The 10 Safest Cities In Kentucky For 2025

The safest cities in Kentucky are Independence and Vine Grove for 2025 using Saturday Night Science.

We don't need to place the superfecta bet. We already know that Kentucky has some super safe place to live.

Lexington has The Wildcat for protection and Louisville has the Bats, but what about the rest of the state? We created a list of the safest places in The Bluegrass State for 2025.

How did we do it? We consulted the numbers and analyzed 76 Kentucky cities. We looked at important factors like property and violent crimes per capita for every place with over 5,000 residents.

We discovered that Kentucky has some dangerous places, so before you throw a dart on the map of Kentucky to choose your next place to call home, we suggest you look at our list of safest places in Kentucky.

Furthermore, there is a safe place in Kentucky for every stage of life. Bowling Green is safe for singles, Richmond is safe for families, and for those looking to retire, there's Fort Thomas.

Want to know more? Take a look below at the top ten safest places in Kentucky.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table

Here are the 10 safest cities to live in Kentucky for 2025:

  1. Independence (Homes For Sale)
  2. Vine Grove (Homes For Sale)
  3. Wilmore (Homes For Sale)
  4. Flatwoods (Homes For Sale)
  5. Taylor Mill (Homes For Sale)
  6. Fort Thomas (Homes For Sale)
  7. Mount Washington (Homes For Sale)
  8. Edgewood (Homes For Sale)
  9. Lawrenceburg (Homes For Sale)
  10. Fort Wright (Homes For Sale)
Safest Cities In Kentucky Map

It doesn't matter if you're a betting person or not; the number one safest place in Kentucky won fair and square.

Many of the Bluegrass State's top ten safest places boast safe neighborhoods, safe schools, and good jobs. Any one of these Kentucky places would be a great place to enjoy life safely.

What's the safest place to live in Kentucky? The safest place in Kentucky is Independence.

To see how your favorite 'Old Kentucky Home' faired, take a look below.

For more reading on safe places to live in and around Kentucky, check out:

The 10 Safest Cities In Kentucky For 2025

Independence, KY
Source: Wikipedia User W.marsh | GFDL

Population: 29,747
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 26 (third safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 315 (second safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Independence: Data | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
6
/10

One thing is certain -- Independence, Kentucky has declared independence from dangerous streets. Independence is the most populated city on this list, proving that safe cities don't have to come in small packages. The property crime rate in Independence is the real bragging point for residents; it's more than four times lower than the national average, earning the city the 3rd place rank in this category for Kentucky.

So grab a shot of bourbon at Boone County Distilling Co., knowing you couldn't manage to have your wallet stolen even if you tried.

Independence is the fifth and final city on this list in Kenton County, and is located just a short drive from many other cities on this list.

Population: 7,011
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 28 (fourth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 328 (third safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Vine Grove: Data | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
8.5
/10

Vine Grove is ideal for finding genuine Kentucky small-city vibes and big-city pride. This spirit is one of the reasons it has held firm from last year to be our second safest city in Kentucky.

It might not be Louisville, but this little town with a vibrant downtown scene, unforgettable summer festivals, and year-round fun is just as notable and safe. Probably why it's one of the most populated cities at the northern end of Hardin County.

Wilmore, KY
Source: Public domain

Population: 6,137
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 16 (second safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 456 (sixth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Wilmore: Data | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
9
/10

Wilmore, Kentucky, is a relatively small town, with a population of just 6,137. However, don't let its size fool you. It's also a local cultural center, hosting the Highbridge Film Festival. It's also a convenient half-hour drive from Lexington, the state capital.

Adding to Wilmore's appeal is its impressively low crime rate. The town reported just 28 property crimes during the year. It also had 1 violent crimes. Overall, these figures lead to an overall crime rate of 472/100k people.

All this puts Wilmore at number 3 on the list of the safest places in Kentucky.

