Mason County, Kentucky Housing Market

In Mason County, Kentucky, the median home value is $161,500, with a median monthly rent of $727. This places Mason County at #1989 nationally out of 3134 counties by median home value, and #54 within Kentucky.

Median Home Value $161,500
Median Rent $727/mo
Owner Occupancy 66.1%
Price/Rent Ratio 18.5

📈 Price Trend (2017 → 2024)

📊 Recent Market Momentum (FHFA HPI)

FHFA House Price Index — All-Transactions, Annual (2000 = 100) · Latest: 2025

💡 Year-over-Year Trend: Home prices in Mason County rose +2.6% year-over-year as of 2025. (Source: FHFA)

📍 Economic Snapshot

💼

Employment & Wages

6,645
jobs (private sector)
  • Avg weekly wage: $1,027
  • Establishments: 687
  • BLS QCEW, 2025
🏗️

Housing Supply

26
new units authorized (2025)
  • Single-family: 26
  • Multi-family: 0
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
🚚

Migration Patterns

+386
net migration (filers, 2021-2022)
  • Inflow: 6,532 (avg $62,870)
  • Outflow: 6,146 (avg $62,827)
  • IRS Statistics of Income

How Mason County Compares

MetricMason CountyKentucky AverageU.S. Average
Median Home Value $161,500 $160,835 $227,706
Median Gross Rent $727 $793 $968
Owner Occupancy Rate 66.1% 73.4% 73.3%
Price/Rent Ratio 18.5 16.6 18.7

Market Analysis

The median home value in Mason County is about equal to the Kentucky state average and 29.1% below the U.S. national average. The median rent of $727/month is 8.3% below the state average.

With a price-to-rent ratio of 18.5, the buy-vs-rent decision in Mason County is balanced. Whether buying or renting makes more sense depends on your time horizon, down payment capacity, and local market conditions.

Mason County has an owner-occupancy rate of 66.1%, 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
Kiowa County Colorado $161,500 $800
Jennings County Indiana $161,500 $988
Vance County North Carolina $161,500 $883
Roberts County Texas $161,500 $859
Huntington County Indiana $161,600 $879

Other Counties in Kentucky

CountyMedian Home ValueMedian RentOwner Occ.
Rowan County $161,800 $825 61.5%
Edmonson County $160,300 $778 80.1%
Russell County $163,200 $681 70.8%
Pendleton County $159,800 $793 74.7%
Laurel County $159,500 $813 71.6%

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).