Is $80,000 a good salary in Kentucky?

$80,000 in Kentucky provides a monthly take-home of approximately $5,144 after taxes. Across major Kentucky cities, this salary is rated very comfortable, with an average monthly surplus of $3,265.

What is the cost of living on $80,000 in Kentucky?

The average monthly living cost across major Kentucky cities is approximately $1,879 for a single adult (rent, food, transport, utilities, healthcare). On $80,000 take-home pay of $5,144/month, you would have roughly $3,265/month remaining.

Living in Kentucky · 2026

Is $80,000 enough to live in Kentucky?

Single adult · KY · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Very comfortable

Monthly take-home

$5,144

Avg monthly expenses

$1,879

Avg monthly surplus

$3,265

Savings potential

~63%

After-tax take-home in Kentucky

Gross salary$80,000

Federal income tax− $8,954

State income tax− $3,200

Social Security− $4,960

Medicare− $1,160

Annual take-home$61,726

Effective tax rate22.84%

How $80,000 feels in Kentucky cities

Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL

Louisville

COL index: 0.95× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,150

Food

$405

Transport

$166

Utilities

$157

Healthcare

$190

Total: $2,068/mo

Surplus: $3,076/mo

Rent burden: 22.4% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Louisville analysis →

Lexington

COL index: 0.93× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,100

Food

$409

Transport

$163

Utilities

$153

Healthcare

$186

Total: $2,011/mo

Surplus: $3,133/mo

Rent burden: 21.4% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Lexington analysis →

Bowling Green

COL index: 0.85× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$950

Food

$387

Transport

$149

Utilities

$140

Healthcare

$170

Total: $1,796/mo

Surplus: $3,348/mo

Rent burden: 18.5% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Bowling Green analysis →

Owensboro

COL index: 0.82× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$880

Food

$378

Transport

$144

Utilities

$135

Healthcare

$164

Total: $1,701/mo

Surplus: $3,443/mo

Rent burden: 17.1% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Owensboro analysis →

Covington

COL index: 0.88× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$1,000

Food

$405

Transport

$154

Utilities

$145

Healthcare

$176

Total: $1,880/mo

Surplus: $3,264/mo

Rent burden: 19.4% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Covington analysis →

Richmond

COL index: 0.87× national avg

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$900

Food

$449

Transport

$152

Utilities

$144

Healthcare

$174

Total: $1,819/mo

Surplus: $3,325/mo

Rent burden: 17.5% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Richmond analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $5,144 ($61,728/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%

Needs50%

$2,572

per month

›Rent / mortgage
›Groceries
›Utilities
›Insurance
›Minimum debt payments
›Transportation

Wants30%

$1,543

per month

›Dining out
›Streaming services
›Gym
›Hobbies
›Travel
›Shopping

Savings20%

$1,029

per month

›Emergency fund
›401(k) / IRA
›Investments
›Down payment fund
›Debt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$30,864

Wants / year

$18,518

Savings / year

$12,346

Salary Intelligence

Good salary in Louisville

Rent represents 22% of take-home income — comfortably within the recommended 25% guideline. This is a solid salary for this location.

Lifestyle score: 7.6/10 (Very Good)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $80,000 salary comfortably supports a very good single lifestyle in Louisville, Kentucky, with approximately $3,076/month (~60% of take-home) available for savings — meeting or exceeding the recommended 20% savings rate.

Purchasing Power

Louisville is near the national cost-of-living average (index: 0.95). $80,000 here is roughly equivalent to $155,789 in San Francisco or $74,105 in an affordable city like Birmingham.

State & National Benchmark

$80,000 is 128% above the Kentucky individual median of $35,100 and 43% above the US national individual median of $56,000. This is a top-quartile income in this state.

State individual median

$35,100

+128%

State household median

$60,183

+33%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)

401(k) Age 50+ Catch-Up Contribution — Up to $2,775 additional tax savings (37% bracket)

$80,000 vs. Kentucky income benchmarks

Individual median (Kentucky)

$35,100

+128% vs. this salary

Household median (Kentucky)

$60,183

+33% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Kentucky

$40,000 $60,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $300,000

Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

•Tax calculations: IRS federal tax tables
•Rent data: HUD Fair Market Rents
•Cost-of-living index: C2ER / ACCRA Cost of Living Index

Data updated monthly using government datasets.