1st Advantage MortgageElizabethtown, KY DSCR loans work like they do elsewhere: the lender divides the property's rent by its full monthly payment. The local inputs are a median gross rent of $909, median real estate taxes of $1,740 and a renter share of 51%.
Elizabethtown rents, values and tenants
Renters who pay cash rent in Elizabethtown have a median gross rent of $909 a month, close to the Kentucky median of $967, while owner-occupied homes carry a median value of $245,900. The gross rent-to-value ratio for Elizabethtown works out to 4.4% (twelve months of median rent divided by median value), a lean ratio that leaves little room for taxes, insurance and dues. The figure combines all rental types with all owner-occupied homes, so it is a screening number and not an appraisal.
| Indicator | Kentucky | Elizabethtown | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual property tax bill, median | $1,544 | $1,740 | +13% |
| Household income, median | $63,726 | $60,760 | -5% |
| Typical owner-occupied value | $205,600 | $245,900 | +20% |
| Typical monthly rent | $967 | $909 | -6% |
| Persons per household | 2.43 | 2.31 | |
| Share in 2-4 unit buildings | 7.1% | 15.7% | +122% |
| Share of homes detached | 67.5% | 55.4% | -18% |
| Long commuters, 45 min plus | 12.5% | 11.8% | -5% |
| Workers on their own account | 8.6% | 7.2% | -16% |
| Units sitting vacant | 10.3% | 7.5% | -28% |
| Typical construction year | 1982 | 1990 | |
| Annual rent divided by value | 5.6% | 4.4% | -21% |
| Households that rent | 31.7% | 50.7% | +60% |
| Tax as a share of home value | 0.75% | 0.71% | -6% |
| Residents (Census estimate) | 4,534,824 | 32,576 |
Tenure leans toward renters here, at 50.7% of occupied housing (well above the Kentucky median of 32%), which supports a durable pool of prospective tenants. Median household income is $60,760, close to the Kentucky median of $63,726, and 41% of renter households pay 30 percent or more of income on rent.
Housing mix and age in Elizabethtown
Buildings with two or more units make up about 36% of Elizabethtown's housing, including 16% in two to four unit buildings and 17% in buildings of five to 19 units. Median year built is 1990, which means newer stock, lower near-term repair risk and many properties inside associations.
Vacancy is a quiet driver of rent. 7% of homes are vacant citywide and 3.4% of the rental inventory was listed for rent when the Census surveyed.
Reading Elizabethtown as an investor
A 4.4% gross ratio leaves little margin in Elizabethtown. Every dollar of insurance, tax and association dues matters, and some deals work only with lower leverage. Because homes here are relatively new, expect more subdivisions and associations than in older cities. A large renter population (51%) supports leasing, though it also means many competing landlords, so condition and price positioning count.
The payment side of the Elizabethtown ratio
In Elizabethtown the median tax bill for an owner-occupied home is $1,740, or about 0.71% of value (Kentucky overall: 0.75%). That bill is about 13% above the Kentucky median of $1,544. Set beside the median rent, the tax alone consumes about 16% of annual rent.
Insurance follows risk. FEMA's National Risk Index lists Hardin County as relatively low overall, with strong wind (relatively high), ice storms (relatively high) and lightning (relatively high) as the main drivers.
| Hazard in Hardin County, FEMA index | Level |
|---|---|
| Hail exposure | Relatively Moderate |
| Lightning exposure | Relatively High |
| Ice storms exposure | Relatively High |
| Strong wind exposure | Relatively High |
| Social vulnerability score | Relatively Low |
| Annualized loss estimate | Relatively Low |
| Composite risk | Relatively Low |
Standard landlord policies usually exclude flood, and coastal ones can add a separate wind deductible, so ask the agent for Elizabethtown exclusions before trusting a premium estimate.
Rent math for Elizabethtown buyers
Worked through with this city's own medians: rent of $909 against taxes of about $145 a month leaves $764 for principal, interest, insurance and dues at a 1.00 ratio, and $582 at a 1.25 ratio. That arithmetic is the whole game, and the real rent and quotes for your address replace these medians.
