Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bowling Green, Kentucky
A $232,000 home here costs
$1,931per month, all in, with 20% down at today's 7.24% 30-year fixed rate. By the 28% rule that takes a household income of about $83,000 a year.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,265. The real number is $666 higher every month, 53% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Compare Warren County with anywhere in America · full county breakdown
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Bowling Green against Warren County and Kentucky
| Measure | Bowling Green | Warren County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $232,100 | $242,600 |
| Median property tax | $1,659 | $1,558 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.715% | 0.642% |
| Median gross rent | $948 | $963 |
| Population | 73,638 | 137,549 |
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 $144 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
Talk to someone who works this market
These are Bowling Green averages. What one specific house costs to own, or what it would sell for today, depends on the street and the condition of the place. We will connect you with one licensed local agent who works Bowling Green every week. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details to a list.
I'm looking to buy in Bowling Green I already own here and may sell
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bowling Green?
A $232,000 home in Bowling Green, Kentucky costs approximately $1,931 per month with 20% down at 7.24%. That is $1,265 principal and interest, $138 property tax, $122 homeowners insurance, $212 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 $1,931 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
What salary do you need to buy a home in Bowling Green?
Using the standard 28% rule, housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, buying the median home in Bowling Green, Kentucky at today's rate takes a household income of roughly $83,000 a year. That covers the full $1,931 monthly cost, not just the mortgage payment.
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.