Guest, Sign inJoin
U.S. Route 60 Frankfort, KY (23892062134) (cropped)Frankfort, the state capital · Photo: Mobilus In Mobili · CC BY-SA 2.0
Kentucky · 139 graded towns

Towns and cities in Kentucky

34 of Kentucky’s 139 graded towns and cities (24%) grade A− or better nationally, against 25% of U.S. towns. Edgewood ranks first in the state with an A+; jobs & income (A+) and schools (A) are its strongest grades; cost of living (B) is its lowest.

Letters are national: the overall grade blends cost of living, safety, schools, health, jobs & income, walkability and hazard risk. How grades work

How Kentucky compares: report cardBest places to liveBest small townsMost affordable townsSafest townsTowns with the best schoolsHealthiest towns
139
towns of 2,500+ with an overall grade
34
grade A− or better nationally
3
of 2,500+ without enough data for a grade
96
smaller places (1,000–2,499) with subject grades
Towns by letter
A+12A12A−10B+8B9B−9C+17C30C−16D13D−3

All 139 graded towns

Every town of 2,500+ residents with an overall grade, A to Z. The rank is among 138 Kentucky towns on the best places to live list.

139 graded towns, A to Z.

Sort:
  1. A+AlexandriaCampbell County#12 of 13810,994
  2. AAnchorageJefferson County#21 of 1382,547
  3. C−AshlandBoyd County#109 of 13820,996
  4. DBarbourvilleKnox County#131 of 1383,064
  5. C+BardstownNelson County#75 of 13814,161
  6. B−Beaver DamOhio County#58 of 1383,537
  7. B−BellevueCampbell County#54 of 1385,847
  8. C+BentonMarshall County#61 of 1384,718
  9. BBereaMadison County#50 of 13816,662
  10. DBowling GreenWarren County#124 of 13878,505
  11. BBrandenburgMeade County#49 of 1383,003
  12. A−Bucknerunincorporated, Oldham County#30 of 1384,119
  13. ABurlingtonunincorporated, Boone County#15 of 13818,008
  14. B−CadizTrigg County#53 of 1382,771
  15. DCalvert CityMarshall County#125 of 1382,510
  16. CCampbellsvilleTaylor County#106 of 13811,783
  17. C−CarrolltonCarroll County#111 of 1383,964
  18. C−Central CityMuhlenberg County#116 of 1385,793
  19. AClaryvilleunincorporated, Campbell County#18 of 1383,251
  20. A−Cold SpringCampbell County#27 of 1386,640
  21. A−ColumbiaAdair County#31 of 1384,680
  22. C−CorbinWhitley County#118 of 1387,911
  23. C+CovingtonKenton County#72 of 13841,847
  24. A−Crescent SpringsKenton County#28 of 1384,708
  25. A+Crestview HillsKenton County#7 of 1383,301
  26. ACrestwoodOldham County#19 of 1386,582
  27. C+CrittendenGrant County#74 of 1384,185
  28. C+CynthianaHarrison County#69 of 1386,576
  29. C+DanvilleBoyle County#62 of 13817,736
  30. BDaytonCampbell County#44 of 1385,974
  31. CDouglass HillsJefferson County#84 of 1385,575
  32. A+EdgewoodKenton County#1 of 1388,503
  33. CElizabethtownHardin County#77 of 13835,448
  34. BElsmereKenton County#43 of 1389,521
  35. DEminenceHenry County#126 of 1382,823
  36. A+ErlangerKenton County#9 of 13820,158
  37. C+Farleyunincorporated, McCracken County#65 of 1384,458
  38. AFlatwoodsGreenup County#24 of 1387,439
  39. C−FlemingsburgFleming County#114 of 1383,005
  40. BFlorenceBoone County#47 of 13834,018
  41. A+Fort MitchellKenton County#11 of 1388,751
  42. A+Fort ThomasCampbell County#3 of 13817,142
  43. A+Fort WrightKenton County#5 of 1386,240
  44. AFrancisvilleunincorporated, Boone County#17 of 13810,565
  45. C−FrankfortFranklin County#119 of 13828,657
  46. CFranklinSimpson County#82 of 13810,759
  47. B−GeorgetownScott County#52 of 13840,883
  48. DGlasgowBarren County#127 of 13815,302
  49. B−Graymoor-DevondaleJefferson County#56 of 1382,832
  50. C+GraysonCarter County#73 of 1383,728
  51. CGreenvilleMuhlenberg County#83 of 1384,350
  52. C+HardinsburgBreckinridge County#64 of 1382,513
  53. C−HarrodsburgMercer County#107 of 1389,576
  54. BHartfordOhio County#45 of 1382,665
  55. DHazardPerry County#132 of 1384,794
  56. AHebronunincorporated, Boone County#13 of 1386,407
  57. CHendersonHenderson County#105 of 13827,822
  58. B+Hendronunincorporated, McCracken County#39 of 1384,495
