Where are the best places in Kentucky?
They are the places that have excellent economies. They’re also the places with the best jobs, near the Kentucky Derby and where the sun shines the most. And indeed, since crime is low, it’s all sunshine and rainbows in the best places in Kentucky.
How did we identify the best places to live in Kentucky? We compared the 77 most populated cities in the Bluegrass State based on data from the FBI, Census, and Zillow using Saturday Night Science. Turns out that the suburbs of Cincinnati and Louisville have more to offer than most.
People in Kentucky live 73.6 years on average — 49th in the nation; see how every state stacks up in our life expectancy by state ranking.
$119,028 median income · $361,115 median home · #1 best place in Kentucky
Located in
Kenton County, Kentucky
What’s new and exciting in Edgewood? Funny you should ask: this city has the 10th best home price and the 10th best unemployment rate making it the best place to live in The Bluegrass State.
But, don’t get it confused–you will need to make at least $119,028/year to afford the median home price of $361,115 and the overall higher cost of living in this small town of 8,447 residents.
And if you don’t have a job yet, don’t fret: you’ll be amongst people who know the value of work and it shows with the city’s 2.4% unemployment rate and a poverty rate well below the national average at 3.8%. They really do look out for each other in this little corner of Kenton County. The crime rate here is over 70% below the national average making it one of the safest cities in Kentucky. Simply put, folks, there were only 67 crimes committed at the time of this report, and 90% of them were property related.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$86,310 median income · $398,735 median home · #2 best place in Kentucky
Located in
Kenton County, Kentucky
Hey y’all, raise a cheer for the 2nd best place to live in Kentucky, Fort Mitchell.
The second “Fort” to make our list, Fort Mitchell should be re-named Fort Knox 2.0 as it’s super safe–one of the safest places in the state. To put this in perspective, the crime rate here is close to 70% below the national average.
But if you know anything about this Northern Kentucky Goldenrod, it’s the good ‘ol fashioned southern hospitality of the 8,713 residents that live in this small town that draws people to this place, and it’s the town’s overall cost of living that makes them stay. And while it might be slightly higher than the state and national average, the excess has funded great schools and great communities. So, while you might have to pay the 3rd highest home median price in the state ($398,735), know that you are funding the city’s future.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$104,350 median income · $368,293 median home · #3 best place in Kentucky
Located in
Campbell County, Kentucky
If you’re looking to live in Kentucky, there’s no better time than the present and there’s no better place than the state’s 3rd best place to live, Fort Thomas. In a nutshell, this is because there are a bunch of hard-working Kentuckians in Fort Thomas. The unemployment rate here is the 3rd lowest in the state at 3.5%. Needless to say, we were not surprised to find that this city is one of the richest cities in the state as well.
Located along the Ohio River along the Ohio River just over the bridge from Cincinnati, Fort Thomas is a city of rich history that will accommodate every stage of life–great schools and safe parks for kids, multiple distilleries and breweries for parents after the kids are put to bed.
If you’re a young professional, a href=”https://www.newportonthelevee.com/”>Newport on the Levee in downtown Fort Thomas has cool co-working spaces and electric night-life, and if you’re ready to retire, the cost of living here will allow you to stretch your retirement budget much further.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$107,859 median income · $393,017 median home · #4 best place in Kentucky
Located in
Kenton County, Kentucky
Villa Hills: some call it The South’s Wonderland, we call it Kentucky’s 4th best place to live for 2026.
Villa Hills is the second Ohio River city to grace our list and it just so happens that it has the second highest SnackAbility score as well. Yes, Villa Hills scored a 9.5/10 for high marks in overall cost of living, safety, and education. You know what’s even better than that–if you make the city’s household median income of $107,859/year, you can score a sweet real estate deal considering Villa Hills has the 4th at $393,017.
A competitive median income to complement the city’s cost of living only means that you’ll have the extra cash to take your kids out to celebrate the report cards they get from some of the best schools in the state.
You’ll also have the funds to enjoy the fun things that people who have life figured out in Villa Hills like to do: for example, biking around Embshoff Woods or spending an entire day getting your hat “Pinterest ready” for the annual Kentucky Derby.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$77,665 median income · $311,534 median home · #5 best place in Kentucky
Located in
Jessamine County, Kentucky
If you are looking for “more,” you will definitely find “more” in Kentucky’s 5th best place to live, Wil-More.
