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Daviess County, KY

Rent vs Own in Daviess County, Kentucky

In Daviess County the ownership stack ($1,209/mo) sits only modestly above HUD's $1,110/mo 2-bedroom rent, a thin premium, not a blowout. Small assumption changes in the calculator can flip the verdict. Owner-occupied homes: 28,341.

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Renting is cheaper in Daviess County

HUD's 2-bedroom rent is $1,110/mo - only a thin step below the $1,209/mo ownership stack. That is a $99/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Daviess County

Primary driver

Income supports the median purchase price

Median household income is $68,214, and the 2.9x home-price-to-income ratio leaves room for the ownership stack (property tax alone is 2.5% of median income). The monthly gap above is more about mortgage rate and insurance assumptions than about the purchase price being out of reach.

Decision signal 2

The county sits near the state middle

Using the assumptions above, Daviess County ranks 83 of 120 Kentucky counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 37 other Kentucky counties on this measure.

Decision signal 3

Renting wins, but only by a thin premium

At $199,900 for the median home and $1,675/yr in tax (0.84%), Daviess County's ownership stack (~$1,209/mo) only narrowly exceeds the $1,110/mo HUD 2-bedroom rent - a $99/mo premium. That is the band where a rate drop or a larger down payment most often flips the cash-flow verdict.

Decision signal 4

HUD moved the rent benchmark down

HUD cut its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Daviess County from $1,128/mo in FY2025 to $1,110/mo in FY2026: it decreased by $18/mo (-1.6%). A falling benchmark narrows the case for buying here, and it usually reflects HUD re-estimating the local market rather than existing rents being cut.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$1,209
Mortgage (P&I) $1,011
Property Tax $140
Insurance (est.) $58
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$1,110
Studio$840
1-Bedroom$846
2-Bedroom$1,110
3-Bedroom$1,466
4-Bedroom$1,470

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$68,214
$5,685/mo
Home Price / Income
2.9x
Affordable (≤3x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
2.5%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

Most Daviess County households that own outright land between $800 and $1,499 a year, at the national middle, so the tax neither argues for renting nor against it and the decision turns on price and mobility instead.

Daviess County matches the national pattern: six-figure earners between $100,000 and $200,000 account for more of these write-offs than any other local group.

Layered on a thin rent-vs-own premium, that annual bill is often the swing factor: a paid-off owner still faces a real yearly charge even when the mortgage payment itself would have looked competitive.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

Jefferson County
Home: $248,400 Tax: $2,136/yr
Fayette County
Home: $293,500 Tax: $2,542/yr
Kenton County
Home: $244,400 Tax: $2,395/yr
Boone County
Home: $277,300 Tax: $2,372/yr
Warren County
Home: $258,000 Tax: $1,668/yr
Hardin County
Home: $225,800 Tax: $1,480/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Daviess County, Kentucky? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom rent is only a thin step cheaper than owning in Daviess County (about $99/mo) on the standard 20%-down / 6.5% assumptions. A larger down payment or a rate drop often closes it; equity is still the ownership-only bonus.
What is the average rent in Daviess County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $1,110/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $630/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
How much house can you afford in Daviess County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $68,214 household here can afford up to $204,642, which comfortably covers this county's $199,900 median home price -- a healthier affordability picture than many of the counties tracked on this site.
What is the median home price in Daviess County? ▼
$199,900, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. The property tax on that value works out to roughly 0.84% a year, in line with typical rates for the area.
How does Daviess County compare to other Kentucky counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 120 Kentucky counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Daviess County lands at spot 83, roughly in the middle of the pack statewide. The <a href="/states/kentucky">Kentucky state page</a> lists every peer county's tax bill beside this one.
Is rent going up or down in Daviess County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has fallen 1.6% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

Verify with HUD →