Housing decision brief
Hopkins County, KY Housing Market
Hopkins County screens as a below-state 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.
53rd lowest home value out of 120 Kentucky counties with data | 89th lowest rent out of 120
Median home value
$128,800
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$841/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$693/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.2x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
25.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$148/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
2 notes
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$128,800 median home value is 7% below Kentucky county median
Rent burden below pressure line
25.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $148/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
What to Check
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Health context
Health score is 38.4 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
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- 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 Hopkins 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. | $128,800 | $138,300 | $281,900 | 7% favorable7% below Kentucky county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $841 | $756 | $1,163 | 11% pressure11% above Kentucky county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $693 | $691 | $1,672 | Near state medianAt the Kentucky county median |
Median household income | $57,610 | $55,017 | $74,755 | 5% favorable5% above Kentucky county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.82% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 18% favorable18% below Kentucky county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 25.00% | 27.00% | N/A | 7% favorable25.00% 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
+$23,970
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$27,910
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
For renters in Hopkins County, the market is affordable. Expect to pay around $841/month in gross rent, with 25.0% of renter households considered cost-burdened.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Hopkins County is $841/month, while owner costs run $693/month. Owning saves approximately $148/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $33,640/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $29,700/year. With a median household income of $57,610, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 25.0% of renter households in Hopkins County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Kentucky, Hopkins County is more affordable than Laurel County by roughly 7% ($841/mo vs $789/mo).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll County, KY | $129,800 | $853/mo | Same-state comparison near $129,800 home value and $853/mo rent. |
| Boyd County, KY | $126,300 | $839/mo | Same-state comparison near $126,300 home value and $839/mo rent. |
| Greenup County, KY | $135,300 | $836/mo | Same-state comparison near $135,300 home value and $836/mo rent. |
| Ballard County, KY | $132,900 | $826/mo | Same-state comparison near $132,900 home value and $826/mo rent. |
| Laurel County, KY | $143,400 | $789/mo | Same-state comparison near $143,400 home value and $789/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 Hopkins County
Is Hopkins County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Hopkins County?
How much income do you need for housing in Hopkins County?
What should I double-check before moving to Hopkins County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.