Housing decision brief
Elliott County, KY Housing Market
Elliott County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
19th lowest home value out of 120 Kentucky counties with data | 1st lowest rent out of 120
Median home value
$97,400
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$427/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$589/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.4x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
35.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$162/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
2 notes
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$97,400 median home value is 30% below Kentucky county median
Lower rent
$427/mo is 44% below Kentucky county median
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 87.8 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$40,074 median income is 27% below Kentucky county median
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Elliott County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $97,400 | $138,300 | $281,900 | 30% favorable30% below Kentucky county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $427 | $756 | $1,163 | 44% favorable44% below Kentucky county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $589 | $691 | $1,672 | 15% favorable15% below Kentucky county median |
Median household income | $40,074 | $55,017 | $74,755 | 27% pressure27% below Kentucky county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.69% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 31% favorable31% below Kentucky county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 35.00% | 27.00% | N/A | 30% pressure35.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$22,994
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$14,831
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Elliott County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $427/month , about 12.8% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
At $427/month rent versus $589/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $162/month cheaper , a 28% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $17,080/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $25,243/year. With a median household income of $40,074, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 35.0% of renter households in Elliott County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Wolfe County where rent averages $507/month, Elliott County is approximately 16% less expensive.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martin County, KY | $84,900 | $441/mo | Same-state comparison near $84,900 home value and $441/mo rent. |
| Leslie County, KY | $74,100 | $520/mo | Same-state comparison near $74,100 home value and $520/mo rent. |
| Metcalfe County, KY | $103,100 | $549/mo | Same-state comparison near $103,100 home value and $549/mo rent. |
| Fulton County, KY | $78,100 | $542/mo | Same-state comparison near $78,100 home value and $542/mo rent. |
| Cumberland County, KY | $128,600 | $553/mo | Same-state comparison near $128,600 home value and $553/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
- Water-quality monitoring is based on 2 active sites in recent WQP data.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Elliott County
Is Elliott County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Elliott County?
How much income do you need for housing in Elliott County?
What should I double-check before moving to Elliott County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.