What it's like to live in Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown is a small city in Kentucky with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Elizabethtown deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, and above-average rainfall.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Elizabethtown compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Elizabethtown
Based on Elizabethtown's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,818
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $36,360 a year
- 39% of Elizabethtown renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$49,180
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $24,590
- Homes cost 4.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 36% below US
$909/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $909 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $245,900. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $245,900 · 39% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.5% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.5%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 67% below US
110 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 650/100k · Elizabethtown Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 23% below US
20 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 85°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 27°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 21% below US
28% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 28%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
15 public schools inside the boundary
There are 15 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park (14 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Elizabethtown's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($909/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Elizabethtown
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Rent $971/mo · Income $58,559
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Compare with Elizabethtown →Moving to Mount Washington →
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