2026 editionSouthPop. 4,606,864Capital Frankfort15th state, admitted 1792Cook PVI R+15
Is Kentucky a Good Place to Live? Kentucky Rankings, Cost of Living, Crime & Taxes
Kentucky ranks #41 of 50 with a composite score of 44.8 and a C grade, strongest in safety (#10) and weakest in economy (#49). The median household earns $64,526 (20% below the national median), homes typically cost $232,577 (37% below the national average), and violent crime is 212 per 100,000 (35% below the national average).
Kentucky ranks #10 for safety and #11 for affordability, which sits oddly beside an overall rank of #41; the gap is wages and health, not crime or rent. Move here if a median paycheck of $64,526 stretches far enough for you, and know that life expectancy of 73.6 years runs 3.3 years below the national average.
Kentucky by the numbers
Six measures every state is judged on, each with Kentucky's rank of 50 and the national figure beside it.
Sources, latest releases: Census Bureau ACS (income), Zillow Research (home value), BEA Regional Price Parities (cost index), FBI state crime estimates (crime), BLS LAUS (unemployment), WalletHub tax burden study (taxes). Rank 1 is the best value in each measure: highest income, lowest cost, lowest crime.
Read the Kentucky overview
Kentucky scores above the national average in 3 of 11 categories and ranks #9 of 14 states in the South, behind 8 regional neighbors. Its biggest edge over the country is typical home value ($232,577, 37% below the national average); its biggest shortfall is median household income ($64,526, 20% below the national median). That mix of top-10 finishes (2) and bottom-10 finishes (5) is why the composite alone undersells the tradeoffs a mover here faces.
Where does Kentucky rank in each category?
All 11 categories that make up the composite, heaviest weight first. Kentucky is top 10 in 2 and bottom 10 in 5.
| Category | Score | Rank | Grade | Weight | US avg | The numbers behind it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 23.7 | #49 of 50 | F | 15% | 47.1 | Its unemployment rate is 4.6% and median household income is $64,526. |
| Safety | 80.2 | #10 of 50 | A | 12% | 68.9 | The FBI estimates 212.1 violent crimes and 1,261.7 property crimes per 100,000 residents. |
| Health | 33.1 | #43 of 50 | D | 12% | 54.4 | Life expectancy is 73.6 years, 37.2% of adults have obesity, and 6.8% of residents are uninsured. |
| Education | 67.6 | #10 of 50 | A | 12% | 57.5 | Eighth graders average 271 in NAEP math and 258 in reading, and the high school graduation rate is 90.1%. |
| Affordability | 83.0 | #11 of 50 | B+ | 10% | 65.2 | Typical home value $232,577 (3.6x median income); cost of living index 90.2 (100 = US); center-based infant care $13,075 a year. |
| Fiscal Health | 38.4 | #47 of 50 | D | 8% | 58.1 | It carries $3,420 of debt per resident, has 47% of pensions funded, and holds a A credit rating. |
| Growth | 34.9 | #30 of 50 | C+ | 7% | 38.8 | Population grew 0.5% last year; Census net domestic migration is +1.6 per 1,000 residents (the Moving section below uses IRS household counts, a different series). |
| Transportation | 44.8 | #37 of 50 | C | 7% | 49.8 | The average commute is 24.5 minutes, 0.6% of workers use public transit, and 9.5% work from home. |
| Livability | 18.3 | #49 of 50 | F | 7% | 34.3 | It has 1.517 restaurants and 0.015 arts venues per 1,000 residents, plus 0.073 bars and 0.057 social associations per 1,000. |
| Outdoor Access | 9.9 | #43 of 50 | D | 6% | 29.4 | 5.4% of its land is public, with 1.94 recreation facilities per 10,000 residents. |
| Environment | 28.9 | #40 of 50 | C | 4% | 42.5 | Its median air quality index is 41, 9% of its electricity is renewable, and its FEMA disaster risk score is 33.6. |
Weight, US average and the evidence sentence for each category are shown on wider screens.
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. US avg is the mean score of the 50 states. Click a category for its 50-state ranking.
