Jobs, pay and daily life in Bowling Green, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Bowling Green is a city in Kentucky with 75,388 residents. The median household earns $48,873 a year and the median rent is $998 a month, which is 24.5% of the median household income. It is part of the Bowling Green, KY metropolitan area, where BLS counts 82,160 jobs.
How Bowling Green compares. Among the 80 largest places in Kentucky, Bowling Green is #3 by population, #77 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #13 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #65 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Warren County, is #26 of 120 counties for average pay ($55,488).
Bowling Green has 75,388 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.7% of the population of Kentucky. It covers 42 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,795 people per square mile. The median age is 28.7, 27% younger than the state median (28.7 against 39.1).
The median gross rent is $998 a month (rent plus utilities), 3% above the state median ($998 against $967). Over a year that is 24.5% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $241,900, which is 4.9 times the median household income ($48,873). 36.6% of households own their home, 46% below the state average (36.6% against 68.3%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Bowling Green, KY metropolitan area has 82,160 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $45,040 a year, 12% below the national median ($45,040 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are production (9,840 jobs, median $48,670); office and administrative support (9,240 jobs, median $40,490); transportation and material moving (8,610 jobs, median $39,120). The area is most specialised in production (2.2 times) and transportation and material moving (1.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are healthcare practitioners and technical ($76,250) and educational instruction and library ($54,170). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Warren County was 4.0%. 64.7% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Warren County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 71.5% drive alone, 0.2% use public transit, 5.5% walk, 6.3% work from home. 6.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 52% below the state average (6.0% against 12.5%).
31.2% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 13% above the state share (31.2% against 27.6%). 15.0% of residents were born outside the United States, 222% above the state share (15.0% against 4.7%). The poverty rate is 25.6%, 59% above the state rate (25.6% against 16.1%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 78°F (25.5°C), and the coolest is Jan at 34°F (1.1°C). About 1,423 mm (56 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (142 mm) and Sep the driest (98 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Franklin (19 miles, similar rent); Portland (27 miles, rent 14% higher); Russellville (27 miles, rent 26% lower); Glasgow (28 miles, rent 15% lower). Rent differences are against Bowling Green; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Kentucky (288) →State guide: KentuckyCountry guideWarren CountyKentucky rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 288 federal postings open in Kentucky (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Kentucky →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 2,720 | 1.32 | $28,430 | $21,910 | $37,670 | -20% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,540 | 1.25 | $27,650 | $21,830 | $33,770 | -11% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 2,070 | 1.33 | $38,040 | $29,590 | $52,080 | -5% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 2,030 | 2.73 | $42,940 | $33,500 | $58,400 | -4% |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,010 | 1.08 | $71,170 | $37,910 | $158,420 | -33% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,870 | 1.05 | $79,120 | $64,380 | $104,380 | -19% |
| Cashiers | 1,670 | 1.02 | $28,540 | $21,900 | $34,940 | -13% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,660 | 1.11 | $34,730 | $29,380 | $42,820 | -7% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,540 | 1.42 | $53,450 | $37,690 | $75,970 | -9% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,250 | 1.04 | $28,810 | $16,070 | $60,390 | -18% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,170 | 0.85 | $37,970 | $27,990 | $57,370 | -15% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,150 | 0.50 | $35,160 | $24,510 | $56,140 | -2% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 1,040 | 2.05 | $37,940 | $29,830 | $46,730 | -17% |
| Office Clerks, General | 960 | 0.74 | $38,000 | $25,850 | $50,990 | -16% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 910 | 1.24 | $61,260 | $48,240 | $72,700 | -4% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 900 | 1.25 | $44,160 | $29,910 | $63,600 | -13% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 870 | 1.34 | $38,150 | $29,110 | $56,070 | -13% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 850 | 1.44 | $37,930 | $27,920 | $66,440 | -22% |
| Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks | 850 | 1.96 | $36,390 | $30,250 | $51,580 | -20% |
| Construction Laborers | 840 | 1.45 | $41,880 | $29,850 | $50,050 | -11% |
These figures are for the whole Bowling Green, KY metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $45,040 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.2% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 22.4% |
| Manufacturing | 18.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 13.9% |
| Retail trade | 12.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.7% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.6% |
| Construction | 5.1% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.5% |
| Other services | 3.7% |
| Public administration | 1.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.3% |
| Information | 0.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Bowling Green lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warren County | 140,918 | $11,131 million | $78,989 | 70,761 | 5,308 | $55,488 | +2.2% | 4.0% | 75,723 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 12,281 | 21.6% | $74,797 | 2.11 |
| Health care and social assistance | 10,398 | 18.3% | $55,296 | 1.03 |
| Retail trade | 8,494 | 15.0% | $36,534 | 1.20 |
| Accommodation and food services | 7,582 | 13.4% | $23,326 | 1.18 |
| Construction | 3,643 | 6.4% | $70,053 | 0.98 |
| Administrative and waste services | 3,604 | 6.4% | $40,452 | 0.87 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,409 | 4.2% | $68,320 | 0.49 |
| Management of companies | 2,051 | 3.6% | $103,188 | 1.72 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,723 | 3.0% | $88,590 | 0.60 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,548 | 2.7% | $42,571 | 0.73 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,131 | 2.0% | $25,688 | 0.95 |
| Real estate and rental | 826 | 1.5% | $47,790 | 0.75 |
| Information | 469 | 0.8% | $69,357 | 0.35 |
| Educational services | 398 | 0.7% | $45,727 | 0.27 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 133 | 0.2% | $51,457 | 0.23 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 37 | 0.1% | $135,697 | 0.14 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 71.5% |
| Public transit | 0.2% |
| Walk | 5.5% |
| Work from home | 6.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 6.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,873 |
| Income per person | $28,971 |
| Median gross rent per month | $998 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 24.5% |
| Median home value | $241,900 |
| Homeowners | 36.6% |
| Poverty rate | 25.6% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 90.2 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $45,040 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 3.50%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 28.7 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 85.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 31.2% |
| Born abroad | 15.0% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 64.7% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.1 | 34 | 100 |
| Feb | 2.9 | 37 | 120 |
| Mar | 8.2 | 47 | 116 |
| Apr | 14.1 | 57 | 139 |
| May | 19.1 | 66 | 142 |
| Jun | 23.5 | 74 | 119 |
| Jul | 25.5 | 78 | 140 |
| Aug | 25.1 | 77 | 108 |
| Sep | 21.5 | 71 | 98 |
| Oct | 14.7 | 58 | 108 |
| Nov | 8.0 | 46 | 105 |
| Dec | 3.2 | 38 | 128 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin | KY | 19 mi | 10,360 | $59,052 | $1,010 |
| Portland | TN | 27 mi | 13,449 | $72,647 | $1,141 |
| Russellville | KY | 27 mi | 7,316 | $45,484 | $738 |
| Glasgow | KY | 28 mi | 15,197 | $43,074 | $849 |
| Leitchfield | KY | 36 mi | 6,819 | $44,347 | $621 |
| White House | TN | 38 mi | 14,631 | $90,019 | $1,426 |
| Gallatin | TN | 41 mi | 48,532 | $77,518 | $1,395 |
| Springfield | TN | 41 mi | 19,255 | $59,465 | $1,139 |
| Hartsville | TN | 43 mi | 11,957 | $72,747 | $853 |
| Goodlettsville | TN | 47 mi | 17,597 | $70,758 | $1,385 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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75,388 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$998 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 24.5% of the median household income.
$48,873 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.0% (BLS county, Warren County (latest month 2026M09)).
Kentucky. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.