Income needed to buy a home

Ballard County, KY

$46,182

a year in household income to buy the typical Ballard County home with 10% down.

The monthly math

Typical home value$140,757
Down payment (10%)$14,076
Loan$126,681
Principal and interest (7.40%)$877/mo
Property tax (0.66% a year)$77/mo
Homeowners insurance (estimate)$70/mo
Mortgage insurance$53/mo
Total monthly cost$1,078/mo

Income needed keeps housing at 28% of gross income, the lender rule of thumb.

What locals earn

Comfortable

The typical household here earns $66,164 a year, 43% more than it takes.

In Kentucky

Ballard County ranks #32 of 120 for the income a home takes, from least to most.

Easiest to afford in Kentucky

CountyTypical homeIncome needed
Knott County$60,095$19,389
Letcher County$64,327$21,138
Breathitt County$69,724$22,874
Harlan County$73,753$24,417
Leslie County$74,324$24,417

Typical home value from the Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026. Rate is the Freddie Mac 30-year average for Oct 8, 2026. Property tax rate is total taxes paid divided by total home value in the county (U.S. Census, ACS 2020-2024). How it works.