Category shape
Kentucky's 11 category scores. A balanced state fills the wheel evenly; Kentucky bulges toward safety and dips at economy.
How expensive is Kentucky?
Kentucky's cost of living index is 90.2 against a national baseline of 100, 10% below the national average and #12 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The typical home is worth $232,577 (37% below the national average); buying it takes an income of about $63,057, $1,469 less than the median household earns. Inside the state the spread is wide: among tracked cities, Richmond is cheapest (index 85.3) and Erlanger priciest (95.4).
Housing market snapshot · August
Cool marketRanked #45 of 50 most expensive by typical value and #5 on price relative to income (1 = most affordable). The median household earns enough to buy the typical home.
Full Kentucky housing market: 26-year chart, rent vs. buy, cities →What a household keeps at $75,000
| Household | Kentucky | Median state | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family of fourTwo adults, two kids, one in daycare | −$344 | −$11,758 | #10 of 50 |
| Single adultOne-bedroom rent, no childcare | +$36,838 | +$31,418 | #6 of 50 |
| Retiree coupleOwn the home, no payroll tax | +$41,684 | +$35,970 | #7 of 50 |
Take-home pay minus housing, childcare, utilities, groceries and transport for a $75,000 household, from the affordability engine. Positive = money left over; negative = costs exceed take-home. Rank 1 = most left over.
What are taxes like in Kentucky?
Kentucky's tax mix is low sales tax, with income and property taxes in the middle of the pack. The total state and local tax burden comes to 8.93% of income, 0.2 points above the national average (#29 of 50, 1 = lightest). Property tax is 0.8% of home value (#22), and combined sales tax averages 6% (#12).
Tax Foundation (rates) and WalletHub tax burden study (burden as a share of income), latest releases. Rank 1 = lowest. Income tax is the top marginal rate including typical local taxes where they apply.
Can the state pay its bills?
Fiscal health scores 38.4 out of 100, #47 of 50. Pew Fiscal 50, Census state finances and the rating agencies, latest releases.
Is Kentucky safe?
Kentucky reports 212 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 35% below the national average and #9 of 50 (1 = safest). Property crime runs 1,262 per 100,000, 18% below the national average (#14 of 50). The safety score is 80.2 out of 100, #10 of 50; among tracked cities, Independence has the lowest violent crime rate.
Kentucky vs. the United States, per 100,000 residents
FBI state crime estimates, latest release. US is the mean of the 50 states; blue = below it, terracotta = above it. Florida and North Dakota use the FBI's prior-year estimate because their latest year is based on limited data.
Safest tracked cities in Kentucky
| City | Population | Violent / 100K | Property / 100K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence | 29,392 | 49 | 350 |
| Jeffersontown | 29,199 | 65 | 2,193 |
| Erlanger | 19,875 | 69 | 365 |
| Elizabethtown | 32,576 | 110 | 650 |
| Madisonville | 19,515 | 149 | 488 |
Lowest violent crime among the 20 Kentucky cities we track. City rates come from each city's police agency and are not strictly comparable across agencies.
What is the job market like in Kentucky?
Kentucky's unemployment rate is 4.6%, 0.6 points above the national average and #42 of 50 (1 = lowest), and the median household earns $64,526, 20% below the national median. Real GDP grew +1.3% in the latest year (#42 of 50) and GDP per capita is $50,825, 21% below the national average. The population is growing 0.5% a year, in line with the national average. The economy score is 23.7 out of 100, #49 of 50.
Census Bureau ACS (income), BLS LAUS (unemployment), BEA (GDP), Census population estimates (growth), latest releases.
Highest-paying tracked occupations in Kentucky, adjusted for cost of living
| Occupation | Cost-adjusted | Median wage | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $230,688 | $207,619 | Louisville/Jefferson County |
| Lawyers | $149,011 | $134,110 | Louisville/Jefferson County |
| Software Developers | $132,426 | $119,183 | Louisville/Jefferson County |
| Computer Systems Analysts | $111,147 | $100,032 | Louisville/Jefferson County |
| Civil Engineers | $102,343 | $92,109 | Louisville/Jefferson County |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, latest release, for the 20 occupations we track. Cost-adjusted wage divides the metro median by its cost of living index.
