Housing decision brief
Garrard County, KY Housing Market
Garrard County screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, 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.
94th lowest home value out of 120 Kentucky counties with data | 73rd lowest rent out of 120
Median home value
$186,800
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$793/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$891/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.0x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
30.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$98/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
2 notes
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
No signal
No strong positive housing signal was available in the current dataset.
What to Check
Health context
Health score is 36.1 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
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
Poor Fit For
- 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 Garrard 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. | $186,800 | $138,300 | $281,900 | 35% pressure35% above Kentucky county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $793 | $756 | $1,163 | 5% pressure5% above Kentucky county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $891 | $691 | $1,672 | 29% pressure29% above Kentucky county median |
Median household income | $62,572 | $55,017 | $74,755 | 14% favorable14% above Kentucky county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.72% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 28% favorable28% below Kentucky county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 30.00% | 27.00% | N/A | 11% pressure30.00% 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
+$30,852
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$24,386
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Garrard County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $793/month , about 15.2% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
Renters in Garrard County pay $793/month on average, compared to $891/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 11%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $31,720/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $38,186/year. With a median household income of $62,572, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 30.0% of renter households in Garrard County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Garrard County sits 7% more expensive than Edmonson County ($739/month) in terms of median gross rent.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County, KY | $189,700 | $802/mo | Same-state comparison near $189,700 home value and $802/mo rent. |
| Lyon County, KY | $183,600 | $809/mo | Same-state comparison near $183,600 home value and $809/mo rent. |
| Harrison County, KY | $188,900 | $755/mo | Same-state comparison near $188,900 home value and $755/mo rent. |
| McCracken County, KY | $182,900 | $861/mo | Same-state comparison near $182,900 home value and $861/mo rent. |
| Marshall County, KY | $173,700 | $773/mo | Same-state comparison near $173,700 home value and $773/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 Garrard County
Is Garrard County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Garrard County?
How much income do you need for housing in Garrard County?
What should I double-check before moving to Garrard County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.