Buying the median home in Owensboro means financing $178,000. Against the area's $48,000 median household income, that works out to a 3.7x price-to-income ratio.
Property taxes in Owensboro run 0.9% of assessed value, below the 1.1% national average. On the median home, that's $1,602 a year, or $134 added to the monthly payment.
Between the $1,112/month mortgage payment and Kentucky's state income tax, your real housing cost calculation needs your after-tax number, not your gross salary.
Beyond housing, Owensboro's cost of living index sits at 92 (national average = 100), running below the national baseline for groceries, transportation, and everyday services.
Owensboro's median home price runs 27% lower than nearby Louisville: $245,000 there versus $178,000 here.