Cost of living in Bowling Green research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Bowling Green is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Kentucky, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Bowling Green is 93, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Bowling Green is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Bowling Green ranks as the #53 cheapest in Kentucky out of 85.
Bowling Green ranks as the #2,137 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Bowling Green is $171,600.
The median income in Bowling Green is $43,633.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Bowling Green has an overall cost of living index of 93, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Kentucky, Bowling Green has a cost of living index that's 1.0x lower than Kentucky's index of 94.
The standard of living in Bowling Green ranks as #53 most affordable out of the 85 places we measured in Kentucky. By definition, that implies Bowling Green ranks as the #32 most expensive place in the Bluegrass State.
For more reading on life in Bowling Green, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Bowling Green. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Bowling Green is 98.
The Groceries index in Bowling Green is 88.
The Health index in Bowling Green is 84.
The Housing index in Bowling Green is 76.
The Transportation index in Bowling Green is 97.
The Utilities index in Bowling Green is 107.
Living Expense | Bowling Green | Kentucky | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 93 | 94 | 100 | |
Services | 98 | 105 | 100 | |
Groceries | 88 | 97 | 100 | |
Health | 84 | 79 | 100 | |
Housing | 76 | 75 | 100 | |
Transportation | 97 | 102 | 100 | |
Utilities | 107 | 106 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Kentucky, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Bowling Green is $171,600.
The Median Rent in Bowling Green is $842.
The Median Income in Bowling Green is $43,633.
The Home Value To Income in Bowling Green is 3.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Bowling Green is 0.23x.
Statistic | Bowling Green | Kentucky | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $171,600 | $155,100 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $842 | $826 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $43,633 | $55,454 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.9x | 2.8x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.18x | 0.2x |
Item | Bowling Green | Kentucky |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $0.85 | $1.06 |
Movie | $11.19 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $3.98 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $15.99 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $38.05 | $39.05 |
Item | Bowling Green | Kentucky |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.96 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.01 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.2 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $4.03 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $8.31 | $10.62 |
Beer | $8.11 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $3.0 | $2.34 |
Item | Bowling Green | Kentucky |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $88.44 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $80.22 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $85.29 | $99.13 |
Item | Bowling Green | Kentucky |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.3 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $43.03 | $50.07 |
Item | Bowling Green | Kentucky |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $177.56 | $167.67 |
Phone | $29.84 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Bowling Green. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Hendersonville, TN has a cost of living index of 100, 1.1x Bowling Green.
Gallatin, TN has a cost of living index of 96, 1.0x Bowling Green.
Central, LA has a cost of living index of 96, 1.0x Bowling Green.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Bowling Green |
---|---|---|---|
Hendersonville, TN | 60,628 | 100 | 1.1x |
Gallatin, TN | 43,306 | 96 | 1.0x |
Central, LA | 29,746 | 96 | 1.0x |
Goodlettsville, TN | 17,522 | 99 | 1.1x |
Portland, TN | 13,031 | 92 | 1.0x |
White House, TN | 12,820 | 95 | 1.0x |
Franklin, KY | 9,885 | 86 | 0.9x |
Greenbrier, TN | 6,845 | 89 | 1.0x |
Millersville, TN | 6,099 | 93 | 1.0x |