2023 Report: Cities in Kentucky where Household Expenses are Highest and Lowest
How does living in the Bluegrass State affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about Kentucky household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities. On average, Kentucky’s household expenses, doxo’s data reveals, are $1,710 per month.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 70 cities and towns across Kentucky, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Kentucky and how it changes according to location.
The data sheds light on Kentucky cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
Kentucky residents’ household bills are 16.4% lower than average
The average Kentucky household pays $1,710 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are:Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
Kentucky residents pay low household bill expenses: the state ranks 46th out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. There is a $336 difference from the national average of $2,046: 16.4% lower.
Slightly more expensive than Kentucky is Indiana, where residents pay $1,721 a month on average; slightly more affordable is Oklahoma, where residents pay $1,705.
The most expensive state for household expenses is Hawaii, where residents pay $3,070 per month. The most affordable state, meanwhile, is West Virginia, where bills average $1,530 per month.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Kentucky residents spend 38% of their income on household costs, which is a larger share of household income than the national average (35%).
Annually, Kentucky residents pay $35 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Kentucky by clicking on the infographic link below.
Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Kentucky
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $1,710 per month
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $35 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 46 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 38%
- Difference from the National Average: 16.4% lower
Rent in Kentucky is 29% lower than the national average
The average Kentucky household pays $1,710 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Housing costs deviate most substantially from the national average. The average mortgage is $998 per month in Kentucky compared to the national average of $1,321: 24% lower than the national average. Rent, at $841 in Kentucky compared to $1,191 nationally, is an impressive 29% lower than the national average.
Cable and internet is also a category where Kentucky residents save substantially compared to the national average. The average Kentucky household spends $106 per month on their cable package bill, compared to the national average of $118.
Life insurance, aside from housing, is the household expense category in which Kentucky residents save the most, proportionally, compared to the national average. The average household in the state pays $81 a month for life insurance bills, compared to the national average of $89, making the costs 9% lower than the national average.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average Kentucky Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average Kentucky Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | Kentucky Percent +/- National Average ($2,046) |
| Mortgage | $998 | $1,321 | 24% lower |
| Rent | $841 | $1,191 | 29% lower |
| Auto Loan | $437 | $467 | 6% lower |
| Utilities | $351 | $351 | 0% lower |
| Auto Insurance | $188 | $207 | 9% lower |
| Cable & Internet | $106 | $118 | 10% lower |
| Health Insurance | $101 | $120 | 16% lower |
| Mobile Phone | $121 | $119 | 2% higher |
| Alarm & Security | $99 | $84 | 18% higher |
| Life Insurance | $81 | $89 | 9% lower |
| Total | $1,710 | $2,046 | 16.4% lower |
Prospect is the most expensive area for Kentucky household bills
Residents of Prospect pay the highest household bills in the state of Kentucky, at an average of $2,804 per month. La Grange comes in second in the rankings, with residents paying an average of $2,588 on household expenses.
Residents of the top two areas, plus the third–Crestwood–though they pay the most expensive bills in the state, spend a very low share of household income on bills compared to the state average: 22%, 41%, and 29%, compared to the state average of 38%.
Also on the list of the most expensive areas to pay household bills in Kentucky are Union ($2,333 per month), Louisville ($1,978 per month), and Burlington ($1,969 per month).
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
10 Most Expensive Kentucky Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-10 out of 70) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 1 | Prospect | $2,804 | 22% |
| 2 | La Grange | $2,588 | 41% |
| 3 | Crestwood | $2,561 | 29% |
| 4 | Union | $2,333 | 23% |
| 5 | Louisville | $1,978 | 40% |
| 6 | Burlington | $1,969 | 27% |
| 7 | Taylorsville | $1,969 | 28% |
| 8 | Fort Thomas | $1,962 | 31% |
| 9 | Independence | $1,939 | 28% |
| 10 | Georgetown | $1,931 | 32% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
Olive Hall is the most affordable place in Kentucky for household bills
Out of 70 cities and towns for which doxoINSIGHTS provides data, Olive Hill is the most affordable place in Kentucky, with residents paying $1,194 on average for household bills. They spend the same share of their income on household bills as U.S. residents do on average, at 35%.
Manchester is second most affordable area on the list, with residents paying an average of $1,226 on household bills.
Also on the list of most affordable cities and towns in Kentucky are Irvine ($1,240 a month), Grayson ($1,297 a month), and Monticello ($1,302 a month).
10 Most Affordable Kentucky Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (61-70 out of 70) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 61 | Glasgow | $1,432 | 40% |
| 62 | Russell Springs | $1,418 | 40% |
| 63 | London | $1,407 | 36% |
| 64 | Leitchfield | $1,353 | 45% |
| 65 | Middlesboro | $1,333 | 61% |
| 66 | Monticello | $1,302 | 41% |
| 67 | Grayson | $1,297 | 39% |
| 68 | Irvine | $1,240 | 46% |
| 69 | Manchester | $1,226 | 54% |
| 70 | Olive Hill | $1,194 | 35% |
Some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Kentucky household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 4,200 towns and cities across the country.