Rental numbers for the Bowling Green, KY metro
The typical home here runs -$797 a month at 7.78% with 25% down, breaking even at about 0.7%. 0 of 3 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this metro are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 4.9%.
- Gross yield
- 5.8%
- typical home, Zillow
- Median ZIP yield
- 4.9%
- 3 ZIPs with full data
- Cash flow
- -$797/mo
- at 7.78%, 25% down
- Typical price
- $259,000
- Zillow ZHVI, Aug 2026
- Typical rent
- $1,252/mo
- Zillow ZORI, Aug 2026
ZIP codes in the metro
19 with published figures
| 42259Mammoth Cave | $109,000 | $1,060* | 11.6% | 7.0% | +$46 | n/a |
| 42275Roundhill | $168,000 | $1,060* | 7.6% | 4.2% | -$325 | n/a |
| 42285Bee Spring | $168,000 | $1,060* | 7.6% | 4.1% | -$331 | n/a |
| 42273Rochester | $141,000 | $870* | 7.4% | 3.6% | -$339 | n/a |
| 42729Cub Run | $180,000 | $1,060* | 7.0% | 3.4% | -$461 | n/a |
| 42120Adolphus | $192,000 | $1,070* | 6.7% | 3.5% | -$480 | n/a |
| 42207Bee Spring | $190,000 | $1,060* | 6.7% | 3.3% | -$503 | n/a |
| 42210Brownsville | $198,000 | $1,060* | 6.4% | 3.1% | -$555 | n/a |
| 42261Morgantown | $176,000 | $870* | 5.9% | 2.6% | -$564 | n/a |
| 42101Bowling Green | $236,000 | $1,141 | 5.8% | 2.7% | -$743 | n/a |
| 42164Scottsville | $208,000 | $1,000* | 5.8% | 2.6% | -$669 | n/a |
| 42256Lewisburg | $187,000 | $880* | 5.7% | 2.4% | -$636 | n/a |
| 42159Oakland | $286,000 | $1,330* | 5.6% | 2.7% | -$904 | n/a |
| 42170Woodburn | $290,000 | $1,270* | 5.3% | 2.5% | -$970 | n/a |
| 42171Smiths Grove | $255,000 | $1,060* | 5.0% | 1.9% | -$959 | n/a |
| 42104Bowling Green | $321,000 | $1,310 | 4.9% | 2.1% | -$1,180 | +2.6% |
| 42122Alvaton | $402,000 | $1,540* | 4.6% | 1.8% | -$1,551 | n/a |
| 42103Bowling Green | $360,000 | $1,351 | 4.5% | 1.7% | -$1,430 | +1.0% |
| 42274Rockfield | $288,000 | $1,060* | 4.4% | 1.7% | -$1,144 | n/a |
* HUD Fair Market Rent, 2 bedroom, where Zillow publishes no rent index. Conservative.
Trends
Five years to August 2026
- Price, 12 months
- -0.3%
- Rent, 12 months
- +1.5%
- Rent minus price growth
- +1.7 pts
- Property tax
- 0.57%
- effective rate, ACS 2024
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical value | Rent |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2021 | $207,824 | $1,032 |
| Aug 2022 | $236,043 | $1,140 |
| Aug 2023 | $247,227 | $1,199 |
| Aug 2024 | $254,666 | $1,231 |
| Aug 2025 | $260,139 | $1,234 |
| Aug 2026 | $259,405 | $1,252 |
Counties
- Warren County, KY4.9% median yield
- Allen County, KYn/a median yield
- Edmonson County, KYn/a median yield
- Logan County, KYn/a median yield
- Butler County, KYn/a median yield
- Hart County, KYn/a median yield
Tools
Test a listing in the Bowling Green, KY area against today's rate.
Open the calculatorQuestions
- Is the Bowling Green, KY metro good for rental property?
- The typical home here runs -$797 a month at 7.78% with 25% down, breaking even at about 0.7%. 0 of 3 ZIP codes with full Zillow data in this metro are cash-flow positive; the median gross yield is 4.9%. Figures assume a typical home, 7.78% with 25% down and the default costs on the methodology page.
- Which ZIP codes in the Bowling Green, KY metro have the highest rental yield?
- 42101 (Bowling Green) at 5.8%, 42104 (Bowling Green) at 4.9%, 42103 (Bowling Green) at 4.5%, on Zillow value and rent. The full table above sorts by any column.
Sources and method
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), mid tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical home value by ZIP, county, metro and state, and the price trend.
- Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), all homes plus multifamily, smoothed
Zillow Research. Read: 2026-08.
Typical market rent by ZIP, county and metro, and the rent trend (tier A pages).
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2026
US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Read: FY2026.
Rent by bedroom count for every ZIP. The rent used on tier B pages, and a reference on all pages. It is the 40th percentile gross rent, so it runs below market.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (B25103 median real estate taxes paid, B25077 median home value, B11001 households)
US Census Bureau. Read: 2020 to 2024.
Effective property tax rate (median taxes paid divided by median value) by ZIP code tabulation area, county and state; households for the permits ratio.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, 30-year fixed (FRED series MORTGAGE30US)
Freddie Mac via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Read: 2026-09-24.
The weekly 30-year rate. The site adds a disclosed investor premium to it for the loan payment.
Data: Zillow Research (ZHVI, ZORI), HUD, US Census Bureau, Freddie Mac. Every formula is on the methodology page.
Estimates from public data for a typical property. Not investment, tax or legal advice. Your property, financing and costs will differ.