How are Kentucky's schools and healthcare?
Kentucky's education score is 67.6 out of 100, #10 of 50. Eighth graders average 271 in NAEP math (#28 of 50) and 258 in reading (#22 of 50), and the high school graduation rate is 90.1%, 4.5 points above the national average (#5 of 50).
Best public school cities we track, by graduation rate
| City | Grad rate | Students / teacher | Per pupil |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green | 96% | 16.3 | $12,700 |
| Florence | 96% | 13.8 | $13,925 |
| Nicholasville | 94% | 15.5 | $13,940 |
NCES Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey, latest release. Cities with at least three schools.
Kentucky is #43 of 50 for health, with a life expectancy of 73.6 years, 3.3 years below the national average. 37.2% of adults have obesity (#40 of 50) and 6.8% of residents have no health insurance (#21 of 50). The health score is 33.1 out of 100, weighted 12% of the composite.
CDC National Center for Health Statistics (state life tables), CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (obesity), and Census Bureau American Community Survey (health insurance), latest releases.
Who is moving to Kentucky, and who is leaving?
Kentucky's flows are close to even: 48,859 households moved in and 46,701 moved out in the latest IRS release, a net of +2,158, or +0.5 per 1,000 residents (#21 of 50), too small to call a direction. Arriving households report an average income of $60,483 against $65,674 for those leaving. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which counts people rather than households, shows a net +13.6K people (95.5K in, 81.9K out, ±11.3K), consistent with the IRS direction.
Where should you live in Kentucky?
By composite score, the best of the 20 Kentucky cities we track are Independence (64.4), Jeffersontown (61.1), and Florence (60.5). Richmond is the cheapest (cost index 85.3), Independence the richest ($102,361), and Elizabethtown the fastest growing (+2.8% a year). City ranks are among the 20 Kentucky cities we cover, not every city in the state.
Standout cities in Kentucky
| Best for | City | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Safest | Independence | 49 violent crimes per 100K |
| Cheapest | Richmond | cost of living index 85.3 |
| Most walkable | Covington | walkability 13.4 of 20 |
| Cleanest air | Florence | median AQI 38 (county) |
| Best schools | Bowling Green | 96% graduation rate |
| Richest | Independence | $102,361 |
Among the 20 Kentucky cities we track. Safest uses a full year of FBI reports from the city's own police agency; air quality is measured by county, so cities in the same county share a reading.
Regions of Kentucky
The largest job market, the UPS and Ford payrolls, and the highest crime in the state inside city limits; the East End and Jeffersontown are where families with money settle.
Cincinnati's Kentucky suburbs, closer in cost and feel to Ohio than to the rest of the state; the highest incomes and lowest crime among tracked cities.
Horse farms, the University of Kentucky, the Toyota plant and the state capital; steadier and more white-collar than the rest of Kentucky, with home prices to match.
River towns and factory towns along the Ohio plus Bowling Green and the Fort Knox corridor; cheap, slow-growing and a long drive from either big metro.
Coal counties, hollows and the Big Sandy; the cheapest land in the state, the fewest jobs, the worst health outcomes, and Ashland as the only tracked city.
