Kentucky · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Hardin County, KY

Prices around Hardin County, KY run 9.4% below the U.S. average (BEA, the metro area). The typical household there earns $67,647 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $1,056 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $42,240 a year.

Hardin County, KY at a glance

Median household income

$67,647$5,637 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$1,056HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)90.6-9.4% · BEA, the metro area
Electricity14.3¢per kWh · EIA Residential KY
Population111,942Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Hardin County, KY?

HUD’s fair market rent for each size, against what a typical household here earns. Change the income to see yours.

Affordable (< 30% of income)
HUD Fair Market Rent$1,056Monthly market rent
Share of gross income18.7%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$42,240To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$1,691At 30% of $67,647
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

How much is rent in Hardin County, KY? By bedroom, 2026

HUD's fiscal 2026 Fair Market Rents for Elizabethtown, KY HUD Metro FMR Area, with the income each one takes if rent stays under 30% of it.

HUD Fair Market Rent in Hardin County, KY, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$841$10,092$33,64014.9%
1-Bedroom Apartment$846$10,152$33,84015%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$1,056$12,672$42,24018.7%
3-Bedroom Home$1,469$17,628$58,76026.1%
4-Bedroom Home$1,771$21,252$70,84031.4%

Rent in Hardin County, KY, with the wage each unit needs →

What a typical income covers in Hardin County, KY

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $67,647 a year ($5,637 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$2,819/moRent ($1,056 2-BR), utilities (~$128/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$1,691/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$1,127/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $67,647 leaves after Kentucky taxes

Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Kentucky tax on the local median income. Change the salary to see yours.

$67,647
$25,000$140,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$67,647
Net 80%
Fed 9%
KY 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$54,170After all taxes
Monthly deposit$4,514Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,083Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate19.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$6,052 / yr
Kentucky state income tax$2,250 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$5,175 / yr

Living in Hardin County, KY: common questions

What is the median household income in Hardin County, KY?

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Hardin County, KY is $67,647 per year (approximately $5,637 per month).

What is the average rent in Hardin County, KY?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $841 for a studio, $846 for one bedroom, $1,056 for two, $1,469 for three and $1,771 for four, utilities included.

It is not an average of listings. HUD sets it at the rent 40% of recent movers paid or less for a standard unit, so a new lease on a nicer place will usually cost more.

Is Hardin County, KY expensive to live in?

Prices there run 9.4% below the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for the metro area is 90.6, where the U.S. is 100. Rent moves the number most: housing is where places differ, while goods cost about the same everywhere.

How much do you need to earn to comfortably afford rent in Hardin County, KY?

To keep a $1,056 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $42,240 a year, or $3,520 a month. That is 62% of what the typical household in Hardin County, KY earns.

How much do you need to live comfortably in Hardin County, KY?

On the local median income of $67,647 ($5,637 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $2,819 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $1,691 for everything else and $1,127 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $1,056 takes 37% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Hardin County, KY?

Homes in Kentucky paid 14.3¢ per kWh on average (EIA). At 900 kWh a month, a typical use, that is about $128. Your bill depends mostly on heating and cooling.