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Russell County, KY

Rent vs Own in Russell County, Kentucky

In Russell County the ownership stack ($950/mo) sits only modestly above HUD's $866/mo 2-bedroom rent, a thin premium, not a blowout. Small assumption changes in the calculator can flip the verdict. Owner-occupied homes: 5,354.

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Renting is cheaper in Russell County

HUD's 2-bedroom rent is $866/mo - only a thin step below the $950/mo ownership stack. That is a $84/mo difference.

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

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

Primary driver

The county sits near the state middle

Using the assumptions above, Russell County ranks 84 of 120 Kentucky counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 36 other Kentucky counties on this measure.

Decision signal 2

Price and income sit in the middle band

Median household income is $44,738, for a 3.6x home-price-to-income ratio in the middle of the national distribution; property tax takes 2.1% of that income. Small changes in down payment or rate move this county across the rent-vs-own line more than they would in a high-ratio market.

Decision signal 3

Renting wins, but only by a thin premium

At $163,200 for the median home and $929/yr in tax (0.57%), Russell County's ownership stack (~$950/mo) only narrowly exceeds the $866/mo HUD 2-bedroom rent - a $84/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 Russell County from $867/mo in FY2025 to $866/mo in FY2026: it decreased by $1/mo (-0.1%). 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
$950
Mortgage (P&I) $825
Property Tax $77
Insurance (est.) $48
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$866
Studio$619
1-Bedroom$660
2-Bedroom$866
3-Bedroom$1,038
4-Bedroom$1,147

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$44,738
$3,728/mo
Home Price / Income
3.6x
Moderate (3-5x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
2.1%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

In Russell County, once the mortgage ends staying put is close to free: the largest cluster of debt-free households faces a yearly charge under $800, so insurance and upkeep, not the tax office, set what the home costs to keep.

Russell 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
Daviess County
Home: $199,900 Tax: $1,675/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Russell County, Kentucky? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom rent is only a thin step cheaper than owning in Russell County (about $84/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 Russell County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $866/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $528/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 Russell County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $44,738 household here can afford up to $134,214 -- about $28,986 short of this county's $163,200 median home. That gap is typically closed with a larger down payment, dual incomes, or a longer search outside the median price band.
What is the median home price in Russell County? ▼
$163,200, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. The property tax on that value works out to roughly 0.57% a year, in line with typical rates for the area.
How does Russell County compare to other Kentucky counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 120 Kentucky counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Russell County lands at spot 84, 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 Russell County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has fallen 0.1% 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 →