1st Advantage MortgageInvestors buying in Hopkinsville, KY are measured on the rent the property earns. Locally, median gross rent is $902 and median real estate taxes are $1,128 a year, which together set how much loan a rent can carry.
Hopkinsville by the Census numbers
Start with the two numbers every DSCR file turns on. Rent in Hopkinsville runs a median $902 a month (close to the Kentucky median of $967), and the median owner-occupied home is worth $172,100. Put the two medians together and Hopkinsville shows a gross yield of 6.3%, neither especially thin nor especially rich. Because the rent number covers apartments as well as houses, expect single-family rentals to land above or below it.
| Indicator | Kentucky | Hopkinsville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax as a share of home value | 0.75% | 0.66% | -13% |
| Annual property tax bill, median | $1,544 | $1,128 | -27% |
| Household income, median | $63,726 | $49,139 | -23% |
| Typical owner-occupied value | $205,600 | $172,100 | -16% |
| Persons per household | 2.43 | 2.35 | |
| Share in 2-4 unit buildings | 7.1% | 13.8% | +95% |
| Long commuters, 45 min plus | 12.5% | 10.4% | -17% |
| Degree holders, age 25+ | 27.6% | 23.3% | -16% |
| Workers on their own account | 8.6% | 8.2% | -4% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income | 45.4% | 44.7% | -2% |
| Units sitting vacant | 10.3% | 12.1% | +17% |
| Typical construction year | 1982 | 1976 | |
| Annual rent divided by value | 5.6% | 6.3% | +11% |
| Households that rent | 31.7% | 53.0% | +67% |
| Residents (Census estimate) | 4,534,824 | 30,906 |
Renters occupy 53.0% of Hopkinsville's occupied homes, well above the Kentucky median of 32%, so tenant demand is deep and investors compete mainly on condition and location. Median household income of $49,139 (about 23% below the Kentucky median of $63,726) sets the ceiling for rent growth, and 45% of renters already spend 30 percent or more of income on rent.
What Hopkinsville investors are buying
About 68% of Hopkinsville's housing is detached single-family, which means a typical rental purchase is a house with its own roof, yard and repair schedule. With 1976 as the median build year, expect aging HVAC and roofs and ask for the dates of the last replacements.
About 12% of Hopkinsville's housing units are vacant, and the rental vacancy rate (units for rent against rented plus for-rent units) works out to 3.7%.
What the data means for Hopkinsville buyers
Hopkinsville's 6.3% yield is workable. Expect most single-family rentals to land near the lender's minimum ratio, so details like taxes after reassessment matter. Housing here is neither new nor ancient, so condition varies widely from block to block and the inspection tells you more than the median. A large renter population (53%) supports leasing, though it also means many competing landlords, so condition and price positioning count.
Carrying costs in Hopkinsville
Tax drag is easy to underestimate. Hopkinsville owners report a median $1,128 in annual real estate taxes, well below the Kentucky median of $1,544, an effective 0.66% of median home value. In rent terms, the tax bill equals roughly 10% of twelve months of median rent.
FEMA's National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates Christian County as relatively low overall for natural hazard risk, with tornadoes (relatively high), ice storms (relatively high) and earthquakes (relatively moderate) among its leading hazards.
| Hazard in Christian County, FEMA index | Level |
|---|---|
| Lightning exposure | Relatively Moderate |
| Earthquakes exposure | Relatively Moderate |
| Ice storms exposure | Relatively High |
| Tornadoes exposure | Relatively High |
| Social vulnerability score | Relatively Low |
| Annualized loss estimate | Relatively Low |
| Composite risk | Relatively Low |
In Christian County, as anywhere, the premium is part of PITIA, which means a quote with the roof, age and flood zone of the actual Hopkinsville address belongs in your file early.
What the Hopkinsville medians allow
At the city medians a DSCR file in Hopkinsville has $808 a month after taxes to cover principal, interest, insurance and dues if the ratio is 1.00, or $628 if the ratio is 1.25. Those two numbers show why insurance quotes and tax estimates come first.
