Cost of living index

Bowling Green, KY

90.2 / 100

Living in Bowling Green, KY is 9.8% cheaper than the US average — the #284 of 387 highest nationally.

Median rent: $936/mo

Median home value: $219,400

Figures — including the cost index, median rent, and median home value — cover the wider Bowling Green, KY metropolitan area, not individual neighbourhoods or city boundaries.

Seasonal weather

Winter

49° / 30°F

(9° / -1°C)

12.1 in precip

Spring

70° / 48°F

(21° / 9°C)

14.4 in precip

Summer

88° / 68°F

(31° / 20°C)

12.7 in precip

Fall

71° / 48°F

(22° / 9°C)

11 in precip

30-year climate normals (1991–2020) from BOWLING GREEN WARREN CO AP, via NOAA.

What it costs to live in Bowling Green, KY

The Bowling Green, KY metro area has an overall price level of 90.2 compared with the national average of 100, meaning everyday costs run about 9.8% lower than a typical US metro. Housing tells the sharper story: at 63.4 it is 36.6% below the national average. Housing rents are often one of the largest sources of difference between metro areas, so this figure can have a significant impact when comparing locations.

Cost breakdown

Overall#284 of 387

90.2

Goods#187 of 387

96.2

Housing rents#306 of 387

63.4

Utilities#340 of 387

75.2

Other services#280 of 387

96.9

Bowling Green, KY is moved down the most by housing rents, at 63.4 vs a US average of 100, while the closest to average is other services.

How Bowling Green, KY compares

Other metros in Kentucky

Elizabethtown, KY90.6 Lexington, KY92.9 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY93.1 Owensboro, KY88.6 Paducah, KY86.1

Browse Kentucky →See the cheapest and most expensive US metros →

Data source

Figures on this page come from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities dataset, 2024 — the most recent year published. An index of 100 marks the national average; a metro above 100 has higher prices than a typical US metro, below 100 lower. Median rent and median home value are from the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 5-year estimates, and seasonal weather is from NOAA’s 1991–2020 climate normals. These are regional figures only, not a complete personal budget — they don’t account for individual spending habits, taxes, or household circumstances. See the full methodology for how the index and salary-equivalent estimates are calculated.

Compare My City is an independent project and is not operated by, endorsed by, or affiliated with the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Census Bureau, or NOAA.

Common questions

Is Bowling Green, KY an expensive place to live?

Bowling Green, KY has an overall cost-of-living index of 90.2, where 100 is the US average. That makes it about 9.8% cheaper than the country as a whole.

Is housing expensive in Bowling Green, KY?

Housing rents in Bowling Green, KY score 63.4 against a US average of 100 — roughly 36.6% below average. Housing rents are often the main driver of differences in overall price levels between metro areas.

How does Bowling Green, KY compare to the US average cost of living?

Overall prices in Bowling Green, KY sit at 90.2 versus 100 for the US average, with housing at 63.4. Figures come from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis for 2024.