Evaluated, not offering now
Elizabethtown, Kentucky rental market: our review
Elizabethtown is a Fort Knox market with low vacancy, a gross yield above national, and property tax below it. Lineage is not offering properties here now because rents have stalled and values are falling since the area's largest private employer closed, and the plan to restart that plant is announced but not yet under way.
Elizabethtown is a two-county metro of 128,666 people in central Kentucky, covering Hardin and Larue counties. Fort Knox anchors the economy, and government is about one in five local jobs. Manufacturing is close behind. The battery plant in Glendale, the largest private employer, closed in early 2026 and about 1,600 people lost their jobs. Ford has since announced a $2 billion plan to reopen the site for energy storage. The rental numbers are mixed. Rental vacancy is 4.16%, well below national, and the gross yield is 8.23%. But single-family rents rose only 0.21% in the year to September 2026, and typical values fell 3.49%.
What’s changing in Elizabethtown, KY
Dated announcements that bring jobs. Announced means planned, and operating means people work there now.
- AnnouncedApril 30, 2026
Ford plans to reopen the Glendale battery site for energy storage
$2 billion, at least 2,100 full-time jobs
What it means for rentersIf the restart goes ahead, it would refill jobs lost when the battery plant closed and bring back the suppliers, contractors, and trucking firms that served it. Until hiring starts, the closure is what shows up in the rent and payroll data.
Source: WAVE - AnnouncedFebruary 2026
Fort Knox projects funded in federal fiscal 2026 bills
About $73 million: $50 million to demolish old hangars at Godman Army Airfield, $8 million for an access road, $4.5 million to design two dining facilities, $8 million for a gas line, and $2.5 million for railhead upgrades
What it means for rentersThese are construction and utility jobs, so local builders and trades get the work. They keep the base running but do not add soldiers, so they support current rental demand rather than growing it.
Source: Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs - April 21, 2026 (ribbon cutting); open to patients from May 11, 2026
Baptist Health Hardin opens an urgent care and diagnostic center near Cecilia
Diagnostic imaging, lab, urgent care, occupational medicine, and primary care. Investment not disclosed
What it means for rentersHealth care was one of the few local sectors adding jobs in 2026, and new clinics bring staff who often rent nearby.
Source: Baptist Health
The institutions that fill rentals in Elizabethtown, KY
- MilitaryDaytime population of about 26,260 soldiers, civilian employees, and family members. $5.6 billion a year in economic impact
Fort Knox
Home of Army Human Resources Command, Army Recruiting Command, and V Corps, with an unusually civilian-heavy workforce. The Army's population figure is undated on a page last updated in 2022. The impact figure is from the Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs' February 2026 report, also undated.
Source: U.S. Army Garrison Fort Knox - Hospital$225.6 million medical pavilion opened in 2024
Baptist Health Hardin
The regional hospital added cancer, surgery, and cardiac space in its largest expansion. A new diagnostic, urgent care, and primary care center near Cecilia opened to patients in May 2026.
Source: Baptist Health - EmployerMore than 9,500 people in manufacturing and supporting businesses
Hardin County manufacturing
Spread across automotive, packaging, and materials plants. The county's industrial foundation does not date the figure.
Source: Elizabethtown-Hardin County Industrial Foundation - EmployerAt least 2,100 planned jobs; about 1,600 jobs lost when the battery plant closed
Glendale energy storage site (Ford)
The former battery plant site is the swing factor for this market. Ford has announced a restart and laid-off workers can apply.
Source: WAVE
Elizabethtown, KY against the national figure
The seven measures Lineage checks in every market, each beside the national figure for the same period.
Rent to price (gross yield)
above national- Elizabethtown, KY
- 8.23%
- National
- 7.39%
On a $1,685 typical rent and a $245,691 typical value, the starting yield is above national, helped by values that have slipped over the past year.
Zillow ZORI and ZHVI, single-family · September 2026
Rent growth
below national- Elizabethtown, KY
- +0.21%
- National
- +3.13%
Rents have stalled since the battery plant closed, the lowest of the last 12 readings, and the series only began in February 2022, so one reading moves the picture a lot.