All 20 tracked cities, best to worst
| # | City | Grade | Score | Population | Income | Violent / 100K | Cost index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Independence | A | 64.4 | 29,392 | $102,361 | 49 | 95.4 |
| 2 | Jeffersontown | B+ | 61.1 | 29,199 | $81,506 | 65 | 93.1 |
| 3 | Florence | B+ | 60.5 | 32,803 | $71,003 | 199 | 95.4 |
| 4 | Georgetown | B+ | 60.3 | 39,117 | $80,088 | 165 | 92.9 |
| 5 | Lexington | B+ | 59.9 | 323,725 | $69,479 | 228 | 92.9 |
| 6 | Erlanger | B | 58.4 | 19,875 | $75,840 | 69 | 95.4 |
| 7 | Nicholasville | B | 58.0 | 32,197 | $68,503 | 197 | 92.9 |
| 8 | Covington | B | 57.5 | 41,110 | $61,166 | 290 | 95.4 |
| 9 | Elizabethtown | B | 57.4 | 32,576 | $60,760 | 110 | 90.6 |
| 10 | Richmond | C+ | 55.5 | 37,111 | $50,870 | 243 | 85.3 |
| 11 | Frankfort | C+ | 53.8 | 28,503 | $53,073 | 238 | 85.3 |
| 12 | Owensboro | C | 51.6 | 60,302 | $56,357 | 413 | 88.6 |
| 13 | Bowling Green | C | 50.8 | 75,388 | $48,873 | 187 | 90.2 |
| 14 | Ashland | C | 50.8 | 21,295 | $52,715 | 244 | 88.4 |
| 15 | Louisville | C | 50.0 | 631,818 | $66,849 | 674 | 93.1 |
| 16 | Paducah | C | 49.8 | 26,845 | $49,915 | 274 | 86.1 |
| 17 | Henderson | C | 49.6 | 27,852 | $48,186 | 278 | 85.3 |
| 18 | Madisonville | D | 46.6 | 19,515 | $53,860 | 149 | 85.3 |
| 19 | Hopkinsville | D | 45.9 | 30,906 | $49,139 | 300 | 90.9 |
| 20 | Radcliff | D | 45.6 | 22,864 | $58,559 | 287 | 90.6 |
Swipe the table sideways for more columns. Rank is among the 20 Kentucky cities we track: every city of 50,000 or more, plus the state's other largest places. City scores use city-level Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, EPA and NCES data, and a category with no city data is left out of the score rather than filled with the state's figure.
Best cities in Kentucky for…
| # | City | Score | Education | Safety | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Independence | 70.5 | 56.6 | 100.0 | 74.2 |
| 2 | Erlanger | 68.3 | 64.4 | 98.8 | 79.9 |
| 3 | Georgetown | 67.4 | 56.5 | 88.7 | 75.5 |
| 4 | Florence | 66.6 | 69.8 | 77.1 | 75.5 |
| 5 | Jeffersontown | 65.8 | — | 86.8 | 75.2 |
Who is Kentucky best for?
The same 11 category scores, re-weighted for six kinds of household. Rank is among the 50 states; click through for the best Kentucky cities for each.
Weights differ by household: families lean on education, safety and housing; retirees on fiscal health, healthcare and cost. See the weights →
How does Kentucky compare with its neighbors?
Kentucky ranks #41. Among its bordering states, Virginia ranks highest (#15) and West Virginia lowest (#44). West Virginia is the most similar on the composite score and Virginia the most different. Bordering states are listed best to worst; the national line is the mean of the 50 states.
| State | Overall | Score | Median income | Typical home | Cost index | Violent crime | Tax burden | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | #41 | 44.8 | $64,526 | $232,577 | 90.2 | 212 | 8.93% | |
| Virginia | #15 | 67.7 | $92,090 | $414,662 | 101.1 | 206 | 8.86% | Compare → |
| Indiana | #22 | 59.2 | $71,959 | $260,095 | 93.3 | 254 | 9.09% | Compare → |
| Tennessee | #24 | 57.1 | $71,997 | $334,108 | 91.9 | 492 | 6.38% | Compare → |
| Ohio | #33 | 52.1 | $72,212 | $248,803 | 92.8 | 276 | 9.36% | Compare → |
| Missouri | #34 | 51.0 | $71,589 | $267,879 | 90.8 | 418 | 7.83% | Compare → |
| Illinois | #39 | 47.6 | $83,211 | $297,573 | 100 | 251 | 10.22% | Compare → |
| West Virginia | #44 | 42.8 | $60,798 | $179,496 | 89.5 | 242 | 8.85% | Compare → |
| United States | — | 57.9 | $80,903 | $368,697 | 100 | 328 | 8.74% |
Overall rank, median income, cost index and tax burden columns are shown on wider screens.
How the score works
Eleven categories, each scored 0–100 and weighted into one composite. Grades follow rank.
The weights
Economy 15% · Safety 12% · Health 12% · Education 12% · Affordability 10% · Fiscal Health 8% · Growth 7% · Transportation 7% · Livability 7% · Outdoor Access 6% · Environment 4%. The composite is the weighted sum, stretched linearly so states spread across most of the 0–100 range.
