Moving to Kentucky? Check out our guide to Starting a Business in Kentucky.
Imagine it: settling back in a comfortable chair with a nice glass of bourbon in your modestly-priced house watching the University of Kentucky take on Louisville in an exciting basketball match. This is what your life could be if you move to The Bluegrass State. However, not all Kentucky communities deliver the best of what the state can offer, so let’s have a glance at Kentucky’s finest cities to live in.
1. Berea
Berea is our choice for the best Kentucky city to live in. The city’s lively festivals, great restaurants, and college town atmosphere (Berea is home to the private liberal arts school, Berea College) bely its modest size. Berea offers a lot to its residents, making it a great place to settle down.
2. Ft Mitchell
Another small city, Fort Mitchell, is #2 in the ranking. With a high performing school district, Civil War history, and the only ventriloquist museum in the world, Fort Mitchell is the quintessential Kentucky town.
3. Georgetown
While a bit larger than the previous two entries with a population of around 35,000, #3 Georgetown still retains a friendly, small-town pace and character. The presence of the Toyota Motor Manufacturing factory provides a great boost to the city’s economy.
4. Erlanger
The quirkily named Erlanger is Kentucky’s fourth best city to live in. The city’s economy is thriving thanks to the presence of Pitney Bowes, a global shipping center, and the United States Playing Card Company’s central headquarters.
5. Murray
Ranking #5 is Murray, the county seat of Calloway County, another small city that packs a big punch. Murray is home to Murray State University, along with three large city parks, museums and two movie theaters that serve its residents.
Best Cities to Live in Kentucky
| Rank | City |
|---|---|
| 1 | Berea |
| 2 | Ft Mitchell |
| 3 | Georgetown |
| 4 | Erlanger |
| 5 | Murray |
| 6 | Owensboro |
| 7 | Independence |
| 8 | Louisville |
| 9 | Paducah |
| 10 | Florence |
| 11 | Frankfort |
| 12 | Newport |
| 13 | Covington |
| 14 | Elizabethtown |
| 15 | Bowling Green |
| 16 | Winchester |
| 17 | Richmond |
| 18 | Lexington |
| 19 | Nicholasville |
| 20 | Glasgow |
| 21 | Madisonville |
| 22 | Bardstown |
| 23 | Henderson |
| 24 | Shelbyville |
| 25 | Campbellsville |
| 26 | Hopkinsville |
| 27 | Shepherdsville |
| 28 | Somerset |
| 29 | Ashland |
| 30 | Corbin |
| 31 | London |
Did your city make the list? Share the good news!
Feel free to share this badge of recognition. Please include attribution to https://www.chamberofcommerce.org/.
Methodology
We ranked a total of 2,509 qualified cities (those with populations above 25,000 and enough data for analysis) by five factors: employment (number of establishments, median earnings); housing (owner-occupied housing with a mortgage, monthly housing costs); quality of life (work commute, poverty levels); education (percentage with a bachelor’s degree or higher); and health (obesity ratios).
