What it's like to live in Murray
Murray 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. Murray deals with household incomes below the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, above-average rainfall, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- High poverty rate
- Above-average rainfall
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Murray compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Murray
Based on Murray's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,740
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $34,800 a year
- 43% of Murray renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$39,000
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $19,500
- Homes cost 4.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 38% below US
$870/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $870 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $195,000. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $195,000 · 43% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Calloway County is 5.0%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Calloway County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 64% below US
117 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 879/100k · Murray Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 53% below US
12 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 12.3 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 88°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 30°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a wet climate overall.
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 & workforceNear US average
36% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 36% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Fort Donelson National Battlefield (24 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Murray'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 a poverty rate above the national average. A year of median rent ($870/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Murray
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