From raw numbers to scores
Every raw measure is placed on a 0–100 scale between a fixed floor and ceiling, inverted where lower is better (crime, cost, taxes), then combined within its category. The same scale applies to every state.
Letter grades
Grades follow rank, not score: A+ for ranks 1–5, A for 6–10, B+ for 11–18, B for 19–26, C+ for 27–34, C for 35–42, D for 43–48, F for 49–50. A C+ state is not failing; it is in the middle third.
Cities, budgets and neighbors
The 20 Kentucky city scores, the household budgets and the neighbor table on this page are computed from the same sources as the state score. City ranks are among the cities we track, not all cities in the state.
Editor's notes
Passages marked as editor's notes are written for this state and add context the numbers cannot: regions, tradeoffs, who the state fits. Every figure inside them is pulled from the data at build time, so the words cannot drift from the numbers.
Always the latest release
Each source is the most recent release its agency has published. The page is rebuilt when a source updates, so the score can move without any change in the state itself.
What the score cannot tell you
Weather and climate, culture and pace, politics beyond the Cook index shown for context, the quality of a specific school, hospital or neighborhood, job prospects in your field, and anything without a public, comparable, 50-state source. Statewide averages also hide the metro-versus-rural split, which is why the editor's notes name places.
Category briefs
Economy: Unemployment rate and median household income. Safety: Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents. Health: Health outcomes, behaviors, and access to care. Education: K-12 school quality, test scores, and graduation rates. Full methodology →
Key takeaways
What the Kentucky numbers say when read together.
Safety is Kentucky's strongest suit
Kentucky is a #41 state overall but #10 of 50 for safety, 31 places better than its composite rank, with a score of 80.2 against a national average of 68.9. Education (#10) is next. Safety carries 12% of the composite.
Economy is where Kentucky falls furthest behind
Kentucky ranks #49 of 50 for economy, 8 places below its overall #41, with a score of 23.7 against a national average of 47.1. At 15% of the composite, it is the category holding the overall score down most.
Typical home value is 37% below the national average
Kentucky's typical home value is $232,577, 37% below the national average of $368,697, #6 of 50 (1 = cheapest). The largest gap in the other direction is median household income: $64,526, 20% below the national median. Source: Zillow Research ZHVI, latest release.
Migration is a wash
Net +2,158 households on 95,560 moves is too small a margin to call a direction; Kentucky ranks #21 of 50 on net flow per 1,000 residents. The households arriving report $5,191 less in average income than those leaving ($60,483 against $65,674), so the state is trading down on income even as the headcount grows. Ohio is both the largest source and the largest destination.
A middle income is squeezed less here than in most states
A family of four earning $75,000 ends the year at a $344 shortfall after housing, childcare, utilities, groceries, transport and taxes, against a $11,758 shortfall in the median state (#10 of 50). A single adult on the same income comes out at a $36,838 surplus; a retiree couple at a $41,684 surplus. Infant childcare runs $13,075 a year, 16% below the national average.
Kentucky sits 7th among its 8-state neighborhood
6 of Kentucky's 7 bordering states rank above its #41; the closest match on the composite is West Virginia. Median income among them runs from $60,798 in West Virginia to $92,090 in Virginia; Kentucky is at $64,526.
Frequently asked questions about living in Kentucky
Is Kentucky a good place to live?
Kentucky ranks #41 of 50 with a C grade, #9 of 14 in the South. It is top 10 in safety and education and bottom 10 in health, outdoor access, fiscal health, economy, and livability. On the six headline measures it beats the national figure on 3 of 6 (home prices, cost of living, and violent crime) and trails on income, unemployment, and tax burden. Whether that adds up to a good place to live depends on what you weigh; the household rankings below re-weight the same numbers for families, retirees and remote workers.
Where does Kentucky rank among US states?
Kentucky ranks #41 of 50 overall with a composite score of 44.8 (grade C), and #9 of 14 states in the South. Its best category rank is #10 (safety) and its worst #49 (economy). The composite weights eleven categories, with economy, safety, health and education counting most; grades follow rank, so C means rank 35–42.