Zillow ZORI, single-family (series begins February 2022) · September 2026
Jobs and population
below national- Elizabethtown, KY
- Jobs -0.75%; population +0.68%
- National
- Jobs +0.32%; population +0.5%
Population still grows, but the plant closure pulled payrolls down and unemployment rose to 5.0%.
BLS Current Employment Statistics (jobs, September 2026), Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates (population, July 2025) · September 2026
Vacancy and new supply
below national- Elizabethtown, KY
- 4.16%
- National
- 5.54%
Vacancy is low, though the survey predates the 464 apartment units permitted in 2024, all inside the city, and the plant closure.
Census ACS 2020 to 2024 five-year estimates, Census Building Permits Survey · ACS 2020 to 2024, permits 2024
Landlord law
favorable- Elizabethtown, KY
- No statutory notice period
- National
- No national standard
The City of Elizabethtown has not adopted Kentucky's landlord and tenant act, so the lease governs, there are no deposit rules or rental registration in the city, and evictions go through District Court with a 7-day appeal window.
KRS 383.500, Kentucky 2024 HB 18 · November 2026
Insurance
near national- Elizabethtown, KY
- +6.5% a year
- National
- +6.8% a year
Lineage sees $1,700 to $2,200 a year on a typical rental, and Kentucky's increases have tracked the country's.
Lineage blend of Insurify 2025 and 2026 readings, same method for state and nation · October 2026
Property management depth
unfavorable- Elizabethtown, KY
- 8 local firms
- National
- No national benchmark
None of the eight firms in Elizabethtown and Radcliff publishes a door count or fee schedule, so the bench is thin for an out-of-state owner.
Lineage market research · October 2026
Why Lineage is not offering properties in Elizabethtown now
The starting numbers are close. At the typical $1,685 rent, a property in our $150,000 to $350,000 range can cover the loan payment with room to spare at the lower end. What holds us back is direction. Single-family rents rose 0.21% over the year to September 2026 against 3.13% nationally, typical values fell 3.49%, and payrolls fell 0.75% after the battery plant closed. Ford's $2 billion restart is announced, not under way, so the jobs it promises are not yet in the data. The local property management bench is also thin, and our model depends on an established manager vetting the tenant before close.
Markets we offer that fit a similar investor
- Lineage offers propertiesNashville, TNAbout 150 miles south on I-65, with jobs and population growing faster than the national rate.Nashville is a growth market with low holding costs: jobs and population are rising faster than the national rate, property taxes run under half the national rate, and Lineage sees low insurance premiums on its properties here.See the Nashville market
- Lineage offers propertiesFayetteville, NCAn Army market built around Fort Bragg, for investors who want military rental demand.Fayetteville is a Fort Bragg market where a large, rotating military population keeps rentals full and property taxes run well below the national average.See the Fayetteville market
- Lineage offers propertiesHuntsville, ALA defense and manufacturing economy anchored by Redstone Arsenal, with low property taxes.Huntsville has some of the strongest job and population growth in the country, driven by Redstone Arsenal and a growing list of federal commands moving in.See the Huntsville market
Law, taxes, and insurance
Landlord law in Kentucky
Kentucky lets each city and county choose whether to adopt its landlord and tenant act, and the City of Elizabethtown has not. That leaves the lease and Kentucky common law in charge, with no statutory notice period, no deposit statute, and no rental registration in the city. Evictions go through District Court, and the tenant has 7 days to appeal a judgment. A 2024 state law bars local landlord rules that conflict with state law. Hodgenville, in Larue County, requires rental registration.
Taxes and insurance
Kentucky taxes rental property at full value. Inside the City of Elizabethtown, in the Elizabethtown Independent Schools district, the rates add up to 121.4 cents per $100, or 1.214% of value a year, about $2,983 on the $245,691 typical value. The national average is 1.504%. Unincorporated Hardin County pays 0.904% and Radcliff 1.030%. The school rate used is the 2025 rate until the 2026 rate is adopted. Lineage's research found premiums of $1,700 to $2,200 a year for a typical rental, and Kentucky premiums have risen about as fast as the national trend.