Yep, the “Kindest town in Kentucky the United States” has it goin’ on! It scored one of the top five highest SnackAbility scores on our list with an emphasis on safety, education, amenities, and commute times. Not to mention, Wilmore’s low cost of living has made it one of the fastest growing cities in the state, and Kentucky’s youngsters are starting to take notice. Wilmore has the youngest population at 29 and we’re wondering why this city of 6,057 residents in Jessamine County is not one of the best places for singles in the state?
But, sometimes “less” is “more,” especially when it comes to crime. And, folks, Wilmore is safe. We’re not saying leave your front doors unlocked, but if you choose to buy your forever home here, just know that the town’s crime rate crime rate is one of the lowest in the state. In fact, there were only 60 crimes committed here last year and most of them were property related.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$105,024 median income · $334,172 median home · #6 best place in Kentucky
Located in
Kenton County, Kentucky
There are currently 5,887 Kentucky residents that are living their best life where Route 1072 meets Route 17 in the 6th best place to live in the Bluegrass State, Fort Wright.
How and why are things easy peasy in Fort Wright? Well, for one they have the 21st in the state at 3.4%. The SnackAbility indicators that stood out in this small town in Kenton County at the time of our report were affordability, safety, and education. But, you will need to make at least $105,024/year to pay the $334,172 price tag for a home.
However, when we brokedown Fort Wright’s cost of living, we found that you will pay much less for your utilities compared to the state average–so, you can rest easy every time you take that 20 minute shower. We also discovered that you will feel comfortable and confident in your surroundings as the cost of living in Fort Wright is well below the state and national average–there were only 35 crimes reported here.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$102,239 median income · $338,680 median home · #7 best place in Kentucky
Located in
Campbell County, Kentucky
It’s a surprise Alexandria, just 14 miles south of Cincinnati, doesn’t rank higher on Kentucky’s best places to live.
Honestly, Alexandria’s strong economic indicators make it a real edge for homebuyers. Median household income runs 102,239, poverty rate sits at just 7.7%, and unemployment is 3.2%.
For a town of 10,562, that’s the kind of fundamentals you’d expect from a seriously strong community. Of course, Campbell County schools round out the picture. This mix of economic indicators and school quality is what makes Alexandria an overlooked pick among the best places to live in Kentucky.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$82,412 median income · $381,227 median home · #8 best place in Kentucky
Located in
Jefferson County, Kentucky
St. Matthews ranks as the 8th best place to live in Kentucky. St. Matthews is an eastern suburb of Louisville at the intersection of I-64 and I-264 — a pretty great location for a pretty great town.
Housing is 7th highest in the state, which means that a ton of people want to live here. And you can see that people are willing to pay for a piece of real estate as incomes are 14th highest in the state too. St. Matthews is part of the Jefferson County Public School System, which has the number 1 ranked high school in Kentucky according to Niche in DuPont Manual High School. Add to that a low crime rate, and you have a perennial contender for best place to live in Kentucky.
The Brown Park is gorgeous, with a stream to feed ducks and geese, and a great playground. And Plehn’s Bakery has some of the best donuts in the area along with butter kuchen. There’s also plenty of shopping around at the Mall St. Matthews.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$71,166 median income · $245,119 median home · #9 best place in Kentucky
Located in
Campbell County, Kentucky
Welcome to the big dance, Bellevue. We knew it wouldn’t be long before you joined the ranks of the rest of Kentucky’s best places to live. Up ten spots from last year, Bellevue has recently racked up accolades for being the 9th best place to live in Kentucky as well as one of the most affordable in terms of cost of living.
You can get a home in Bellevue for $245,119 making it one of the cheapest places to live in Kentucky. However, the residents here are some of the highest earning Kentuckians in the state with the household median income at $71,166/year. So, we were not at all surprised to find that Bellevue is one of the richest places in the state as well.
The third leg to this Triple Crown is Bellevue’s low crime rate. In fact, when we pulled Bellevue’s numbers, there were only 63 crimes recorded and most of them were property related.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$88,546 median income · $276,590 median home · #10 best place in Kentucky
Located in
Kenton County, Kentucky
Taylor Mill is a Cincinnati suburb in northern Kentucky near the Ohio border. Taylor Mill deserves its spot as the 10th best place to live in the Bluegrass State. It’s the kind of place you put down roots for a long time.
