Bell County, Kentucky Housing Market Prices
Bell County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 47% below the Kentucky median$62,209
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Median rent 39% below the Kentucky median Cheaper than 91% of counties in Kentucky$591
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Bell County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $62,209 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 11.9% | 3.8% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $591 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 2.5% | 4.3% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Bell County is about 47% lower than in Kentucky. Rent is about 39% lower than the Kentucky average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Bell County, up about 11.9% and 2.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Bell County rose about 23.7% between 2015 and 2024, from $478 to $591. Over the same span, rent in Kentucky rose about 43.3%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 2.0 yearly household incomes in Bell County.
Buying the median-priced home in Bell County costs roughly 8.8 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Bell County. The price-to-rent ratio in Kentucky is about 10.2.
| Metric | Bell County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $62,209 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $31,831 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 2.0 | 1.8 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Bell County rose about 123.8%, while median household income rose about 36.9% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Bell County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 50.3% | 61.3% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 35.2% | 28.4% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 14.5% | 10.3% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 21.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2005 | 2011 | 2011 |
Bell County has a homeownership rate of 50.3%, lower than the Kentucky average of 61.3%. Its housing vacancy rate is 14.5%, compared with 10.3% in Kentucky.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Bell County | Kentucky Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.31 people | 2.43 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1980 | 1981 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.4 | 5.7 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Bell County was built around 1980. On average, 2.3 people live in a home with about 5.4 rooms, staying for about 21.0 years on average.
Bell County, KY Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
How Bell County, KY compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell County, KY | 23,509 | $62,209 #3/3 | $591 #3/3 | 58.8% #3/3 |
| Knox County, KY | 29,865 | $87,692 | $680 | 65.3% |
| Claiborne County, TN | 32,466 | $207,311 | $744 | 72.2% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Bell County, Kentucky.
What is the median home price in Bell County, Kentucky?
The median home price in Bell County, Kentucky is $62,209, lower than the Kentucky average of $118,017.
What is the average home price in Bell County, Kentucky?
The typical home price in Bell County, Kentucky, reported as the median sale price, is $62,209. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Bell County, Kentucky?
The median gross rent in Bell County, Kentucky is $591 per month, lower than the Kentucky average of $967.
What was the median gross rent in Bell County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Bell County, Kentucky was $559 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Bell County, Kentucky?
The price-to-rent ratio in Bell County, Kentucky is about 8.8, meaning it would take roughly 8.8 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Bell County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Bell County, Kentucky?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Bell County, up about 11.9% and 2.5% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Bell County, Kentucky?
50.3% of households in Bell County, Kentucky own their home, lower than the Kentucky average of 61.3%.
What is the vacancy rate in Bell County, Kentucky?
The housing vacancy rate in Bell County, Kentucky is 14.5%, higher than the Kentucky average of 10.3%.
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