Flatwoods, KY
Source: Wikipedia User User:Campaigner444 | GFDL

Population: 7,200
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 55 (eighth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 208 (safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Flatwoods: Data | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
8
/10

Slap on a fluorescent orange safety jacket before you ride, and read on to find out why Flatwoods is our fourth safest city in Kentucky.

It might not be Barney Fife's Mayberry, or maybe it is, but this little town with a vibrant community, unforgettable neighborhoods, and year-round fun backed by a strong farming community is just as notable and just as safe. Probably why it's one of the most sought after cities outside of Ashland. It doesn't end there folks. This little piece of heaven, just outside Greenbo State Park, is a family friendly, safe city. It boasts convenient strip malls and we're pretty sure a Dollar General or two. It's a great place to raise a family. And word on the street is that young professionals are starting to take notice and move Flatwoods' direction. So don't wait, because the word is out.

And if you want to read more about how great Flatwoods is, check out our article The Best Cities in Kentucky. Not surprising, Flatwoods also made our top twenty. Good work 'Good Neighbor Community'!

Population: 6,957
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 43 (sixth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 330 (fourth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Taylor Mill: Data | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
9
/10

Welcome to our fifth safest city in Kentucky: Taylor Mill. This old mill city in Kenton County should be called the 'The Best City to live in Kentucky,' too, because all is crazy safe and super fine in the 859. We don't know about you, but we think a city with local festivals and multiple recreational opportunities sounds like a place we could definitely call home.

And kudos to Taylor Mill, their snackability rating is off the charts: a whopping 8.5/10! Their number of amenities scored an 8.5/10 and their education rating an 8/10! There's a reason Taylor Mill's motto is 'Taylored with Pride,' they have a strong sense of community with a big city focus. Check it out! We're pretty sure you will want to call it home.

Fort Thomas, KY
Source: Public domain

Population: 16,826
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 47 (seventh safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 487 (seventh safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Fort Thomas: Data | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
9.5
/10

Of course Fort Thomas is safe. The whole idea behind a fort is to keep its inhabitants safe, and that is exactly what the 'City of Beautiful Homes,' has done to become our sixth safest city in Kentucky

This is the quintessential Kentucky river city located in the southern bank of the Ohio River. Not surprising, they received an 8.5/10 job opportunity score and an 8.5/10 affordability score. There is a sense of true community in this city in Campbell County.

Whether it's strolling their newly renovated downtown or at the local coffee shop, nothing says safe like a community that creates opportunities to get to know anything and everything about each other. Just make sure you take the trash out in proper attire because someone is always watching, and you wouldn't want to become the talk of hometown hero Cris Collinsworth's next NFL segment.

Population: 18,811
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 31 (fifth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 558 (12th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Mount Washington: Data | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
8.5
/10

Mount Washington just so happens to be our seventh safest city in Kentucky. And if you don't know how to keep it safe, they will put you in the Bullitt County Detention Center.

Mount Washington is a city slightly southeast of Louisville. Mount Washington's residents say that this little slice of paradise on the Kentucky/Indiana border is the 'Pride of the Bluegrass State.' So it is no surprise that they keep moving up our list. And, it's definitely not shocking that they scored a 9/10 safety rating.

Edgewood, KY
Source: Public domain

Population: 8,382
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 59 (12th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 417 (fifth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Edgewood: Data | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
7
/10

Where Kentucky State Road 71 meets West Virginia State Road 275 is Edgewood. This Cincinnati-burb, known for its bootlegging' and rum running' stories from the late 1800s, is our eighthsafest city in Kentucky 2025.

All bootlegging aside, Edgewood is also known for its safe, family friendly atmosphere. There is a ton of stuff to do in this little town of 8,382 residents in the tiny tip of Kenton County. They have a boat load of places to shop and dine, and their immaculate parks, Presidents Park, Freedom Park, and Victory Park, provide the backdrop for safe, friendly games of basketball, volleyball, and soccer for all ages. Heck, there town motto is "Where every day is a walk in the park".

So if you want to feel like everyday's a walk in the park, grab the fam, pack up the pick-up, and get a-movin' so you don't miss out on any of their safe, family friendly, activities scheduled for 2025.

