Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)'s prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
How far does your salary go in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)?
Your $100,000 in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) has the same purchasing power as $114,456 in the average US city. You'd need $14,456 less here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)'s cost index of 87, sorted by closest match.
If you're weighing a move to Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), the short answer is that the city has a few genuine arguments going for it — most obviously cheaper than the national average, with no fine print and it's a quieter city by the numbers, plus 1 more things worth knowing. Here's the longer version.
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) sits at 87 on the composite cost-of-living index — about 13% under the national average. Not the cheapest place in the country, but enough of a discount to notice on rent and groceries every month. Median rent in town runs about $1,014/mo against a typical household income of $63,114, which is the kind of ratio that leaves room to save.
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) reports roughly -24 crime incidents per 100,000 residents, well under the US average of about 3,500 per 100k. As always, citywide numbers paper over real differences between neighborhoods — but the broader trend here is on the calmer end of the US distribution.
The average one-way commute in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) is about 23 minutes — short by US standards (the national average is closer to 27). Over a year of working days, that's hundreds of hours that don't get spent in traffic, which is the kind of thing you notice in the weekend rather than the weekday.
Reasons are pulled from Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)'s actual data — Census ACS, BLS, BEA, NOAA, EPA AQS, FBI, and Walk Score. We don't list positives that aren't supported by the numbers, which is why different cities show different sections.
Yes, several times a winter. Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)'s winter average of about 26°F sits right around freezing, so storms typically drop real snow that lingers a few days before slush sets in.
Cold but workable. Winter in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) averages about 26°F — colder than the national norm, mild compared to the upper Midwest. A solid coat handles most days; the genuine cold snaps are short.
Hot, but not desert-hot. Summer in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) runs about 85°F on average, with afternoons in the 90s and humidity that varies by region. AC is standard rather than optional.
Approximately USDA Hardiness Zone 8. That's the band gardeners use to pick plants — anything rated for Zone 8 or colder should survive a typical winter in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance). (The estimate is derived from our winter-temperature data; the official USDA map uses station-level annual minimums and may differ by half a zone.)
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) is at about 571 feet (174 m) above sea level. High enough to be solidly above any coastal concern, low enough that altitude isn't a factor.
By the numbers, yes. Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) reports roughly -24 crime incidents per 100,000 residents — well under the US average of about 3,500 per 100k. The big caveat applies as always: every city has neighborhoods that look nothing like the citywide average. But the citywide average here is genuinely good.
No — your dollar actually goes further here. Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)'s composite cost-of-living index is 87, roughly 13% under the US average. Housing is usually the biggest driver of the discount.
Not really — Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) is built around the car. Its Walk Score of 5 out of 100 means almost every errand is a drive. Transit Score is 34 out of 100. Living without a car is technically possible but real work; most residents wouldn't try it.
Roughly $61,159 a year would match the lifestyle of someone earning $70,000 in an average US city. That's a starting point, not a target — negotiate higher when you can. Median rent in Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) runs about $1,014/mo — keeping housing under 30% of gross income points to a similar floor on what you'd want to earn.