Landlord and short-term rental rules in Hopkinsville
Before you underwrite a Hopkinsville rental, confirm with city hall and Christian County whether landlords must register, pass an inspection or hold a permit, especially for stays under 30 days, because those rules can change what income a lender will count. If you are weighing nightly income in Hopkinsville, the state tax backdrop is this. 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).
Where Hopkinsville sits among nearby places
Among the nearby markets above, Murray has the lowest median home value at $195,000 and Nashville the highest at $413,600, against $172,100 in Hopkinsville.
| Market | Renter share | Tax bill | Home value | Residents | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | 48% | $2,472 | $413,600 | 690,130 | $1,586 |
| Bowling Green | 63% | $1,807 | $241,900 | 75,388 | $998 |
| Murray | 58% | $1,535 | $195,000 | 18,080 | $870 |
| Clarksville | 44% | $1,659 | $263,600 | 176,456 | $1,307 |
| Hopkinsville | 53% | $1,128 | $172,100 | 30,906 | $902 |
Employers and institutions near Hopkinsville rentals
The self-employed share of the workforce is 8.2%, and those owners tend to be exactly the buyers DSCR financing was built for. Looking at who fills the rentals, government workers are about 14% of employment, 23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher and 10% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more.
Employers named in Wikipedia's Hopkinsville entry for 2020 include Fort Campbell Army Post, Christian County Board of Education, Martinrea, Walmart Distribution Center 6066 and T.RAD North America, which is where many tenants earn the income that pays rent. Access runs through interstate access via I-169 and I-24 and air service through Nashville International Airport and Hopkinsville-Christian County Airport, which shapes where commuters want to live and how long a showing takes.
From a Hopkinsville listing to a loan
Ready to test a Hopkinsville deal? Use the calculator for the ratio, then start your application or send us the scenario.
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References
- Kentucky landlord deposit rules, KRS 383.580
- Kentucky Department of Revenue, transient room tax (Kentucky)
- 2020 to 2024 ACS data used for Hopkinsville
- FEMA hazard ratings for Christian County
- Wikipedia article, Hopkinsville, Kentucky
The Hopkinsville statistics are five-year ACS estimates (2020 to 2024), which have sampling error. Kentucky landlord-tenant summaries draw on the RedFlagLease dataset (CC BY 4.0) and the statutes linked above. Reviewed in October 2026, with no promise that rules have stayed put.
Pre-offer checklist
Before you commit on a Hopkinsville deal, confirm the rent with the lease or a market estimate, price the insurance for the exact address, and check how the taxes may change after the sale, so the ratio you run matches the one the lender calculates.
DSCR loan availability varies by property and lender program and is not an offer to lend. See our disclosures.
Frequently asked questions
How is Hopkinsville rent documented for a DSCR loan?
On most files the lender uses the lower of the signed lease rent and the appraiser's market rent for the address in Hopkinsville. For orientation, the Census median gross rent here is $902 a month.
Do taxes and insurance count in the Hopkinsville DSCR ratio?
Taxes, insurance and dues are inside the payment the lender tests. Run $902 through a 1.25 ratio and the ceiling is about $722; subtract $94 for median taxes and $628 remains.
How much real estate tax do Hopkinsville homeowners pay a year?
The Census reports a median of $1,128 a year for Hopkinsville owners, about 0.66% of median value against 0.75% for Kentucky. The county reassesses after a sale, so ask the tax office for an estimate on your purchase price.
Can I use Airbnb income to qualify in Hopkinsville?
It depends on the program and on local law. A Hopkinsville owner needs the right permit or registration, an association that allows nightly stays, and documented bookings.
What hazard risk does Hopkinsville carry for investors?
Overall risk is rated relatively low for the county. Because the rating covers a whole county, look up the specific property on FEMA's flood map before you offer.
Do I need an LLC to buy a rental in Hopkinsville?
An individual can borrow too. If you prefer an entity for the Hopkinsville purchase, expect to provide formation documents and sign a personal guaranty.