  59. A+Highland HeightsCampbell County#2 of 1386,341
  60. C+HillviewBullitt County#67 of 1389,020
  61. C+HodgenvilleLarue County#76 of 1383,378
  62. DHopkinsvilleChristian County#135 of 13830,411
  63. CHurstbourneJefferson County#100 of 1384,787
  64. A+IndependenceKenton County#6 of 13830,198
  65. CIndian HillsJefferson County#80 of 1382,939
  66. C+JeffersontownJefferson County#71 of 13829,193
  67. B+La GrangeOldham County#35 of 13810,669
  68. A+Lakeside ParkKenton County#8 of 1382,847
  69. C−LancasterGarrard County#112 of 1384,111
  70. B+LawrenceburgAnderson County#38 of 13812,329
  71. CLebanonMarion County#86 of 1386,699
  72. CLeitchfieldGrayson County#103 of 1387,015
  73. CLexingtonFayette County#94 of 138329,751
  74. C−LondonLaurel County#122 of 1387,637
  75. CLouisaLawrence County#90 of 1382,520
  76. BLudlowKenton County#48 of 1384,391
  77. C−LyndonJefferson County#115 of 13811,301
  78. C−MadisonvilleHopkins County#120 of 13819,428
  79. C+MarionCrittenden County#70 of 1382,879
  80. BMasonvilleunincorporated, Daviess County#46 of 1382,887
  81. B+Massacunincorporated, McCracken County#42 of 1384,698
  82. CMayfieldGraves County#91 of 1389,851
  83. DMaysvilleMason County#128 of 1388,688
  84. D−MiddlesboroughBell County#138 of 1388,776
  85. DMiddletownJefferson County#123 of 1389,944
  86. C−MonticelloWayne County#108 of 1385,721
  87. C+MoreheadRowan CountyCollege campus6,776
  88. CMorganfieldUnion County#96 of 1383,102
  89. C+MorgantownButler County#66 of 1382,512
  90. CMount SterlingMontgomery County#78 of 1387,586
  91. A−Mount WashingtonBullitt County#32 of 13818,989
  92. C+MurrayCalloway County#68 of 13818,964
  93. DNewportCampbell County#134 of 13813,998
  94. C+NicholasvilleJessamine County#63 of 13833,857
  95. D−Oak GroveChristian County#137 of 1387,830
  96. AOakbrookunincorporated, Boone County#20 of 13810,211
  97. C−OwensboroDaviess County#117 of 13860,892
  98. CPaducahMcCracken County#101 of 13826,730
  99. CPaintsvilleJohnson County#85 of 1384,111
  100. CParisBourbon County#102 of 13810,130
  101. A+Park HillsKenton County#4 of 1383,188
  102. D−PikevillePike County#136 of 1387,270
  103. BPioneer VillageBullitt County#51 of 1382,794
  104. DPrestonsburgFloyd County#129 of 1383,618
  105. B−PrincetonCaldwell County#60 of 1386,168
  106. B−ProspectJefferson County#57 of 1384,705
  107. B+ProvidenceWebster County#40 of 1382,872
  108. C−RadcliffHardin County#121 of 13822,576
  109. B+Reidlandunincorporated, McCracken County#37 of 1385,277
  110. CRichmondMadison County#92 of 13840,663
  111. A−RussellGreenup County#26 of 1383,628
  112. CRussell SpringsRussell County#97 of 1382,828
  113. CRussellvilleLogan County#87 of 1387,454
  114. C−ScottsvilleAllen County#110 of 1384,673
  115. CShelbyvilleShelby County#104 of 13818,453
  116. CShepherdsvilleBullitt County#93 of 13814,931
  117. DShivelyJefferson County#130 of 13815,895
  118. CSimpsonvilleShelby County#89 of 1383,183
  119. CSomersetPulaski County#99 of 13812,695
  120. CSorghounincorporated, Daviess County#88 of 1382,960
  121. ASouthgateCampbell County#23 of 1383,868
  122. B+SpringfieldWashington County#36 of 1383,033
  123. C−St. MatthewsJefferson County#113 of 13817,868
  124. A−StanfordLincoln County#34 of 1383,761
  125. DStantonPowell County#133 of 1383,153
  126. ATaylor MillKenton County#16 of 1387,144
  127. B−Thrustonunincorporated, Daviess County#55 of 1382,581
  128. A−UnionBoone County#25 of 1387,937
  129. B+VersaillesWoodford County#41 of 13810,734
  130. AVilla HillsKenton County#14 of 1387,797
  131. CVine GroveHardin County#79 of 1387,018
  132. A−WaltonBoone County#29 of 1385,868
  133. CWest LibertyMorgan County#81 of 1383,339
  134. CWestwoodunincorporated, Boyd County#95 of 1384,473
  135. AWilderCampbell County#22 of 1383,108
  136. B−WilliamsburgWhitley County#59 of 1385,371
  137. A−WilliamstownGrant County#33 of 1384,030
  138. A+WilmoreJessamine County#10 of 1386,380
  139. CWinchesterClark County#98 of 13819,514
Also in Kentucky

