Cincinnati, OH vs. Louisville/Jefferson County, KY
Median rent is $953 a month in Cincinnati, OH and $1,069 in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY. Household income is $51,707 against $64,731. Both cities are read from the same ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates and the same BEA Regional Price Parities 2023, so the two columns below are directly comparable.
A green or red badge means the second city is higher or lower, not better or worse: a lower rent is good for a tenant, a lower household income is not. For the price level and
the share of income the raw values are shown, because a percentage difference between two
percentages is easy to misread.
What the gap means
Occupation wages in both metros
May 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Metropolitan areas may differ from city boundaries.
| Occupation | Cincinnati, OH median | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY median | vs. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $84,850 | +1.4% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $29,720 | $28,690 | -3.5% |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,810 | $30,660 | -0.5% |
| General and Operations Managers | $100,670 | $89,140 | -11.5% |
| Customer Service Representatives | $46,470 | $41,600 | -10.5% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $36,530 | $30,180 | -17.4% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $60,590 | $59,000 | -2.6% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $36,030 | $35,000 | -2.9% |
Metropolitan areas and cover every industry together, so the two columns may describe wider areas than the city limits used for rent and income.
Cincinnati, OH vs Louisville/Jefferson County, KY: frequently asked questions
Is Louisville/Jefferson County, KY more expensive than Cincinnati, OH?
Overall prices are almost identical: a regional price level of 94.0 in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY against 94.1 in Cincinnati, OH.
How much do I need to earn in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY to keep a $100,000 lifestyle from Cincinnati, OH?
About $99,900. Adjusting $100,000 by the BEA regional price levels of the two areas (94.1 in Cincinnati, OH, 94.0 in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY) gives the salary with the same purchasing power. Taxes and personal spending habits are not included.
Is rent cheaper in Cincinnati, OH or Louisville/Jefferson County, KY?
The median gross rent is $953 a month in Cincinnati, OH and $1,069 in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY, a difference of $116 a month or $1,392 a year.
Where are household incomes higher, Cincinnati, OH or Louisville/Jefferson County, KY?
The median household income is $51,707 in Cincinnati, OH and $64,731 in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY. Rent takes 22.1% of the median income in Cincinnati, OH and 19.8% in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY.
What salary do I need to afford the median rent in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY?
About $42,800 a year, the gross income that keeps the median rent of $1,069 a month at 30% of income. The same rule gives $38,100 in Cincinnati, OH.
More comparisons with Cincinnati, OH
More comparisons with Louisville/Jefferson County, KY
Definitions used on this page
- Salary needed for the median rent
- Twelve months of median gross rent divided by 0.30: the income that keeps the median rent at 30% of gross pay.
- Price level
- BEA regional price parity for the metro area where one is published, otherwise for the state. The national average is 100.
- Same standard of living
- A salary in Cincinnati, OH converted into Louisville/Jefferson County, KY at the ratio of the two price levels. It adjusts for prices only, not for taxes or for what either city offers.
- Buying power
- One hundred divided by the price level: what a dollar buys locally relative to the national average.
Sources
- Census Bureau — ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates
- Census Bureau — ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates
- BEA — BEA Regional Price Parities 2023
Margins of error are published for every Census figure. Read the methodology before reading a small gap between two cities as a real difference.
Full detail for each city: Cincinnati, OH · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY