State relocation profile · Federal data
Kentucky
Kentucky sits in the cheaper third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 90.2
- Cost index (US=100)
- $983
- 2BR rent / mo
- $66,084
- Median salary
- 60.9
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Kentucky ranks #5 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (60.9/100, C), with its strongest marks in childcare and rent.
- #5 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 60.9
- Life Score · C
- 90.2
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $66,084
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: wages (12/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), Kentucky ranks #5 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 90.2 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $983/mo, median salary $66,084; Life Score 60.9/100 (C), strongest in childcare and rent.
Signature: Life Score 60.9/100 places Kentucky #5 of 51 (top third of scored states).
Purchasing power opens up: BEA RPP 90.2 lands in the cheaper third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $983/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $66,084.
Composite Life Score 60.9/100 (C) puts Kentucky in the top third (#5 of 51).
Metro book is mid-sized (6 MSAs); state averages still hide corridor-level rent and wage gaps.
Life Score plate
Sheet KY · Kentucky 60.9/100 · C · #5 of 51
LIFE-C · RANK-TOP · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-CHEAP · LEAD-CHILDCARE · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-C Life Score C
- RANK-TOP #5/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.1 pts
- RPP-CHEAP RPP 90.2
- LEAD-CHILDCARE Lead · childcare
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: Iowa ( -0.1 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around Kentucky
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest Kentucky on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
Kentucky childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for Kentucky (infant $7,238/yr leads the book).
Kentucky Life Score breakdown
Kentucky composites to 60.9/100 (C) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #5 of 51.
Kentucky - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Childcare
Childcare
89 /100
- Rent
Rent
86 /100
- Cost of living
Cost of living
78 /100
- Safety
Safety
70 /100
- Schools
Schools
62 /100
- Environment
Environment
44 /100
- Wages 12
Wages
12 /100
What this shows Kentucky's strongest dimensions are childcare and rent; its weakest among scored dims is wages at 12/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near Kentucky on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to Kentucky on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in Kentucky
Explore detailed relocation data for 6 metropolitan areas in Kentucky. Kentucky contains 6 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Lexington-Fayette and more - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Bowling Green metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Kentucky cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; Kentucky wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.