Buying In Bowling Green, KY
Sell Your Commercial Property In Bowling Green, KY
Own a commercial apartment building of five or more units in Bowling Green? We purchase multifamily properties around Downtown Bowling Green, Scottsville Road corridor, and the rest of Warren County, and we review every deal against a clear buy box.
- Clear feedback on your deal, typically within 48 hours
- 5 to 100+ units, stabilized or distressed, listed or off-market
- Owners, agents, and brokers welcome — every conversation is confidential
We buy:Tired landlordsEstate & trust sales1031 exchangesDeferred maintenanceHigh vacancyPartnership splits
Where We Look: Downtown Bowling Green · Scottsville Road corridor · Plano · Alvaton — Warren County, KY
Market Snapshot
Renter Demand In Bowling Green
Bowling Green is a college and factory town where renters outnumber owners. The Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey counted 19,418 renter households, 63.4% of occupied homes. Rental vacancy was 5.6%, and 10,204 homes sit in buildings of five or more units.
Owners who want to sell commercial property in Bowling Green, KY will see buyers start with three figures. HUD's FY2027 two-bedroom fair market rent is $1,199. Median gross rent is $998, and the 2025 tax rate in the city school district was 137.15 cents per $100.
Growth supports the case for anyone who plans to sell multifamily property in Bowling Green. Western Kentucky University and the Corvette plant at Bowling Green Assembly anchor that demand. Census estimates put the population at 78,505 in July 2025, up 8.6% from 2020. This profile covers those figures, a worked Warren County tax example and the Kentucky landlord statutes that apply, each linked to its official source.
Western Kentucky University
WKU reported fall 2025 enrollment of 15,920 students in its 2025 Quick Facts. That student base anchors renter demand in Bowling Green, where renters hold 63.4% of occupied homes.Corvette plant and manufacturing
General Motors has built the Corvette at Bowling Green Assembly since 1981. A 2019 state announcement said a second shift would push plant employment beyond 1,300.Steady population growth
Census Vintage 2025 estimates put Bowling Green at 78,505 residents in July 2025, up 6,199, or 8.6%, from the April 2020 base. Warren County grew 11.0%.Our Buy Box
What We Buy In Bowling Green
Asset Type
Multifamily, 5+ Units
Apartment buildings and income-producing residential.
Size
5 – 100+ Units
Sweet spot: 15–25 units.
Condition
Stabilized To Distressed
Value-add, mismanaged, and high-vacancy properties welcome.
Deal Types
Listed Or Off-Market
Direct-to-owner, pocket listings, portfolios.
Local Market Data
Bowling Green Apartment Market
Figures gathered October 2026 from public market data.
Who rents in Bowling Green
Renters occupy 63.4% of Bowling Green's 30,633 occupied homes, or 19,418 households, in ACS 2020-2024 table B25003. Warren County's renter share is 44.4%, and Kentucky's is 31.7%. Bowling Green holds 78.7% of the county's 24,679 renter households.
Western Kentucky University supplies a steady student tenant base. WKU reported fall 2025 enrollment of 15,920, down 373 from fall 2024, in its 2025 Quick Facts. Students and university staff rent across Downtown Bowling Green and the blocks around campus.
Population growth adds demand beyond campus. Bowling Green grew from an April 2020 base of 72,306 to 78,505 residents by July 2025, per Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates. That is a gain of 6,199 people, or 8.6%. Warren County grew 11.0% over the same period, to 149,375.
Rents and affordability in Bowling Green
Median gross rent in Bowling Green was $998 a month in ACS 2020-2024. That is $31, or 3.2%, above the Kentucky median of $967. Median household income was $48,873, so a year of median rent equals 24.5% of it.
Many Bowling Green tenants are stretched. 47.8% of renter households pay 30% or more of income on housing, per table B25070. Another 27.9% pay half or more, against 20.2% statewide.
HUD's FY2027 fair market rents for the Bowling Green, KY HUD Metro FMR Area took effect October 1, 2026. The table shows HUD's monthly benchmark by unit size.
| Unit size | HUD FY2027 FMR |
|---|---|
| Efficiency | $920 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,020 |
| 2 bedroom | $1,199 |
| 3 bedroom | $1,438 |
| 4 bedroom | $1,959 |
Source: HUD FMR documentation. The two-bedroom benchmark of $1,199 sits $201 above Bowling Green's median gross rent, which blends studios and older units.
