Owensboro cost of living
Prices in the Owensboro, KY metro area run at 88.6 against a national average of 100, ranking it #320 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 55.7.
What drives the number
Prices in Owensboro run at 88.6 where the national average is 100, so about 11.4 per cent below the country as a whole. It ranks #320 of 387 metro areas. Against Kentucky as a whole it is 1.6 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
Housing is unusually cheap relative to everything else here. Rents sit at 55.7 against goods at 96.2 and other services at 75.2, so the overall figure of 88.6 understates how affordable the housing itself is. It is the opposite of the usual pattern, where housing is what makes a place expensive.
The number is most useful in reverse: a job here can pay less in cash and still leave a household better off, by roughly 11.4 per cent before anything else is considered.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Owensboro is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 1,660 | $79,510 | $89,740 | $93,600 |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,510 | $29,010 | $32,743 | $34,580 |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,310 | $71,340 | $80,519 | $102,950 |
| Cashiers | 1,190 | $26,080 | $29,436 | $31,190 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,130 | $31,000 | $34,989 | $37,090 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,050 | $26,370 | $29,763 | $30,480 |
| Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 1,010 | $57,480 | $64,876 | $40,900 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 960 | $39,790 | $44,910 | $38,940 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 88.6.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | 95.4 | 87.6 | #160 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County | 93.1 | 78.6 | #208 |
| Lexington-Fayette | 92.9 | 77.1 | #213 |
| Clarksville | 90.9 | 73.8 | #272 |
| Elizabethtown | 90.6 | 66.7 | #277 |
| Bowling Green | 90.2 | 63.4 | #284 |
Owensboro: common questions
Is Owensboro expensive?
Prices are 11.4% below the national average, a parity of 88.6 where the country is 100. It ranks #320 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Kentucky as a whole it is 1.6 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Owensboro?
The median worker there earns $42,740, which buys what $48,239 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 55.7 against goods at 96.2. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.