You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Kentucky. Best suburbs in Kentucky. Best counties in Kentucky.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Bluegrass State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Kentucky based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Kentucky ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
$192,000 median income · 0.4% unemployment
$130,714 median income · 1.9% unemployment
$107,813 median income · 3.0% unemployment
$111,250 median income · 0.5% unemployment
$100,972 median income · 1.3% unemployment
$96,667 median income · 2.1% unemployment
$109,226 median income · 0.8% unemployment
$128,650 median income · 0.0% unemployment
$163,462 median income · 4.2% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$118,333 median income · 1.9% unemployment
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
Where Kentucky’s best small towns are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Kentucky
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Kentucky possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 150 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 150, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Kentucky. Top of that list — Indian Hills.
This is our eleventh time ranking the best small places to live in Kentucky.
The full plate
Best Small Towns In Kentucky
Click any column to sort. Search by town name.
| Rank | Town | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Hills | 2,897 | $192,000 | $788,622 | 0.4% |
| 2 | Windy Hills | 2,081 | $130,714 | $453,412 | 1.9% |
| 3 | St. Regis Park | 1,783 | $107,813 | $370,061 | 3.0% |
| 4 | Northfield | 1,250 | $111,250 | $578,947 | 0.5% |
| 5 | Audubon Park | 1,707 | $100,972 | $409,086 | 1.3% |
| 6 | Graymoor-Devondale | 2,802 | $96,667 | $381,227 | 2.1% |
| 7 | Coldstream | 1,331 | $109,226 | $313,215 | 0.8% |
| 8 | Lakeside Park | 2,828 | $128,650 | $344,828 | 0.0% |
| 9 | Prospect | 4,542 | $163,462 | $620,089 | 4.2% |
| 10 | Beechwood Village | 1,292 | $118,333 | $387,543 | 1.9% |
| 11 | Barbourmeade | 1,247 | $116,875 | $434,125 | 5.8% |
| 12 | Buckner | 4,119 | $164,219 | $440,778 | 2.1% |
| 13 | Hurstbourne Acres | 1,972 | $66,891 | $362,391 | 1.2% |
| 14 | Hurstbourne | 4,702 | $116,094 | $611,994 | 3.6% |
| 15 | Simpsonville | 3,062 | $91,188 | $416,963 | 1.8% |
| 16 | Plantation | 1,013 | $82,167 | $277,461 | 2.6% |
| 17 | Massac | 4,698 | $92,560 | $270,017 | 0.0% |
| 18 | Heritage Creek | 1,283 | $100,294 | $305,095 | 1.6% |
| 19 | Pioneer Village | 2,723 | $84,167 | $272,596 | 1.6% |
| 20 | Crestview Hills | 3,284 | $95,441 | $318,527 | 6.0% |
| 21 | Bellefonte | 1,419 | $117,250 | $255,970 | 2.9% |
| 22 | Orchard Grass Hills | 1,912 | $107,000 | $307,524 | 3.1% |
| 23 | Crescent Springs | 4,486 | $83,066 | $310,074 | 7.6% |
| 24 | Pewee Valley | 1,483 | $156,979 | $366,277 | 2.7% |
| 25 | Park Hills | 3,165 | $99,861 | $343,282 | 5.2% |
| 26 | Hendron | 4,495 | $71,610 | $241,256 | 0.0% |
| 27 | Worthington Hills | 1,957 | $73,889 | $252,760 | 4.4% |
| 28 | Russell | 3,676 | $76,182 | $213,118 | 3.9% |
| 29 | Ludlow | 4,378 | $65,284 | $213,778 | 4.2% |
| 30 | Anchorage | 2,506 | $199,375 | $963,445 | 4.1% |
| 31 | Olive Hill | 1,636 | $70,682 | $144,566 | 0.7% |
| 32 | Verona | 1,394 | $144,507 | $346,207 | 2.1% |
| 33 | Morganfield | 3,185 | $65,829 | $158,448 | 0.4% |
| 34 | Plano | 1,290 | $80,188 | $255,242 | 8.6% |
| 35 | Midway | 1,776 | $61,650 | $356,375 | 8.8% |
| 36 | Claryville | 3,251 | $81,458 | $313,779 | 2.9% |
| 37 | Masonville | 2,887 | $83,241 | $259,866 | 0.0% |
| 38 | Southgate | 3,717 | $54,421 | $223,419 | 3.2% |
| 39 | Hartford | 2,649 | $61,445 | $159,265 | 2.7% |
