Moving to Kentucky from North Carolina
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from North Carolina to Kentucky — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from North Carolina to Kentucky, you would find that Kentucky is 10.0% cheaper than North Carolina. A $75,000 salary in North Carolina would need to be roughly $65,689 in Kentucky to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from North Carolina to Kentucky.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $65,689
To maintain the same standard of living in Kentucky
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 3.4% less
Groceries
pay 17.8% less
Transportation
pay 14.1% less
Housing
pay 13.2% less
Childcare
pay 7.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.2% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from North Carolina to Kentucky.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Kentucky performs significantly better than North Carolina across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
North Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kentucky leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Kentucky performs significantly better than North Carolina across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
North Carolina generally does better on infrastructure, though Kentucky leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
North Carolina performs better than Kentucky across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
North Carolina performs better than Kentucky across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Asheville | Bowling Green |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 52°/32°F (11°/0°C) | 52°/31°F (11°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) | 78°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 87°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/38°F (15°/3°C) | 59°/38°F (15°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Asheville | Bowling Green |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.1°C) |
| Feb | 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C) | 50°/30°F (10.0°/-1.3°C) |
| Mar | 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C) | 60°/37°F (15.4°/2.8°C) |
| Apr | 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) | 70°/46°F (20.9°/7.6°C) |
| May | 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C) | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.8°C) |
| Jun | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) | 86°/64°F (30.1°/17.7°C) |
| Jul | 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C) | 89°/68°F (31.9°/19.9°C) |
| Aug | 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C) | 89°/66°F (31.6°/18.9°C) |
| Sep | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C) | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.4°C) |
| Oct | 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C) | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) |
| Nov | 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C) | 59°/38°F (15.2°/3.1°C) |
| Dec | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°C) | 48°/29°F (8.8°/-1.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Kentucky than North Carolina?
Yes — Kentucky is on average about 12% cheaper than North Carolina. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Kentucky?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $16,422 in Kentucky on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Kentucky safe?
Kentucky performs significantly better than North Carolina across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Kentucky compared to North Carolina?
North Carolina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kentucky leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Kentucky compared to North Carolina?
The average high temperature in Bowling Green is 69°F, compared to 67°F in Asheville. Bowling Green receives around 49.9 in of rainfall per year, while Asheville gets 37.0 in.
