Bell County, Kentucky Housing Market

In Bell County, Kentucky, the median home value is $89,000, with a median monthly rent of $592. This places Bell County at #3026 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #108 within Kentucky.

Median Home Value $89,000
Median Rent $592/mo
Owner Occupancy 58.8%
Price/Rent Ratio 12.5

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

ℹ️ FHFA HPI data is not available for this county due to limited mortgage transaction volume.

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

6,672
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $829
  • Establishments: 550
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

41
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 41
  • Multi-family: 0
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+378
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 7,640 (avg $43,871)
  • Outflow: 7,262 (avg $44,338)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Bell County Compares

MetricBell CountyKentucky AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $89,000 $160,835 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $592 $793 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 58.8% 73.4% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 12.5 16.6 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Bell County is 44.7% below the Kentucky state average and 60.9% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $592/month is 25.3% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 12.5, buying a home in Bell County is generally more favorable than renting for those planning to stay long-term. A ratio below 15 typically signals that purchasing is financially advantageous over a multi-year horizon.

Bell County has an owner-occupancy rate of 58.8%, compared to 73.4% in Kentucky and 73.3% nationally. This indicates a more renter-heavy market than the U.S. average.

Similar Counties by Home Value

CountyStateMedian Home ValueMedian Rent
Franklin County Illinois $89,000 $803
Rooks County Kansas $89,000 $676
Magoffin County Kentucky $89,000 $730
Chicot County Arkansas $89,100 $574
Cameron County Pennsylvania $88,900 $689

Other Counties in Kentucky

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Magoffin County $89,000 $730 75.4%
Clay County $90,700 $724 76.4%
Martin County $86,900 $450 84.9%
Perry County $91,800 $798 70.4%
McCreary County $85,300 $577 74.2%

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 5-Year Estimates (2017–2024). Variables: B25077 (Median Home Value), B25064 (Median Gross Rent), B25003 (Tenure). Data collected on 2026-10-14. The price-to-rent ratio is calculated as Median Home Value ÷ (Median Monthly Rent × 12).