| 40 | Elk Creek | 2,207 | $144,100 | $456,796 | 4.3% |
| 41 | Doe Valley | 1,776 | $109,135 | $375,926 | 5.8% |
| 42 | Wilder | 3,135 | $70,893 | $211,532 | 3.5% |
| 43 | Stanford | 3,643 | $49,337 | $192,027 | 1.1% |
| 44 | Williamstown | 3,945 | $95,050 | $269,061 | 2.9% |
| 45 | Columbia | 4,808 | $47,299 | $168,645 | 4.4% |
| 46 | Bloomfield | 1,124 | $55,063 | $259,672 | 3.8% |
| 47 | Elkton | 1,924 | $48,777 | $213,093 | 0.5% |
| 48 | Westwood | 4,473 | $73,511 | $114,214 | 4.0% |
| 49 | Brooks | 2,069 | $66,056 | $298,007 | 2.2% |
| 50 | Springfield | 2,899 | $48,750 | $251,030 | 5.5% |
| 51 | Hodgenville | 3,389 | $57,739 | $224,284 | 0.0% |
| 52 | Calvert City | 2,526 | $48,906 | $182,459 | 4.2% |
| 53 | Benton | 4,748 | $66,827 | $180,112 | 4.0% |
| 54 | Lewisport | 2,057 | $55,873 | $206,509 | 5.0% |
| 55 | Albany | 1,896 | $44,007 | $152,397 | 3.3% |
| 56 | Cannonsburg | 1,129 | $76,450 | $202,908 | 10.3% |
| 57 | Taylorsville | 1,496 | $43,259 | $376,057 | 2.9% |
| 58 | Eddyville | 2,897 | $55,625 | $243,662 | 2.8% |
| 59 | Hebron Estates | 1,276 | $54,861 | $335,776 | 18.8% |
| 60 | Crittenden | 4,084 | $57,283 | $286,493 | 5.2% |
| 61 | West Liberty | 3,295 | $48,235 | $136,781 | 6.3% |
| 62 | Owingsville | 1,621 | $40,053 | $181,188 | 2.5% |
| 63 | Worthington | 1,759 | $65,609 | $125,320 | 3.0% |
| 64 | Brandenburg | 2,937 | $49,844 | $295,323 | 3.6% |
| 65 | West Buechel | 1,599 | $48,784 | $209,337 | 7.5% |
| 66 | Augusta | 1,510 | $51,250 | $199,710 | 6.9% |
| 67 | Hawesville | 1,188 | $50,000 | $215,767 | 4.0% |
| 68 | Raceland | 2,265 | $57,222 | $140,679 | 10.3% |
| 69 | Coal Run Village | 1,724 | $52,750 | $168,731 | 7.1% |
| 70 | Warsaw | 2,072 | $60,769 | $207,847 | 6.8% |
| 71 | Carlisle | 2,214 | $49,201 | $204,645 | 3.0% |
| 72 | North Corbin | 2,190 | $51,447 | $177,868 | 1.3% |
| 73 | Sebree | 1,825 | $58,707 | $165,934 | 0.5% |
| 74 | Greenville | 4,410 | $46,054 | $146,899 | 5.3% |
| 75 | Owenton | 1,511 | $55,438 | $153,360 | 6.8% |
| 76 | Sturgis | 1,864 | $36,780 | $107,522 | 4.0% |
| 77 | Cadiz | 2,677 | $44,152 | $132,509 | 3.4% |
| 78 | Louisa | 2,580 | $40,000 | $151,022 | 11.1% |
| 79 | Paintsville | 4,203 | $28,257 | $141,192 | 3.0% |
| 80 | New Castle | 1,052 | $43,203 | $217,343 | 8.5% |
| 81 | Hardinsburg | 2,327 | $55,795 | $176,400 | 5.5% |
| 82 | Catlettsburg | 1,557 | $38,276 | $137,922 | 9.8% |
| 83 | Dry Ridge | 2,441 | $55,995 | $297,947 | 6.9% |
| 84 | Silver Grove | 1,008 | $46,595 | $188,795 | 8.0% |
| 85 | Scottsville | 4,427 | $35,562 | $207,712 | 8.7% |
| 86 | Eminence | 2,724 | $41,734 | $226,274 | 6.8% |
| 87 | Irvington | 1,327 | $47,500 | $152,437 | 4.2% |
| 88 | Fulton | 2,378 | $36,040 | $105,166 | 2.0% |
| 89 | Marion | 2,886 | $39,414 | $124,276 | 1.7% |
| 90 | Barbourville | 3,146 | $22,046 | $151,790 | 8.6% |
| 91 | Irvine | 2,723 | $42,805 | $130,631 | 5.4% |
| 92 | Livermore | 1,223 | $40,099 | $125,132 | 5.5% |
| 93 | Junction City | 2,643 | $45,938 | $194,606 | 7.2% |
| 94 | Mount Vernon | 2,398 | $38,697 | $141,902 | 3.5% |
| 95 | Lebanon Junction | 2,327 | $54,778 | $239,938 | 9.8% |
| 96 | Falmouth | 2,449 | $34,756 | $211,208 | 3.5% |
| 97 | Carrollton | 3,915 | $45,871 | $161,108 | 6.5% |
| 98 | Jackson | 2,015 | $32,683 | $90,837 | 12.3% |
| 99 | Grayson | 3,778 | $27,542 | $174,076 | 7.6% |
| 100 | Earlington | 1,084 | $38,194 | $57,789 | 4.7% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 150 Kentucky towns between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these small towns in Kentucky are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Kentucky are Indian Hills, Windy Hills, St. Regis Park, Northfield, Audubon Park, Graymoor-Devondale, Coldstream, Lakeside Park, Prospect, and Beechwood Village.