Lawrenceburg, KY
Source: Wikipedia User Michael Howard | FAL

Population: 12,241
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 57 (tenth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 539 (11th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Lawrenceburg: Data | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
8
/10

Lawrenceburg is a relatively small town, with a population that tops out at 12,241. Still, its products are known throughout the world. If you've got a taste for Kentucky bourbon, then Lawrenceburg is a crucial community for you. After all, the town is the home of the Wild Turkey distillery.

You'd think with all that alcohol sloshing around, Lawrenceburg would be a rowdy town. Quite the opposite. Actually, the community ranks as the 9 safest spot in the state.

Located between Kentucky's major population centers of Louisville and Lexington, Lawrenceburg reported only 7 violent crimes during the year. In terms of population, this equates to a per-capita rate of 57/100k people. Things are similarly subdued when it comes to property crimes. There were only 66 such violations in a year.

Fort Wright, KY
Source: Wikipedia User roadroid @ Mapillary.com | CC BY-SA 4.0

Population: 6,132
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 65 (14th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 505 (eighth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Fort Wright: Data | Real Estate

Overall SnackAbility
9.5
/10

Methodology: How we calculated the safest cities in Kentucky for 2025

Safest Cities in Kentucky Graph

While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in Kentucky are the safest, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI's most recent crime report in Kentucky.

Specifically, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of property and violent crimes in each city annually. We used two criteria:

  • Violent crimes per capita (murders, assaults, rapes, armed robberies)
  • Property crimes per capita (thefts, burglaries, motor vehicle thefts)

For example, there were 102 crimes committed in Independence, with a reported population of 29,747. That means the number of crimes per capita is 0.0034, which translates into a 1 in 291 chance of being the victim of a crime.

We only looked at Kentucky cities that have populations of more than 5,000. This filter left us with 76 of the biggest cities in Kentucky to rank.

We ranked each city for each criterion from 1 to 76 where 1 in any particular category is the safest.

Next, we averaged each place's two criteria to create a Safety Index. We crowned the place with the lowest overall Safety Score, "The Safest Place In Kentucky," with any ties going to the bigger city.

The safest city in Kentucky, based on our criteria, is Independence. The most dangerous city in Kentucky? Louisville, where residents had a 1 in 24 chance of being the victim of a crime.

This article has been update for 2025. This report marks our tenth time ranking the safest places to live in Kentucky. All the data comes from the FBI's Crime In The USA 2024 report.

Cheapest Places To Live In Kentucky

Summary: The Safest Cities In The Bluegrass State

Looking at the data, you can tell that Independence is as safe as they come in Kentucky, according to science and data.

But as most Kentucky residents would agree, almost every place here has its safe and not safe parts. So just make sure you're informed ahead of time.

The safest places in Kentucky are .

Here's a look at the most dangerous cities in Kentucky according to the data:

  1. Louisville
  2. Newport
  3. Shively
For more reading, check out:

Where Are The 10 Safest Cities In Kentucky For 2025?