As a suburb of Cincinnati, you have access to everything in the city without having to be in the city. There’s no traffic and you can get downtown in under 30 minutes to catch a Reds game or visit the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. In town, there are great parks for kids including Mills Road Park and Pride Park. There’s also great Mexican food at El Jinete Mexican Restaurant and American at Knuk-N-Futz.
On the numbers side of things, Taylor Mill is part of the Kenton County School District which has good reviews from parents. There’s basically no crime in town as it ranks 3rd lowest for property crime and the city ranks 10th for incomes.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Kentucky’s statewide median.
Kentucky statewide median: $63,726
Kentucky statewide median: $231,894
Kentucky statewide median: 4.9%
On the map
Mapping The Best And Worst Places To Live in Kentucky
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Calculated The Best Cities To Live In Kentucky
Before we even started to collect data on the best places to live in Kentucky, we had to answer a tough question: Is it fair to pit cities with populations over 100,000 against places with a population of 18?
We firmly decided no, that just isn’t fair.
So, to create our ranking, we broke the best places to live into three tiers:
- Cities — Populations over 5,000
- Towns — Populations between 1,000 and 5,000
- Small Towns — Populations below 1,000
We then decided no matter how much anyone loves their town, the best cities to live in Kentucky have more of everything, and therefore, you need over 5,000 people to truly be ‘the best.’
Now that we had our set of the best possible cities, it was time to rank them using Saturday Night Science.
We ranked each place in Kentucky across a number of criteria from one to 77, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, crowning the city posting the lowest overall score, the “Best Place To Live In Kentucky.”
The criteria we looked to determine the best places were:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Unemployment Rate
- Commute Time
- Crime
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty rates
Sources of criteria include the New Census Data, FBI Crime Data, and Zillow. We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking Kentucky’s best places to live.
If your city or town isn’t among the top 10, jump down to the bottom of the post to see a detailed chart of the best places in Kentucky. Otherwise, buckle up for a ride down good living lane with Edgewood at the end of the cul-de-sac.
The full plate
Best Places To Live In Kentucky Table
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Best Score | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income | Rent | Total Crime /100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edgewood | 10.20 | 8,447 | 2.4% | $361,115 | $119,028 | 474 | |
| 2 | Fort Mitchell | 14.35 | 8,713 | 2.4% | $398,735 | $86,310 | 803 | |
| 3 | Fort Thomas | 14.50 | 17,169 | 3.5% | $368,293 | $104,350 | 524 | |
| 4 | Villa Hills | 16.00 | 7,480 | 3.6% | $393,017 | $107,859 | 909 | |
| 5 | Wilmore | 18.15 | 6,057 | 2.5% | $311,534 | $77,665 | 479 | |
| 6 | Fort Wright | 19.70 | 5,887 | 3.4% | $334,172 | $105,024 | 595 | |
| 7 | Alexandria | 22.35 | 10,562 | 3.2% | $338,680 | $102,239 | 795 | |
| 8 | St. Matthews | 22.45 | 17,577 | 3.8% | $381,227 | $82,412 | 5,137 | |
| 9 | Bellevue | 22.70 | 5,636 | 2.2% | $245,119 | $71,166 | 1,118 | |
