Cost to Own
United StatesKentuckyWarren CountyBowling Green Population 73,638 Data vintage ACS 2023 5-Year Rates updated 2026-07-30

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Bowling Green, Kentucky

A $232,000 home here costs

$1,849

per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,193. The real number is $656 higher every month — 55% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

Bowling Green median: $232,100
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
US average household

Where every dollar goes

Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.

Principal & interest30-year fixed, $185,600 borrowed $1,193
Property tax0.715% effective rate for Bowling Green itself $138
Homeowners insuranceKentucky averages $1,232/yr (NAIC), or 0.631% of home value $122
Electricity14.98¢/kWh — Kentucky residential average, EIA $135
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year $193
Total monthly $1,849

Bowling Green against Warren County and Kentucky

MeasureBowling GreenWarren County
Median home value$232,100$242,600
Median property tax$1,659$1,558
Effective tax rate0.715%0.642%
Median gross rent$948$963
Population73,638137,549

The weather behind that power bill

Bowling Green sits in Warren County, which averages a high of 89.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 28.3°F in its coldest, with 50.1" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,676 cooling and 3,797 heating degree days, which is what sets the $135 electricity line above.

See the full climate breakdown for Warren County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.

Other cities in Warren County

Full Warren County cost breakdown · Every county in Kentucky

Common questions

How much does it cost to own a home in Bowling Green?

A $232,000 home in Bowling Green, Kentucky costs approximately $1,849 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,193 principal and interest, $138 property tax, $122 homeowners insurance, $203 utilities and $193 set aside for maintenance.

What is the property tax rate in Bowling Green?

Bowling Green has an effective property tax rate of 0.715%, based on a median home value of $232,100 and median real estate taxes of $1,659. That is higher than the Warren County average of 0.642%.

What is the average home price in Bowling Green?

The median owner-occupied home value in Bowling Green, Kentucky is $232,100, against $242,600 across Warren County.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bowling Green?

Median gross rent in Bowling Green is $948 a month, against $1,849 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.

Sources & methodology

  • Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Bowling Green — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
  • Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Kentucky.
  • Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
  • Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
  • Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.

Full methodology