Did you know that the bigger the hat you wear to the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, the more money people think you have?
All joking aside, we’re here to tell you where the location of the richest places in Kentucky for 2026.
Many of the state’s wealthiest places are also Kentucky’s best. And like the rest of the country, the wealthy in Kentucky spare no expense. That’s why we looked at the median income and home prices for 108 Kentucky places with at least 3,000 residents to narrow down the most well-to-do places.
If you guessed that Bowling Green and Owensboro made the list, guess again. Many of Kentucky’s most affluent places are centered around the state’s eighth largest city, Florence. Are you at all surprised? We aren’t. Florence is super safe, and this key attribute is trickling down to Kentucky’s richest places.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Richest Places In Kentucky For 2026
You’ll need to make at least $86,310/year to keep up with the Joneses in these places.
What is the richest place in Kentucky? According to the latest data, Prospect is the richest place in Kentucky.
Want to know more? We suggest you grab a mint julep, a sunny spot at Churchill Downs, and read on to see where Kentucky “Richie Rich” lives. If you have a second, take a look at Kentucky’s poorest places. It will put this list in perspective.
Rich people not your cup of tea? Feel free to check out some more reading about Kentucky:
The 10 Richest Cities In Kentucky For 2026
1. Prospect
/10
2. Union
/10
Population: 7,642
Median Income: $136,712
Median Home Values: $449,092
More on Union: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
3. Hurstbourne
/10
Population: 4,702
Median Income: $116,094
Median Home Values: $611,993
More on Hurstbourne: Data | Movers
4. Crestwood
/10
Population: 6,356
Median Income: $108,046
Median Home Values: $481,031
More on Crestwood: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. Villa Hills
/10
Population: 7,480
Median Income: $107,859
Median Home Values: $393,017
More on Villa Hills: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. Edgewood
/10
Population: 8,447
Median Income: $119,028
Median Home Values: $361,114
More on Edgewood: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. Simpsonville
/10
Population: 3,062
Median Income: $91,188
Median Home Values: $416,962
More on Simpsonville: Crime | Movers
8. Fort Thomas
/10
Population: 17,169
Median Income: $104,350
Median Home Values: $368,292
More on Fort Thomas: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Fort Mitchell
/10
Population: 8,713
Median Income: $86,310
Median Home Values: $398,734
More on Fort Mitchell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. La Grange
/10
Population: 10,311
Median Income: $88,464
Median Home Values: $392,371
More on La Grange: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Determined The Richest Places In Kentucky For 2026
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the richest places is simply identifying personal incomes. After all, rich people have really high salaries.
However, we don’t believe that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “richest places.” So we looked at this set of criteria from the newly released 2020-2024 American Community Survey and applied Saturday Night Science:
- Median Home Values
- Median Household Income
Median household income is the most digestible way to understand how rich a place is. And home values are a measure of wealth. The two combine to define a “Rich City.”
After we collected the data for all 108 places with more than 3,000 people in Kentucky, we ranked each place from 1 to 108 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the richest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Rich Score,” with the place having the lowest overall Rich Score, Prospect, crowned the “Richest City In Kentucky For 2026.”
The data has been updated for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the wealthiest cities in Kentucky.
You can skip to the end to see the rankings for all 108 places.
Summary: The Wealthiest Places In Kentucky For 2026
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the richest places in Kentucky, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Kentucky.
The richest cities in Kentucky are Prospect, Union, Hurstbourne, Crestwood, Villa Hills, Edgewood, Simpsonville, Fort Thomas, Fort Mitchell, and La Grange.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very top of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the poorest cities in Kentucky, according to data:
Poorest: Middlesborough
2nd Poorest: Prestonsburg
3rd Poorest: Paintsville
For more Kentucky reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Kentucky
- Worst Places To Live In Kentucky
- Safest Places In Kentucky
Detailed List Of The Richest Cities In Kentucky
