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Buying a home in Morehead, Kentucky

The typical owner-occupied home in Morehead is worth about $184,900, 10% below the Kentucky median of $205,600 and 44% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,398 a year in property taxes, about 0.76% of their home's value, close to the Kentucky rate of 0.75%. The median household earns $36,741 a year, so the median home costs 5.0 times the median income (3.2 times for Kentucky). 33% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 40% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Morehead at a glance

Morehead Kentucky U.S.
Median home value $184,900 $205,600 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,398 $1,544 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.76% 0.75% 0.94%
Median household income $36,741 $63,726 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 33% 68% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 40% 56% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,313 $1,433 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 16.7% 18.8% 21.0%
Median rent $800 $967 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 36.5% 28.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1980 1982 1980
Vacant homes 9.2% 10.3% 10.1%
Population 6,870 4,534,824 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Morehead

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Morehead home of $184,900 with 20% down costs about $1,189 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,497, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $50,967 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 39% of the median Morehead household income of $36,741; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $133,000.

The median rent here is $800 a month, so owning the median home costs about $389 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$36,980
Loan amount$147,920
Principal and interest$995
Property taxes (0.76% a year)$117
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$77
PMI$0
Total per month$1,189

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$6,472
Loan amount$181,551
Principal and interest$1,221
Property taxes (0.76% a year)$117
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$77
FHA mortgage insurance$82
Total per month$1,497

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Questions about home buying in Morehead

What is the median home value in Morehead?

About $184,900 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Morehead?

Homeowners pay a median $1,398 a year, which is about 0.76% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Morehead?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,189 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $50,967 a year.

More about Morehead

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data