What could go wrong
Stalled rents on a short series
Zillow's single-family rent series for this metro starts in February 2022, and the latest reading of 0.21% is the lowest of the past year. A short series can swing either way.
An announced restart, not a done deal
Ford's $2 billion energy storage restart was announced in April 2026. Until hiring is under way, the plant's 1,600 lost jobs are the reality in the data.
Fort Knox concentration
Fort Knox is the market's anchor, and federal civilian jobs in the metro fell over the past year. A large stationing or civilian cut would hit rental demand quickly.
Wind, flood, and sinkholes
FEMA rates strong wind risk relatively high in Hardin County. Flood zones and sinkholes vary by property and need a property-level check.
Questions investors ask
Is Elizabethtown, KY a good place to buy rental property?
Elizabethtown has a low rental vacancy rate of 4.16%, a gross yield of 8.23% against 7.39% nationally, and property tax below the national average. The concern is momentum. Rents barely rose over the past year, values fell 3.49%, and payroll jobs dropped after the battery plant closed. Lineage is not offering properties here now.
What is the average rent in Elizabethtown, KY?
The typical single-family rent in the Elizabethtown metro was $1,685 a month in September 2026, according to Zillow, up 0.21% from a year earlier. Rents vary by area. Radcliff, next to Fort Knox, has more apartments and lower average rents across all rental types.
How many people work at Fort Knox?
The Army describes Fort Knox's daytime population as about 26,260 soldiers, civilian employees, and family members, a figure on a page last updated in 2022. The Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs puts its annual economic impact at $5.6 billion, including $3 billion in payroll. Fort Knox has an unusually large civilian workforce for an Army post.
What happened to the battery plant in Glendale, KY?
Ford ended its battery joint venture in December 2025, and the Glendale plant closed in early 2026, with about 1,600 workers laid off. On April 30, 2026, Kentucky's governor announced that Ford plans to invest $2 billion to reopen the site for energy storage production, with at least 2,100 full-time jobs. The restart is announced, not yet under way.
Sources and method
Reviewed October 2026 by Patrick Roach. Every market figure is paired with a national figure for the same period. Figures were current at review and will change. This page is research, not investment advice.
Show all 17 sources
- Zillow Research, ZORI single-family rent index and ZHVI single-family values, September 2026 Accessed 2026-11-13
- BLS, Elizabethtown nonfarm employment Accessed 2026-11-13
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 metro population estimates Accessed 2026-11-13
- Census Bureau, ACS 2020 to 2024 five-year estimates Accessed 2026-11-13
- U.S. Army Garrison Fort Knox, installation information Accessed 2026-11-13
- Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs, Defense Activity Report, February 2026 Accessed 2026-11-13
- WAVE, Ford $2 billion investment in Hardin County, April 30, 2026 Accessed 2026-11-13
- WPLN, a Kentucky town bet big on Ford's EV strategy, February 16, 2026 Accessed 2026-11-13
- Baptist Health, Hardin Medical Pavilion ribbon cutting, October 29, 2024 Accessed 2026-11-13
- Baptist Health, Hardin new facility ribbon cutting, April 2026 Accessed 2026-11-13
- Elizabethtown-Hardin County Industrial Foundation, business climate Accessed 2026-11-13
- Kentucky Department of Revenue, 2025 Property Tax Rate Book Accessed 2026-11-13
- Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 50-State Property Tax Comparison Study, 2025 Accessed 2026-11-13
- Insurify, 2026 home insurance price projections Accessed 2026-11-13
- KRS 383.500, local adoption of the landlord and tenant act Accessed 2026-11-13
- Kentucky General Assembly, 2024 HB 18 Accessed 2026-11-13
- FEMA, National Risk Index Accessed 2026-11-13
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