| 10 | Taylor Mill | 23.10 | 6,937 | 2.1% | $276,590 | $88,546 | 375 | |
| 11 | Independence | 23.30 | 29,392 | 4.3% | $323,031 | $102,361 | 347 | |
| 12 | Mount Washington | 24.00 | 18,480 | 4.6% | $325,406 | $96,239 | 601 | |
| 13 | Union | 24.60 | 7,642 | 1.5% | $449,093 | $136,712 | 3,487 | |
| 14 | Cold Spring | 25.05 | 6,341 | 2.0% | $302,336 | $75,000 | 2,019 | |
| 15 | Crestwood | 25.25 | 6,356 | 2.7% | $481,032 | $108,046 | 999 | |
| 16 | Jeffersontown | 25.45 | 29,199 | 2.8% | $282,762 | $81,506 | 2,329 | |
| 17 | Erlanger | 25.90 | 19,875 | 4.3% | $245,646 | $75,840 | 594 | |
| 18 | Middletown | 26.95 | 9,763 | 4.7% | $378,971 | $82,537 | 3,472 | |
| 19 | La Grange | 27.25 | 10,311 | 4.2% | $392,372 | $88,464 | 999 | |
| 20 | Georgetown | 28.35 | 39,117 | 4.2% | $336,540 | $80,088 | 1,322 | |
| 21 | Lawrenceburg | 28.40 | 11,943 | 1.8% | $261,326 | $66,486 | 611 | |
| 22 | Elsmere | 29.00 | 9,205 | 5.1% | $222,955 | $60,503 | 923 | |
| 23 | Vine Grove | 31.50 | 6,830 | 3.5% | $269,116 | $72,560 | 366 | |
| 24 | Douglass Hills | 31.60 | 5,474 | 8.3% | $390,589 | $78,482 | 7,380 | |
| 25 | Lyndon | 32.55 | 11,030 | 4.6% | $312,200 | $65,679 | 2,593 | |
| 26 | Shelbyville | 36.10 | 17,668 | 3.5% | $305,922 | $75,610 | 1,160 | |
| 27 | Elizabethtown | 36.65 | 32,576 | 5.2% | $268,313 | $60,760 | 860 | |
| 28 | Florence | 36.65 | 32,803 | 3.1% | $286,328 | $71,003 | 3,487 | |
| 29 | Flatwoods | 37.00 | 7,269 | 6.4% | $142,236 | $59,972 | 261 | |
| 30 | Nicholasville | 37.20 | 32,197 | 3.6% | $320,269 | $68,503 | 1,643 | |
| 31 | Cynthiana | 37.70 | 6,458 | 1.3% | $236,040 | $54,647 | 1,425 | |
| 32 | Paris | 37.80 | 10,160 | 3.6% | $256,361 | $55,839 | 925 | |
| 33 | Walton | 38.20 | 5,730 | 3.2% | $349,337 | $77,917 | 3,487 | |
| 34 | Shepherdsville | 38.30 | 14,533 | 4.2% | $285,270 | $71,476 | 1,968 | |
| 35 | Danville | 38.30 | 17,327 | 6.6% | $247,085 | $52,646 | 1,160 | |
| 36 | Winchester | 39.40 | 19,213 | 3.6% | $256,849 | $54,378 | 2,972 | |
| 37 | Dayton | 40.30 | 5,743 | 5.0% | $200,111 | $65,992 | 993 | |
| 38 | Versailles | 40.90 | 10,492 | 3.0% | $348,651 | $62,368 | 2,183 | |
| 39 | Berea | 42.10 | 15,786 | 4.2% | $247,721 | $59,495 | 957 | |
| 40 | Madisonville | 42.10 | 19,515 | 6.9% | $159,338 | $53,860 | 671 | |
| 41 | Frankfort | 42.35 | 28,503 | 7.8% | $240,679 | $53,073 | 1,824 | |
| 42 | Hillview | 43.85 | 8,797 | 3.8% | $224,675 | $68,111 | 1,489 | |
| 43 | Owensboro | 43.90 | 60,302 | 5.3% | $209,852 | $56,357 | 3,255 | |
| 44 | Harrodsburg | 44.00 | 9,313 | 6.1% | $237,089 | $48,381 | 977 | |
| 45 | Franklin | 44.15 | 10,360 | 6.2% | $247,589 | $59,052 | 1,042 | |
| 46 | Murray | 44.15 | 18,080 | 5.8% | $198,098 | $44,091 | 1,538 | |
| 47 | Princeton | 44.30 | 6,241 | 4.5% | $146,193 | $47,411 | 1,714 | |
| 48 | Highland Heights | 44.30 | 6,444 | 3.0% | $205,650 | $53,275 | 4,088 | |
| 49 | Bardstown | 44.35 | 13,804 | 4.0% | $262,584 | $51,381 | 1,572 | |
| 50 | Henderson | 44.35 | 27,852 | 2.4% | $198,772 | $48,186 | 2,115 | |
| 51 | Hazard | 45.30 | 5,008 | 7.1% | $102,374 | $51,016 | 819 | |
| 52 | Mount Sterling | 45.70 | 7,551 | 3.7% | $218,631 | $55,827 | 1,417 | |
| 53 | Monticello | 45.95 | 5,753 | 2.0% | $158,807 | $44,952 | 869 | |
| 54 | Lebanon | 46.15 | 6,430 | 3.7% | $227,854 | $45,479 | 1,151 | |
| 55 | Covington | 46.15 | 41,110 | 5.7% | $221,429 | $61,166 | 1,917 | |
| 56 | Newport | 46.30 | 13,967 | 7.2% | $242,641 | $60,853 | 4,088 | |
| 57 | Paducah | 46.50 | 26,845 | 4.0% | $191,091 | $49,915 | 3,040 | |
