compare Bowling Green to
Metros near Bowling Green on cost, LiveAbility, or wages
Nearest out-of-state neighbors to Bowling Green on BEA RPP, LiveAbility, or BLS median salary, a different lens than the size-ranked list.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Bowling Green cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; Bowling Green wages and LiveAbility inputs follow BLS OEWS plus the federal sources listed in methodology. This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Scores are federal-data percentiles, not a move recommendation. How this data is sourced.
Verify with BEA → · Verify with BLS → · Verify with HUD → · Verify with NOAA → · Verify with FEMA → · Verify with Census →
Thinking about Bowling Green?
Bowling Green runs a $57,585 median salary at a 90.2 cost index, ranking #88 of 387 nationally on LiveAbility.
- See exactly what Bowling Green's pay and cost figures mean for your own budget. Salary calculator
- Put Bowling Green head-to-head against another city on the same dimensions. Compare Bowling Green
- Abilene is the closest related metro in this corpus -- see how it stacks up. Abilene profile
- A cheaper cost index and a higher LiveAbility score don't always point the same direction -- here's how to weigh the trade-off. Cost vs quality guide
Cost, salary and score figures are federal-data percentiles, not a move recommendation.