| Rank | City | RichScore | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prospect | 1.0 | $163,462 | $620,089 |
| 2 | Union | 3.0 | $136,712 | $449,092 |
| 3 | Hurstbourne | 3.0 | $116,094 | $611,993 |
| 4 | Crestwood | 4.0 | $108,046 | $481,031 |
| 5 | Villa Hills | 6.5 | $107,859 | $393,017 |
| 6 | Edgewood | 8.0 | $119,028 | $361,114 |
| 7 | Simpsonville | 10.0 | $91,188 | $416,962 |
| 8 | Fort Thomas | 10.0 | $104,350 | $368,292 |
| 9 | Fort Mitchell | 12.0 | $86,310 | $398,734 |
| 10 | La Grange | 12.5 | $88,464 | $392,371 |
| 11 | Fort Wright | 13.0 | $105,024 | $334,171 |
| 12 | Park Hills | 13.5 | $99,861 | $343,281 |
| 13 | Alexandria | 13.5 | $102,239 | $338,680 |
| 14 | Independence | 15.5 | $102,361 | $323,030 |
| 15 | Middletown | 15.5 | $82,537 | $378,971 |
| 16 | St. Matthews | 15.5 | $82,412 | $381,227 |
| 17 | Douglass Hills | 16.5 | $78,482 | $390,588 |
| 18 | Mount Washington | 16.5 | $96,239 | $325,405 |
| 19 | Crestview Hills | 18.5 | $95,441 | $318,526 |
| 20 | Walton | 19.5 | $77,917 | $349,337 |
| 21 | Georgetown | 20.5 | $80,088 | $336,540 |
| 22 | Crescent Springs | 23.0 | $83,066 | $310,074 |
| 23 | Wilmore | 26.0 | $77,665 | $311,533 |
| 24 | Williamstown | 26.5 | $95,050 | $269,061 |
| 25 | Taylor Mill | 26.5 | $88,546 | $276,590 |
| 26 | Lexington-Fayette Urban County | 28.0 | $69,479 | $331,036 |
| 27 | Shelbyville | 28.5 | $75,610 | $305,922 |
| 28 | Jeffersontown | 28.5 | $81,506 | $282,762 |
| 29 | Cold Spring | 29.5 | $75,000 | $302,336 |
| 30 | Nicholasville | 30.0 | $68,503 | $320,269 |
| 31 | Versailles | 30.5 | $62,368 | $348,651 |
| 32 | Shepherdsville | 33.0 | $71,476 | $285,269 |
| 33 | Florence | 33.5 | $71,003 | $286,328 |
| 34 | Lyndon | 34.5 | $65,679 | $312,200 |
| 35 | Vine Grove | 34.5 | $72,560 | $269,116 |
| 36 | Erlanger | 38.5 | $75,840 | $245,646 |
| 37 | Louisville/jefferson County Metro Government (Balance) | 40.0 | $66,849 | $263,813 |
| 38 | Bellevue | 41.5 | $71,166 | $245,118 |
| 39 | Lawrenceburg | 42.0 | $66,486 | $261,325 |
| 40 | Crittenden | 44.0 | $57,283 | $286,492 |
| 41 | Elizabethtown | 44.5 | $60,760 | $268,312 |
| 42 | Russell | 45.5 | $76,182 | $213,117 |
| 43 | Hillview | 47.0 | $68,111 | $224,674 |
| 44 | Berea | 49.0 | $59,495 | $247,721 |
| 45 | Newport | 49.5 | $60,853 | $242,641 |
| 46 | Wilder | 50.0 | $70,893 | $211,531 |
| 47 | Franklin | 50.0 | $59,052 | $247,588 |
| 48 | Paris | 51.5 | $55,839 | $256,361 |
| 49 | Richmond | 51.5 | $50,870 | $297,032 |
| 50 | Winchester | 53.0 | $54,378 | $256,848 |
| 51 | Covington | 53.5 | $61,166 | $221,429 |
| 52 | Ludlow | 54.0 | $65,284 | $213,778 |
| 53 | Elsmere | 54.5 | $60,503 | $222,954 |
| 54 | Bowling Green | 55.5 | $48,873 | $288,241 |
| 55 | Bardstown | 55.5 | $51,381 | $262,583 |
| 56 | Hodgenville | 56.0 | $57,739 | $224,283 |
| 57 | Cynthiana | 57.0 | $54,647 | $236,039 |
| 58 | Dayton | 57.0 | $65,992 | $200,111 |
| 59 | Danville | 58.0 | $52,646 | $247,084 |
| 60 | Frankfort | 59.0 | $53,073 | $240,679 |
| 61 | Southgate | 59.5 | $54,421 | $223,418 |
| 62 | Mount Sterling | 60.0 | $55,827 | $218,630 |
| 63 | Benton | 60.5 | $66,827 | $180,112 |
| 64 | Radcliff | 60.5 | $58,559 | $209,910 |
| 65 | Owensboro | 62.5 | $56,357 | $209,851 |
| 66 | Lancaster | 65.0 | $43,898 | $282,113 |
| 67 | Harrodsburg | 67.0 | $48,381 | $237,088 |
| 68 | Morganfield | 68.0 | $65,829 | $158,448 |
| 69 | Highland Heights | 68.0 | $53,275 | $205,650 |
| 70 | Oak Grove | 71.5 | $49,354 | $210,938 |
| 71 | Campbellsville | 72.5 | $49,644 | $209,816 |
| 72 | Lebanon | 72.5 | $45,479 | $227,854 |
| 73 | Flatwoods | 75.0 | $59,972 | $142,236 |
| 74 | Paducah | 76.5 | $49,915 | $191,091 |
| 75 | Corbin | 76.5 | $51,065 | $176,478 |
| 76 | Hopkinsville | 77.0 | $49,139 | $195,679 |
| 77 | Madisonville | 77.0 | $53,860 | $159,337 |
| 78 | Stanford | 77.0 | $49,337 | $192,026 |
| 79 | Henderson | 78.0 | $48,186 | $198,771 |
| 80 | Glasgow | 78.5 | $43,074 | $214,445 |
| 81 | Shively | 79.0 | $50,221 | $174,484 |
| 82 | Beaver Dam | 79.5 | $53,944 | $149,178 |
| 83 | London | 82.0 | $47,591 | $182,770 |
| 84 | Murray | 83.5 | $44,091 | $198,097 |
| 85 | Russellville | 84.0 | $45,484 | $187,675 |
| 86 | Scottsville | 85.5 | $35,562 | $207,711 |
| 87 | Columbia | 86.0 | $47,299 | $168,644 |
| 88 | Ashland | 86.0 | $52,715 | $121,323 |
| 89 | Carrollton | 88.5 | $45,871 | $161,108 |
| 90 | Central City | 89.0 | $50,885 | $120,967 |
| 91 | Somerset | 89.5 | $34,704 | $191,314 |
| 92 | Hazard | 89.5 | $51,016 | $102,373 |
| 93 | Leitchfield | 90.0 | $44,347 | $166,230 |
| 94 | Monticello | 91.0 | $44,952 | $158,807 |
| 95 | Morehead | 91.0 | $36,741 | $179,843 |
| 96 | West Liberty | 91.5 | $48,235 | $136,780 |
| 97 | Princeton | 91.5 | $47,411 | $146,193 |
| 98 | Greenville | 92.0 | $46,054 | $146,898 |
| 99 | Mayfield | 94.0 | $40,965 | $158,700 |
| 100 | Grayson | 95.0 | $27,542 | $174,075 |