| 58 | Campbellsville | 46.80 | 11,622 | 7.4% | $209,817 | $49,644 | 1,316 | |
| 59 | Pikeville | 48.40 | 7,490 | 3.2% | $123,118 | $39,955 | 1,602 | |
| 60 | Mayfield | 48.70 | 9,868 | 3.4% | $158,700 | $40,965 | 2,037 | |
| 61 | Williamsburg | 49.10 | 5,270 | 3.9% | $125,457 | $38,147 | 645 | |
| 62 | Middlesborough | 49.20 | 9,123 | 8.5% | $112,676 | $31,106 | 727 | |
| 63 | Ashland | 50.05 | 21,295 | 7.7% | $121,324 | $52,715 | 2,667 | |
| 64 | Richmond | 50.15 | 37,111 | 6.7% | $297,033 | $50,870 | 2,245 | |
| 65 | Shively | 50.30 | 15,638 | 6.9% | $174,485 | $50,221 | 3,530 | |
| 66 | Morehead | 50.80 | 6,870 | 5.4% | $179,844 | $36,741 | 1,412 | |
| 67 | Radcliff | 51.45 | 22,864 | 9.3% | $209,910 | $58,559 | 2,152 | |
| 68 | Russellville | 52.00 | 7,316 | 6.4% | $187,675 | $45,484 | 1,244 | |
| 69 | Bowling Green | 52.00 | 75,388 | 4.9% | $288,241 | $48,873 | 3,242 | |
| 70 | Glasgow | 54.20 | 15,197 | 4.3% | $214,446 | $43,074 | 2,310 | |
| 71 | Hopkinsville | 57.30 | 30,906 | 6.2% | $195,680 | $49,139 | 2,931 | |
| 72 | London | 58.30 | 7,561 | 3.5% | $182,770 | $47,591 | 2,764 | |
| 73 | Corbin | 58.50 | 8,246 | 7.2% | $176,478 | $51,065 | 1,213 | |
| 74 | Maysville | 58.70 | 8,737 | 4.4% | $157,413 | $39,013 | 2,518 | |
| 75 | Leitchfield | 59.00 | 6,819 | 10.2% | $166,231 | $44,347 | 1,320 | |
| 76 | Oak Grove | 60.90 | 7,962 | 9.5% | $210,939 | $49,354 | 2,776 | |
| 77 | Somerset | 64.05 | 12,216 | 8.7% | $191,314 | $34,704 | 1,351 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI UCR, Zillow research. 77 places with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: The Best Places In Kentucky
If you’re looking at areas in Kentucky with the best economic situations, where there’s lower than average crime, and a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
The best places to live in Kentucky are Edgewood, Fort Mitchell, Fort Thomas, Villa Hills, Wilmore, Fort Wright, Alexandria, St. Matthews, Bellevue, and Taylor Mill.
Edgewood made a strong showing to take in the overall number one spot for the best place to live in Kentucky for 2026. Not sold on Kentucky? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Places To Live In Kentucky FAQs
What is the best place to live in Kentucky?
Edgewood is the best place to live in Kentucky for 2026. It pairs a $119,028 median household income with a $361,115 median home value. Fort Mitchell and Fort Thomas round out the top three.
What are the 10 best places to live in Kentucky?
The ten best places to live in Kentucky are Edgewood, Fort Mitchell, Fort Thomas, Villa Hills, Wilmore, Fort Wright, Alexandria, St. Matthews, Bellevue, and Taylor Mill. We ranked all 77 places with more than 5,000 residents across nine criteria, from home values to commute times.
How expensive is it to live in the best parts of Kentucky?
The median home across the ten best places runs $349,898, versus $231,894 statewide. Quality shows up in the price tag; in Edgewood the typical home costs $361,115.
What is the worst place to live in Kentucky?
Somerset lands at the bottom of this ranking, making it the worst place to live in Kentucky by the numbers. The full ordering of all 77 places is in the table above.
How do you rank the best places to live in Kentucky?
We score every Kentucky place with more than 5,000 residents on nine criteria covering jobs, housing, safety, and daily life, using Census American Community Survey and FBI crime data. The place with the best average rank, Edgewood, wins for 2026.