Is it expensive to live in Kentucky?
At #12 of 50 for cost of living (1 = cheapest), Kentucky is 10% below the national average: its index is 90.2 against a national baseline of 100. The typical home value is $232,577 (37% below the national average), and buying it takes an income of about $63,057 against a median household income of $64,526. At $75,000, a family of four comes out at a $344 shortfall after all costs, #10 of 50 (1 = most left over).
Does Kentucky have a state income tax?
Yes. Kentucky's top state income tax rate is 6.2% (#35 of 50, 1 = lowest), and the total state and local tax burden is 8.93% of income, 0.2 points above the national average. Property tax is 0.8% of home value and combined sales tax 6%.
What is the crime rate in Kentucky?
Kentucky reports 212 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 35% below the national average and #9 of 50 (1 = safest), and 1,262 property crimes per 100,000, 18% below the national average (#14). Its safety score is 80.2 out of 100, #10 of 50. Figures are FBI estimates from the latest release.
Does Kentucky have good schools?
Kentucky is #10 of 50 for education (score 67.6 out of 100). Its public school students average 271 in eighth-grade math on NAEP (#28) and 258 in eighth-grade reading (#22), and the high school graduation rate is 90.1%, 4.5 points above the national average (#5). Among tracked cities with at least three schools, Bowling Green has the highest graduation rate at 96%.
Is Kentucky gaining or losing people?
Neither, to any meaningful degree: Kentucky netted +2,158 households in the latest IRS release on 48,859 arrivals and 46,701 departures, +0.5 per 1,000 residents (#21 of 50), a flow too small to call a direction. The largest source of arrivals is Ohio (6,769 households) and the most common destination is Ohio (6,362). Arriving households report an average income of $60,483 against $65,674 for those leaving, so movers out earn more than movers in. The IRS files count tax returns and say nothing about motives.
Is Kentucky a red or blue state?
Kentucky is a solidly red state: its Cook Partisan Voting Index is R+15, meaning it votes about 15 points more Republican than the country as a whole. The political lean is shown for context and is not part of the composite score.
Is Kentucky a good place to retire?
Depends on what you're optimizing for. On taxes, yes: Social Security isn't taxed, part of pension income is excluded, and a retiree couple at $75,000 comes out at a $41,684 surplus, #7 of the states. On health, no: the state ranks #43 and life expectancy is 73.6 years. The persona rank of #46 reflects that split. Lexington and Louisville have the hospitals; the small towns have the prices.
What are the downsides of living in Kentucky?
Pay and health, mostly. Median income is 20% below the national median, the economy ranks #49, and livability lands at #49 because there's little transit, little public land and slow growth. Winters are gray and wet rather than brutal; summers are humid. Tornado season is real in the west. None of this shows up in the low home prices, which is exactly the trap.
Is Kentucky cheaper than Tennessee?
Yes on housing and goods prices; no on income tax, which Tennessee doesn't have. Kentucky's cost index is 90.2 against a higher Tennessee figure, and the typical home costs far less than in Nashville-driven Tennessee. Tennessee makes it up with a sales tax that applies to groceries. For a wage earner the income-tax gap matters; for a retiree living on Social Security it mostly doesn't.
Does Kentucky get tornadoes?
Yes, and western Kentucky in particular. The state's FEMA risk index is 33.6, 13% above the national average, and the driver is tornadoes and flooding. The Jackson Purchase and the counties around Bowling Green sit at the edge of the tornado belt; eastern Kentucky's risk is flash flooding in the hollows. Home insurance is cheap, but a basement or a safe room is a normal ask west of Louisville.
Where in Kentucky should I live?
Families with a Cincinnati-area job: Northern Kentucky, where Independence and Florence combine the lowest crime and highest incomes among tracked cities. White-collar workers: Lexington or Georgetown. Anyone who needs the biggest job market: Louisville, with Jeffersontown and the East End as the family end of town. Retirees on a budget: Owensboro or Paducah, cheap and slow, with regional hospitals but a long drive to Louisville.
All the numbers
Every metric behind Kentucky's 11 category scores, with the national figure beside each. Pick a category.