Louisville, KY Rental Market for Investors
An estimated 78% of Louisville's active listings could cash-flow as a short-term rental — here's what the numbers say for investors, as of August 2026.
Homes in Louisville that pencil right now
A sample of active Louisville listings whose DSCR clears 1.25 using short-term rental income projections we accept as a direct lender. These are spread across the price range, not ranked, and current as of August 2026.
$149,900DSCR 1.992 bed · 2 bath · 893 sqft
- STR revenue
- $28,297/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $950/mo
On the market 205 days · Listed by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Parks & Weisberg, Realtors®
Scout this home & market: 2-bed condo in Louisville
$183,000DSCR 2.183 bed · 2 bath · 1,563 sqft
- STR revenue
- $34,579/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $1,056/mo
On the market 362 days · Listed by Metro Advantage Realty
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Louisville
$219,900DSCR 1.833 bed · 1 bath · 1,000 sqft
- STR revenue
- $37,467/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $1,369/mo
On the market 93 days · Listed by Remax Premier Properties
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Louisville
$239,900DSCR 1.272 bed · 1 bath · 1,036 sqft
- STR revenue
- $28,022/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $1,466/mo
On the market 51 days · Listed by Coldwell Banker Mcmahan Co.
Scout this home & market: 2-bed house in Louisville
$265,000DSCR 1.703 bed · 2 bath · 1,566 sqft
- STR revenue
- $42,286/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $1,659/mo
On the market 6 days · Listed by Coldwell Banker Mcmahan Co.
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Louisville
$279,900DSCR 1.633 bed · 3 bath · 2,925 sqft
- STR revenue
- $42,118/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $1,728/mo
On the market 418 days · Listed by Schuler Bauer Real Estate Services ERA Powered
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Louisville
$299,900DSCR 1.513 bed · 2 bath · 1,492 sqft
- STR revenue
- $44,371/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $1,961/mo
On the market 11 days · Listed by Metro Realty
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Louisville
$349,900DSCR 1.413 bed · 1.5 bath · 1,929 sqft
- STR revenue
- $46,410/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $2,190/mo
On the market 30 days · Listed by Signal One Realty
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Louisville
$375,641DSCR 1.383 bed · 2.5 bath · 2,300 sqft
- STR revenue
- $44,558/yr
- Est. interest-only payment
- $2,152/mo
On the market 90 days · Listed by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Parks & Weisberg, Realtors®
Scout this home & market: 3-bed house in Louisville
As of August 2026, we analyzed 1,877 active for-sale homes in Louisville, Kentucky. The typical listing is priced at $315,000 and is projected to generate about $39,249 a year as a short-term rental.
After setting aside an estimated 20% for operating costs, an estimated 78.3% of those homes could still cover an investor mortgage payment on short-term-rental income — well above the 52.5% median across the 200 major metros we track, ranking Louisville #10 of 200 for cash-flow potential.
On market momentum: homes in Louisville sit a median of 35 days on the market, and 44% of active listings came on in just the last 30 days — a fast-moving market, which shapes how much room there is to negotiate.
For a DSCR loan — which qualifies on the property's rental income rather than your personal income — that's a relatively healthy setup: in Louisville, a meaningful share of listings throw off enough short-term-rental income, after costs, to cover an estimated investor mortgage payment.
What actually works in Louisville
Louisville is a broad cash-flow market right now: 587 of the 1,128 Louisville homes, condos and townhomes we can price confidently clear a DSCR of 1.25. Nine in ten of them are priced under $395,000.
| Price | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed | 5 bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $150k | — | 100%2.15 | — | — | — |
| $150k–$250k | 37%1.08 | 78%1.46 | 91%1.63 | 100%2.29 | — |
| $250k–$350k | — | 16%1.07 | 56%1.28 | 74%1.40 | 100%2.04 |
| $350k–$500k | — | 17%0.89 | 28%1.11 | 40%1.21 | 92%1.39 |
| $500k+ | — | 0%0.55 | 4%0.75 | 12%0.89 | 15%0.97 |
Darker means a larger share of that group cash-flows. “—” means fewer than 8 active listings — too few to draw a conclusion from.
Louisville in full
| Active for-sale homes analyzed | 1,877 |
|---|---|
| Median list price | $315,000 |
| Median projected STR revenue (annual, gross) | $39,249 |
| Median average daily rate (ADR) | $206 |
| Median occupancy | 53% |
| Median beds | 3 |
| Median size | 1,860 sqft |
| Estimated cash-flow-positive share | 78.3% |
| Median days on market | 35 days |
| New listings (last 30 days) | 44.0% of active |
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