Bowling Green's apartment stock
Bowling Green has 10,204 homes in buildings of five or more units, 30.5% of its 33,481 housing units, per table B25024. The share is 18.8% in Warren County and 11.7% statewide. Bowling Green holds 90.7% of the county's 11,247 such homes.
Small complexes lead that stock. Bowling Green counts 4,041 homes in 5-9 unit buildings and 2,784 in 10-19 unit buildings. Another 2,126 sit in 20-49 unit buildings and 1,253 in buildings of 50 or more.
The stock is younger than Kentucky's. Bowling Green's median year built is 1991, and 37.3% of homes predate 1980, per table B25034. Statewide, 47.1% predate 1980. Another 20.4% of Bowling Green homes were built in 2010 or later.
Rental vacancy was 5.6% in Bowling Green over 2020-2024, against 4.7% in Warren County and 4.6% statewide. Owners who sell commercial real estate in Bowling Green, KY should expect buyers to test that vacancy against new supply.
Property taxes in Warren County
An apartment building in Bowling Green's city school district faced 137.15 cents per $100 of assessed value for 2025. That total comes from the Kentucky Department of Revenue 2025 Property Tax Rate Book. It stacks a 10.6-cent state rate, 21.45 cents for Warren County, 84.8 cents for Bowling Green Independent Schools and 20.3 cents for Bowling Green.
Parcels inside Bowling Green but in the Warren County Schools district pay less, because that school rate is 52.2 cents. Their 2025 total is 104.55 cents per $100. Bowling Green's tax rates page says property is valued at 100% of fair market value as of January 1, with bills due by December 31.
Here is the worked example for a $2,000,000 assessed value in the city school district. It applies the 137.15-cent total, or $1.3715 per $100:
- $2,000,000 / 100 x $1.3715 = $27,430 a year.
- State $2,120, Warren County $4,290, city schools $16,960 and Bowling Green $4,060.
- The same value in the Warren County Schools district: $2,000,000 / 100 x $1.0455 = $20,910.
Appeals start with a conference with the Warren County property valuation administrator. KRS 133.045 opens the tax roll for 13 days beginning the first Monday in May. Under KRS 133.120, the written appeal goes to the county clerk within one workday after inspection ends.
A sale also triggers Kentucky's deed tax of $0.50 per $500 of value under KRS 142.050. On a $2,000,000 deed, that is $2,000, collected by the county clerk at recording. Owners who sell commercial property in Bowling Green, KY should net it against proceeds.
Landlord rules in Bowling Green and Kentucky
Kentucky lets cities adopt the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act only in its entirety, under KRS 383.500. Where the Act is not in effect, KRS 383.195 lets a landlord end a tenancy at will with one month's written notice. Where it applies, KRS 383.660 allows termination when rent stays unpaid seven days after written notice. KRS 383.580 sets deposit rules with no dollar cap and requires a separate deposit account.
Since March 6, 2024, KRS 383.198 bars Kentucky cities and counties from landlord-tenant ordinances that conflict with state law. Bowling Green applies the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code to existing structures, per its Property Maintenance Code page. That page describes no rental registration or inspection program, so code files and deposit records drive due diligence when selling commercial property in Bowling Green.
What this means for a Bowling Green owner
Bowling Green gives a seller a clear demand story. Renters hold 63.4% of occupied homes, and population rose 8.6% from 2020 to 2025. General Motors has built the Corvette at Bowling Green Assembly since 1981. A 2019 state announcement said a second shift would push plant employment beyond 1,300.
Taxes are the next line buyers model. At $27,430 a year on a $2,000,000 building, the city-school rate moves value as much as a rent change. Anyone ready to sell commercial real estate in Bowling Green, KY should run the $1,199 HUD two-bedroom benchmark against current rents.
Test your own figures in our cap rate calculator before you sell your apartment building in Bowling Green. Skyline Capital Investments buys 5+ unit apartment buildings in Downtown Bowling Green, the Scottsville Road corridor, Plano and Alvaton.
