Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment: is Kentucky a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best places to live in Kentucky.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Bluegrass State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, the question becomes, if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Kentucky, where would you go? To answer that we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 120 counties in the state.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Bluegrass State for 2022.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Kentucky For 2022
Spencer County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Kentucky. And you might want to avoid Knott County if you can — at least according to the data.
So if you’re thinking of making the move Kentucky, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Kentucky and the cheapest places to live in Kentucky.
The Best Counties To Live In Kentucky For 2022
1. Spencer County
Biggest Place: Elk Creek
Population: 18,945
Median Income: $85,488.0 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $227,000.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (35th best)
More on Spencer County: Data
2. Oldham County
Biggest Place: La Grange
Population: 66,508
Median Income: $103,761.0 (best)
Median Home Price: $299,300.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (15th best)
More on Oldham County: Photos | Data
3. Meade County
Biggest Place: Fort Knox
Population: 28,379
Median Income: $61,500.0 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $154,200.0 (20th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (50th best)
More on Meade County: Photos | Data
4. Lyon County
Biggest Place: Eddyville
Population: 8,226
Median Income: $49,286.0 (46th best)
Median Home Price: $149,100.0 (23rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (5th best)
More on Lyon County: Photos | Data
5. Scott County
Biggest Place: Georgetown
Population: 55,961
Median Income: $71,750.0 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $197,900.0 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (6th best)
More on Scott County: Photos | Data
6. Anderson County
Biggest Place: Lawrenceburg
Population: 22,580
Median Income: $54,413.0 (28th best)
Median Home Price: $158,100.0 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.1% (76th best)
More on Anderson County: Photos | Data
7. Nelson County
Biggest Place: Bardstown
Population: 45,915
Median Income: $63,032.0 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $164,200.0 (14th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (8th best)
More on Nelson County: Photos | Data
8. Grant County
Biggest Place: Williamstown
Population: 25,107
Median Income: $56,746.0 (20th best)
Median Home Price: $141,600.0 (3best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (39th best)
More on Grant County: Photos | Data
9. Boone County
Biggest Place: Florence
Population: 132,368
Median Income: $82,838.0 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $194,700.0 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (13th best)
More on Boone County: Photos | Data
10. Campbell County
Biggest Place: Fort Thomas
Population: 93,608
Median Income: $63,152.0 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $173,400.0 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (26th best)
More on Campbell County: Photos | Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Kentucky county is the best?
To give you the best county in Kentucky, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Kentucky across each of the criteria from one to 120, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Kentucky”.
The result is some of the safest, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Bluegrass State.
Read on to see why Spencer County is the best county, while Knott County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Kentucky.
Summary: The Best Counties In Kentucky To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in Kentucky can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Kentucky according to the data:
- Knott County
- Casey County
- Wolfe County
For more Kentucky reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Kentucky
- Best Counties To Live In Kentucky
- Safest Places In Kentucky
- Best Places To Retire In Kentucky
