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Moving to Owensboro, Kentucky

Owensboro pays new residents up to $5,000 through Grow the Boro (Owensboro). Here is what life costs in Daviess County, home of Owensboro, where people work, what there is to do, and remote jobs you can bring with you.
  • $5,000Paid to move hereGrow the Boro (Owensboro)
  • $199,900Typical home value1Daviess County
  • $918Typical rent1Utilities included
  • 104,898Population+1.5% since 2020

By Sol Lakein.Checked November 4, 2026.How we compare costs

Get paid to move to Owensboro

Tap a program for who qualifies, how it pays, whether it is open and the official link.

Every program in Kentucky

Something to know about Owensboro

Did you know?

The International Bluegrass Music Association was founded in Owensboro in 1986, and the city has been home to the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame since 1991.

Source: Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, April 2020

A fact about Owensboro

What it costs to live in Owensboro

Daviess County next to Kentucky and the US.1
MeasureDaviess CountyKentuckyUnited States
Typical home value$199,900$205,600$332,700
Monthly owner costs with a mortgage$1,387$1,433$1,963
Typical rent, with utilities$918$967$1,413
Typical household income$68,214$63,726$80,734
Homes lived in by their owners68.1%68.3%65.2%
Households with broadband89.8%88.6%91.0%
Average commute, one way19 min24 min26 min

On the typical home here, the mortgage comes to about $1,099 a month2.

Jobs and work in Daviess County

  • 43,758Jobs at local employers2023, +1.6% vs 2022
  • 2,385Employer businesses2023
  • 6,798Self-employed businessesNonemployer firms, 2024
  • 89.8%Households with broadbandUS: 91.0%

61.9% of residents 16 and older are in the labor force, the average commute is 19.3 minutes, and 26.2% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree1,3. Builders pulled permits for 253 new homes in 2025.

Remote jobs you can do from Owensboro

1 of Owensboro's 1 program requires a full-time remote job. These are current remote openings for people living in the US.

Loading current remote jobs.

Things to do in Owensboro

Notable places in Daviess County, by type.4

Parks, lakes and the outdoors

  • Douglas Park
  • Guenther-Hogg Camp
  • Legion Park
  • Moneta J Sleet Junior Historical Marker
  • Moreland Park

Museums, theaters and libraries

  • Owensboro Historic Downtown Commercial District
  • Owensboro Historic Commercial District
  • Phillip's Court District
  • J.Z. Moore Historic District
  • Doctors' Row Historic District

Colleges and universities

  • Brescia University
  • Owensboro Community and Technical College
  • Western Kentucky University-Owensboro

Thinking about Owensboro? Get the free moving guide

12 pages: what a move costs, hiring movers safely, an 8-week checklist and how to apply for programs like these.

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Moving to Owensboro: questions people ask

Does Owensboro pay you to move there?

Yes. Grow the Boro (Owensboro): $5,000 cash. Each program has its own rules, status and official link on its page, checked October 30, 2026.

How much does it cost to live in Owensboro?

In Daviess County, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $199,900 and median gross rent is $918 a month (US Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Kentucky: $205,600 and $967. United States: $332,700 and $1,413. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest on a home at the county median value come to about $1,099 a month (our arithmetic).

Is Owensboro a good place to live?

It depends on what you need. On the numbers: home values in Daviess County are below the US median, household income is below the US median, and the population grew 1.5% from April 2020 to July 2025 (US Census Bureau). Visit before you decide.

Can I work remotely from Owensboro?

89.8% of households in Daviess County have a broadband subscription (US: 91.0%; ACS 2020-2024). 1 of the 1 local program requires a full-time remote job.

What is there to do in Owensboro?

Notable places in Daviess County include Douglas Park, Guenther-Hogg Camp, Owensboro Historic Downtown Commercial District, Owensboro Historic Commercial District, Brescia University. The full list by type is on this page (Wikidata).

Other Kentucky towns that pay you to move

Notes on the numbers
  1. 1Costs and people: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates (dollars in 2024 terms), read November 4, 2026. "Typical" is the median. Census figures cover all homes and renters, not just recent sales or new leases. QuickFacts
  2. 2Mortgage: principal and interest on the county's typical home value with 20% down at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026), our arithmetic. Rate source
  3. 3Jobs and businesses: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, County Business Patterns 2023, Nonemployer Statistics 2024, Building Permits Survey 2025, ACS 2020-2024.
  4. 4Things to do: notable places from Wikidata (CC0), read November 4, 2026. Know a place we should add? Email hello@slowersundays.com.
Sources for this page