Overall
90.6
Below avg
Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Elizabethtown, KY
Cost-of-living indicators for Elizabethtown, KY, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.
- 90.6
- Overall RPP
- #278
- of 387 metros
- 66.7
- Rents RPP
- $110K
- $100K national buys
Elizabethtown ranks #278 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has held steady since 2008.
- stable since 2008
- similar cost to Battle Creek
The verdict
Elizabethtown costs less than 72% of U.S. metros, an overall index of 90.6, 9.4% below the national average, with rents the biggest swing at 66.7.
- bottom 28%
- by overall cost, nationwide
- 96.2
- goods RPP, tradable items
- 74.6
- services RPP, labor-priced
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $110,409 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $90,572.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has remained relatively stable, changing by only 0.6 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2012, when the index dropped 3.1 points from the year before, a bigger swing than the full 2008-2024 change.
Elizabethtown overall RPP, 2008-2024
Every year on record, national average = 100
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 90.0 |
| 2009 | 88.1 |
| 2010 | 90.6 |
| 2011 | 91.9 |
| 2012 | 88.8 |
| 2013 | 89.7 |
| 2014 | 90.4 |
| 2015 | 89.1 |
| 2016 | 88.8 |
| 2017 | 87.1 |
| 2018 | 87.3 |
| 2019 | 88.8 |
| 2020 | 88.0 |
| 2021 | 87.6 |
| 2022 | 89.6 |
| 2023 | 88.9 |
| 2024 | 90.6 |
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Elizabethtown's overall RPP rose +1.7 points, from 88.9 in 2023 to 90.6 in 2024. The largest category movement was rents, changing from 58.6 to 66.7. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$90,572
in Elizabethtown, KY purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$45,286
$75,000 nationally
$67,929
$125,000 nationally
$113,215
$150,000 nationally
$135,858
$200,000 nationally
$181,144
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
Affordability score
B
75/100
How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost
Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability C
75th percentile
A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.
Housing-led affordability profile
How Elizabethtown's cost structure works
Housing is the strongest affordability offset in Elizabethtown: rents index at 66.7, the component furthest below the national benchmark. That does not make every local expense low, but it is the clearest explanation for the metro's overall RPP of 90.6.
Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Gulfport-Biloxi, MS, Tulsa, OK, Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR. They resemble Elizabethtown across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.
Across 2008-2024, Elizabethtown's overall index has stayed within 0.6 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.
Elizabethtown vs every U.S. metro
Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution
91 Bottom 28% higher than 28% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
Elizabethtown cost breakdown
BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average
- Rents
Rents
66.7 RPP
- Services
Services
74.6 RPP
- Overall
Overall
90.6 RPP
- Goods
Goods
96.2 RPP
What this shows Elizabethtown's cost structure is housing-led: rents at 66.7 depart furthest from 100, while services sits at 74.6. This is a rent-sensitive profile, not a claim that every local expense moves together.
Goods vs. housing, where Elizabethtown's cost comes from
Metros near Elizabethtown's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.
Read the chart as text
- Elizabethtown (Elizabethtown, this metro): goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 66.7
- Battle Creek: goods RPP 93.7, rents RPP 61
- Sioux Falls: goods RPP 95.5, rents RPP 77.6
- Springfield: goods RPP 93.6, rents RPP 61.7
- Oklahoma City: goods RPP 93.8, rents RPP 73.9
- Abilene: goods RPP 93.8, rents RPP 73.8
- Baton Rouge: goods RPP 93.7, rents RPP 74.2
Price Index Summary
Goods
96.2
Below avg
Services
74.6
Cheap
Rents
66.7
Cheap
KY-relative analysis
Services prices places Elizabethtown, KY toward the bottom of KY's metros
Among the 6 KY metros PlainCost tracks with reported services prices data, Elizabethtown, KY ranks #5 - the 17th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares Elizabethtown, KY only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.
Goods prices
#1 of 6
33rd percentile in KY
Services prices
#5 of 6
17th percentile in KY
Rent prices
#3 of 6
50th percentile in KY
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "more expensive is worse", see the national comparison above for direction context. This is a comparison within KY only, not a livability score.
Nationwide metros with similar overall cost or rent prices
Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for Elizabethtown, KY: nearest metros by overall regional price parity and by rents RPP. These are cross-state neighborhoods, not the in-state metro list below.
Similar overall RPP
Nearest metros by overall regional price parity (90.6 here).
Similar rents RPP
Nearest metros by rents regional price parity (66.7 here).
Other KY Metros
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN 93.1 Lexington-Fayette, KY 92.9 Bowling Green, KY 90.2 Owensboro, KY 88.6 Paducah, KY-IL 86.1
View all KY metros → Cheapest in KY → Most expensive in KY →
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Elizabethtown, KY's index of 90.6.
Showing the 6 closest of 387 metro areas tracked nationally.
Decision peers
Metros with a similar cost mix
These metros are closest to Elizabethtown's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS
Goods 96.2 · Services 76.3 · Rents 67.9 Tulsa, OK
Goods 93.8 · Services 73.9 · Rents 68.2 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
Goods 93.6 · Services 74.6 · Rents 68.3 Bowling Green, KY
Goods 96.2 · Services 75.2 · Rents 63.4 Minot, ND
Goods 95.7 · Services 72.9 · Rents 63.2 Jackson, MS
Goods 96.2 · Services 78.1 · Rents 64.8
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Compare to Other Metros
Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.
What this means for Elizabethtown
How to read Elizabethtown's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.
- Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $110,409 in Elizabethtown. Salary calculator
- Start with rents: it indexes at 66.7, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
- Compare Elizabethtown head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Elizabethtown, KY?
Elizabethtown, KY has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 90.6, meaning it is 9.4% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 96.2, services at 74.6, and rents at 66.7. It ranks #278 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Elizabethtown, KY to match $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $90,572 in Elizabethtown, KY. Conversely, $100K earned in Elizabethtown, KY has the purchasing power of $110,409 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Elizabethtown, KY?
Rents in Elizabethtown, KY are indexed at 66.7, which is 33.3% below the national average. This makes the area relatively affordable for renters.
Is Elizabethtown, KY getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Elizabethtown, KY's overall cost index changed by +0.6 points (from 90.0 to 90.6). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.
What costs the most in Elizabethtown, KY?
The priciest category in Elizabethtown, KY is goods at 96.2, 3.8% below the national average, still the highest of the three categories. The most affordable category is rents at 66.7, 33.3% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Elizabethtown, KY?
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Battle Creek, Sioux Falls, Springfield. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Elizabethtown, KY's 90.6.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.