To sell commercial property in Bowling Green, KY without a public listing, our seller page explains how we underwrite. We review rent rolls, deposit records and the Warren County tax bill with you.
Local Knowledge
Bowling Green Seller Checklist
More about selling in Kentucky →Investing in Bowling Green? See apartment syndications in Bowling Green →
- ACS figures are 2020-2024 five-year estimates for Bowling Green city, Warren County and Kentucky, from Census tables B25003, B25024, B25034, B25064, B25070 and DP04.
- The $27,430 tax example uses 2025 rates from the Kentucky Department of Revenue rate book for Bowling Green inside the Bowling Green Independent Schools district.
- Kentucky's deed tax is $0.50 per $500 of value under KRS 142.050, or $2,000 on a $2,000,000 sale, paid by the grantor.
- HUD fair market rents cover the Bowling Green, KY HUD Metro FMR Area from October 1, 2026. They are program benchmarks, not asking rents for any building.
Seller Guides
Selling In Bowling Green? Common Situations We Handle
Learn More
Taxes & Rules For Bowling Green Property
The Kentucky rules that shape any deal in Bowling Green: what a sale costs in tax, how buildings are taxed, what landlords must follow, and how to defer gains.
Bowling Green Seller FAQ
How do I sell commercial property in Bowling Green, KY?
An owner can list with a broker or sell directly to a buyer of 5+ unit buildings. Buyers will compare rents with HUD's FY2027 two-bedroom fair market rent of $1,199 and check the 5.6% rental vacancy rate. They will also model the 2025 tax rate. Skyline Capital Investments buys 5+ unit apartment buildings in Bowling Green, Plano and Alvaton.
How are apartment buildings taxed in Warren County?
Bowling Green values property at 100% of fair market value as of January 1. For 2025, the Kentucky rate book shows 137.15 cents per $100 inside the Bowling Green Independent Schools district. On a $2,000,000 assessed value, that is $27,430 a year. Inside Bowling Green but in the Warren County Schools district, the 2025 total is 104.55 cents, or $20,910.
How do I appeal my property assessment in Warren County?
Request a conference with the Warren County property valuation administrator first. KRS 133.045 opens the real property tax roll for 13 days beginning the first Monday in May. If the conference does not settle it, KRS 133.120 requires a written appeal to the county clerk. File it no later than one workday after the inspection period ends.
How much transfer tax is due when I sell commercial real estate in Bowling Green, KY?
Kentucky taxes the grantor at $0.50 for each $500 of value, or fraction of it, under KRS 142.050. On a $2,000,000 sale, that is $2,000. The Warren County clerk computes and collects the tax before recording the deed. Value means the full actual consideration, including any liens on the property.
What landlord rules apply to my Bowling Green apartments?
KRS 383.500 lets cities adopt the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act only in full. Where it is not in effect, KRS 383.195 allows ending a tenancy at will with one month's written notice. KRS 383.198 bars local landlord-tenant ordinances that conflict with state law. Bowling Green enforces the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code on existing structures.
What do buyers look at before I sell multifamily property in Bowling Green?
They start with occupancy and rent. Bowling Green has 10,204 homes in 5+ unit buildings, a 1991 median year built and 5.6% rental vacancy in ACS 2020-2024. Buyers also model the 137.15-cent tax rate and the $1,199 HUD two-bedroom benchmark. Clean rent rolls, deposit account records and code files shorten due diligence.
Will you buy a Bowling Green property that needs work or has high vacancy?
Yes. We regularly evaluate value-add, mismanaged, and distressed multifamily properties and underwrite them as they are today — no repairs or lease-up required before selling.
Can I sell my Bowling Green apartment building off-market?
Yes. We work directly with owners and through listing agents. Off-market conversations are confidential, and we coordinate tours so tenants and staff are not disrupted.
Who buys occupied rental property in Bowling Green?
We do. Skyline Capital Investments is a commercial real estate buyer of 5+ unit multifamily, and we buy apartment buildings with tenants in place, including properties with below-market rents.
Do I need a broker to sell my apartment building in Bowling Green?
No. You can work with us directly, or your broker can bring the deal to us. Either way, conversations stay confidential.
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A few details are enough to start. We respond to every Bowling Green submission, including off-market and pocket listings.