Landlord and short-term rental rules in Elizabethtown
This page does not claim to list every Elizabethtown rental ordinance. Before you buy, call the city's planning or code office and Hardin County to ask about rental registration, inspections and short-term rental permits, and read any association declaration. Guests who book by the night in Elizabethtown are taxed under state law as follows. Kentucky applies sales tax and a statewide transient room tax to short-term rentals, exempts stays of 30 continuous days or more, and requires platforms that facilitate bookings to collect and remit both state and local transient taxes.
On entering a unit, Kentucky says: At least 2 days' notice, except in an emergency or where impracticable (URLTA areas).
How Elizabethtown stacks up against its neighbors
Prices in the comparison range from $233,900 in Louisville to $250,700 in Jeffersontown, with Elizabethtown at $245,900.
| Market | Renter share | Tax bill | Home value | Residents | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green | 63% | $1,807 | $241,900 | 75,388 | $998 |
| Jeffersontown | 30% | $2,151 | $250,700 | 29,199 | $1,320 |
| Louisville | 39% | $1,989 | $233,900 | 631,818 | $1,120 |
| Elizabethtown | 51% | $1,740 | $245,900 | 32,576 | $909 |
What fills Elizabethtown rentals
Self-employment accounts for 7.2% of Elizabethtown's workforce, so many local investors earn income that a standard payroll-based mortgage underwrites poorly. Around the edges, government workers are about 19% of employment, 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher and 12% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more.
On the logistics side, interstate access via I-65 and air service through Elizabethtown Regional Airport are noted for Elizabethtown.
Taking a Elizabethtown deal to a lender
A good Elizabethtown file has four pieces: rent evidence, a tax estimate, an insurance quote and cash. Preview the ratio in the calculator, then apply or talk to us.
More Kentucky markets
- All Kentucky DSCR loans
- DSCR loans in Louisville, KY
- DSCR loans in Jeffersontown, KY
- DSCR loans in Bowling Green, KY
- Every market we cover
Source links
- Census Bureau ACS 5-year 2020 to 2024 tables
- FEMA National Risk Index
- Background reading: Elizabethtown, Kentucky
- Kentucky security deposit statute (KRS 383.580)
- Kentucky Department of Revenue, transient room tax (Kentucky)
All Elizabethtown statistics are ACS five-year survey estimates from 2020 to 2024. RedFlagLease (CC BY 4.0) supplies the Kentucky landlord-tenant notes, and the statutes are linked. Reviewed in October 2026, with no promise that rules have stayed put.
A short buyer checklist
Ask the seller for twelve months of utility bills and any lease on the Elizabethtown property, confirm who pays water, trash and lawn care, and get the insurance quote before the inspection period ends so the ratio is tested on real numbers.
DSCR loan availability varies by property and lender program and is not an offer to lend. See our disclosures.
Frequently asked questions
What rent number goes into a Elizabethtown, KY DSCR calculation?
On most files the lender uses the lower of the signed lease rent and the appraiser's market rent for the address in Elizabethtown. For orientation, the Census median gross rent here is $909 a month.
Do taxes and insurance count in the Elizabethtown DSCR ratio?
Taxes, insurance and dues are inside the payment the lender tests. Run $909 through a 1.25 ratio and the ceiling is about $727; subtract $145 for median taxes and $582 remains.
What do Elizabethtown owners pay in real estate taxes?
The median bill is $1,740, an effective rate near 0.71%. Because Hardin County may reassess at sale, use an estimate on the new price when you run the ratio.
What about VRBO or Airbnb income on a Elizabethtown purchase?
Yes on programs built for it, once the use is lawful in Elizabethtown. Gather twelve months of statements or a third-party projection, and have Kentucky tax registration squared away.
Does hazard risk affect a Elizabethtown DSCR loan?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall natural hazard risk as relatively low. That is a county-level view, so check the FEMA flood map and an insurance quote for the exact Elizabethtown address.
Is an entity required for a KY DSCR loan?
It is optional. Lenders will close in a properly formed LLC and generally want the members to guarantee. Ask your accountant how a KY entity would be taxed.