Best Life Index › States › Kentucky › Cities › Bowling Green

Kentucky city profile

What Is It Like to Live in Bowling Green?

What it costs to live in Bowling Green, and how it compares with other Kentucky cities, in plain numbers.

Value score

20

29th best value in Kentucky

How much you get for what you pay, versus other Kentucky cities.

Overall livability

40

20th overall in Kentucky

Cost, safety, schools, jobs and quality of life combined.

Bowling Green is home to about 71,422 people. A typical home runs $171,600 and a household earns around $43,600, a price-to-income ratio of 3.9. Among Kentucky's largest cities, it ranks 29th for value and 20th overall.

Bowling Green at a glance

Median home price

$171,600

29th in KY of 30

Median rent

$842/mo

Median household income

$43,600

Home price to income

3.9x

Unemployment

5.5%

18th in KY of 30

School rating

2/10

23rd in KY of 30

Air quality (AQI)

45

0th in KY of 30

Walk score

7/100

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‹ See all top Kentucky cities ranked  ยท  Kentucky state profile ›

Sources: Home prices and rent from Zillow; income, unemployment and commute from the U.S. Census; school ratings from state education data; crime from the FBI; air quality from the EPA. City rankings are within Kentucky only. Updated 2026.