Rank City Population Violent Crimes Per 100k Property Crimes Per 100k Murders Per 100k Murders
1 Independence, KY 29,747 26 315 0 0
2 Vine Grove, KY 7,011 28 328 0 0
3 Wilmore, KY 6,137 16 456 0 0
4 Flatwoods, KY 7,200 55 208 0 0
5 Taylor Mill, KY 6,957 43 330 0 0
6 Fort Thomas, KY 16,826 47 487 0 0
7 Mount Washington, KY 18,811 31 558 0 0
8 Edgewood, KY 8,382 59 417 0 0
9 Lawrenceburg, KY 12,241 57 539 0 0
10 Fort Wright, KY 6,132 65 505 0 0
11 Alexandria, KY 10,778 55 723 0 0
12 Fort Mitchell, KY 8,617 58 754 0 0
13 Erlanger, KY 19,827 70 524 5 1
14 Versailles, KY 27,727 68 757 0 0
15 Villa Hills, KY 7,616 65 827 0 0
16 Madisonville, KY 19,294 88 590 5 1
17 La Grange, KY 10,537 66 911 0 0
18 Monticello, KY 5,706 87 788 0 0
19 Lakeside Park-Crestview Hills, KY 6,028 66 978 0 0
20 Berea, KY 16,135 86 849 0 0
21 Highland Heights , KY 6,604 75 969 0 0
22 Elsmere, KY 9,140 98 831 0 0
23 Princeton, KY 6,173 16 1,717 0 0
24 Central City, KY 5,808 86 981 0 0
25 Elizabethtown, KY 33,522 137 698 11 4
26 Bellevue, KY 5,713 87 1,015 0 0
27 Williamsburg, KY 5,118 156 508 0 0
28 Paris, KY 10,057 129 805 0 0
29 Russellville, KY 7,470 93 1,124 0 0
30 Danville, KY 17,406 109 1,045 5 1
31 Franklin, KY 10,556 142 881 0 0
32 Cold Spring, KY 6,478 61 1,914 0 0
33 Leitchfield, KY 6,480 92 1,296 0 0
34 Shelbyville, KY 17,959 133 1,007 0 0
35 Georgetown, KY 40,037 122 1,168 7 3
36 Harrodsburg, KY 9,270 172 809 0 0
37 Lebanon, KY 6,595 151 970 0 0
38 Murray, KY 18,191 98 1,429 0 0
39 Morehead, KY 6,608 105 1,361 0 0
40 Nicholasville, KY 32,866 112 1,496 3 1
41 Dayton, KY 5,833 240 737 0 0
42 Cynthiana, KY 6,600 151 1,242 0 0
43 Jeffersontown, KY 28,563 105 2,275 10 3
44 Hillview, KY 8,950 167 1,296 11 1
45 Shepherdsville, KY 14,843 134 1,792 0 0
46 Bardstown, KY 13,917 165 1,393 0 0
47 Corbin, KY 7,843 191 1,083 0 0
48 Lyndon, KY 10,877 101 2,528 0 0
49 Campbellsville, KY 11,724 230 1,074 17 2
50 Mount Sterling, KY 7,575 211 1,201 0 0
51 Pikeville, KY 7,343 190 1,443 0 0
52 Somerset, KY 12,367 258 1,075 0 0
53 Frankfort, KY 28,177 202 1,643 3 1
54 Radcliff, KY 22,658 172 1,999 4 1
55 Glasgow, KY 15,413 168 2,108 0 0
56 London, KY 7,602 144 2,604 13 1
57 Mayfield, KY 9,626 197 1,890 0 0
58 Middletown, KY 9,602 124 3,405 0 0
59 St. Matthews, KY 17,289 127 5,095 0 0
60 Richmond, KY 38,072 215 1,972 5 2
61 Winchester, KY 19,283 165 2,795 0 0
62 Covington, KY 40,984 287 1,634 4 2
63 Ashland, KY 21,011 199 2,503 0 0
64 Middlesboro, KY 8,901 190 2,763 11 1
65 Maysville, KY 8,625 220 2,330 0 0
66 Henderson, KY 27,600 318 1,815 3 1
67 Lexington, KY 323,254 262 2,274 4 16
68 Oak Grove, KY 7,985 275 2,492 25 2
69 Bowling Green, KY 77,503 224 2,928 1 1
70 Florence, KY 33,208 231 3,213 18 6
71 Paducah, KY 26,624 270 2,794 3 1
72 Hopkinsville, KY 30,694 446 2,505 6 2
73 Owensboro, KY 60,096 349 2,916 1 1
74 Shively, KY 15,394 305 3,280 12 2
75 Newport, KY 13,702 328 3,838 7 1
76 Louisville, KY 676,843 707 3,326 21 147

Breaking Down Crime In The Safest And Most Dangerous Cities In Kentucky

Safest Cities in Kentucky Breakdown

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn.

Safest Cities By State

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