Not on the ranked list

College campuses

Graded like every town, but left off the best-places lists: more than half the residents are college students (ACS), so its figures mostly describe student life. They appear on the subject lists with a “College campus” label.

  • C+Morehead Rowan County · 50% college students

Not graded (3)

Towns of 2,500+ without enough data for an overall grade. Their pages show every subject that is graded.

  • –Fort Campbell North Christian County · 11,356 people. No overall grade: no safety or schools figures, and the overall needs three of the four.
  • –Fort Knox Hardin County · 8,836 people. No overall grade: no safety or schools figures, and the overall needs three of the four.
  • –Louisville 795,222 people. No overall grade: no schools or health figures, and the overall needs three of the four.

Smaller places 96 with 1,000–2,499 residents

These have subject grades (safety, schools, health and the rest) but no overall grade or rank: the overall starts at 2,500 residents.

Go deeper

Lists in Kentucky

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Kentucky rankings →
Best places to live138 towns · #1 EdgewoodBest small towns94 towns · #1 EdgewoodMost affordable towns142 towns · #1 ProvidenceSafest towns115 towns · #1 ProvidenceTowns with the best schools139 towns · #1 Anchorage and Fort ThomasHealthiest towns141 towns · #1 ProspectBest towns for jobs & income142 towns · #1 Indian Hills and Lakeside ParkMost walkable towns142 towns · #1 NewportTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk142 towns · #1 HebronBest towns for the outdoors142 towns · #1 DaytonMost historic towns142 towns · #1 NewportTowns with the most civic life126 towns · #1 DanvilleTowns with the least snow136 towns · #1 BereaDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns136 towns · #1 AlexandriaDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters134 towns · #1 Fort Campbell NorthDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers134 towns · #1 Bowling GreenDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers134 towns · #1 Erlanger and 2 moreDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes142 towns · #1 AnchorageDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes140 towns · #1 MorgantownDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns125 towns · #1 RichmondDescribed, no letters