Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,537, settled in 1800.
Beaver Dam gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $147K, 2.6 years of the county’s $58K median household income. It grades B− overall, ranked 58th of 138 in Kentucky. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 94% of the country, and the median household income is $54K, and 11% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it reports less crime per resident than 88% of U.S. towns. Only 19 of Kentucky’s 204 towns score lower on civic life. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 76% of U.S. towns. Only 2 of the 142 Kentucky towns we compare have a higher average trip to work than Beaver Dam.
Where Beaver Dam beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Beaver Dam is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 146 in 1880, 3,531 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2010 and 2 maps from 1909 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Beaver Dam, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Beaver Dam.
Beaver Dam trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, trades workers with Hartford and other neighbors and sees little violent crime.
18% of adults report frequent physical distress in Beaver Dam, where Kentucky’s towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 14%. 22% of adults smoke cigarettes in Beaver Dam. Beaver Dam beats the Kentucky average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 15.
| Beaver Dam | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 22% | 19% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| What stands out | Beaver Dam | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 9.7% | 5.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25% | 18.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.9% | 10.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Ohio County school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Ohio County High School, with 1,018 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Dam Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 601 | B |
| Ohio County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,018 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025, 0.6 per 1,000 residents.
At 0.6 per 1,000 residents, Beaver Dam’s violent crime rate is below both Kentucky’s towns (1.3) and U.S. towns (1.6). Beaver Dam’s property crime rate is 5.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Beaver Dam | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.1 per 1,000 residents | 8.3 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1.3 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Beaver Dam Park & Amphitheater, 31 acres with 1.1 miles of trail.
| Beaver Dam | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.9% | 1.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Beaver Dam Park & Amphitheater | 1.1 mi | 31 |
| 2. Oldham Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Homes are within reach (about $147K for the typical one, A for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 22 miles. At 2.6 years of the county’s $58K median household income, the typical home (about $147K) costs less against local pay than in 89% of Kentucky towns; that ratio is one input to its A for cost of living.
The median rent in Beaver Dam is $696 a month. The typical Beaver Dam home is worth about $147,000, down 2.5% in a year, 36% below the Kentucky typical home. 58% of Beaver Dam households own their home.
| Beaver Dam | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $696 a month | $937 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 58% | 59% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Beaver Dam has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 26° and about 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Beaver Dam has about as many jobs (1,357) as working residents, but only 120 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 31.6 minutes, against 24 across Kentucky.
Most working residents leave Beaver Dam for work: only 9% work in town. Since 2013, Beaver Dam has lost 174 jobs, to 1,357 in 2023. The top destinations are Hartford (18%), Owensboro (14%) and Morgantown (3%).
| Beaver Dam | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.3% | 15% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1983, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Beaver Dam.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Beaver Dam; the nearest are
About 8 of every 100 Beaver Dam residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
City in Kentucky, United States
Beaver Dam is a home rule-class city in Ohio County, Kentucky, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, Beaver Dam had a population of 3,531. It is the most populous community in the county. It is named for the Beaver Dam Baptist Church which predates the town by several decades. The city was formally incorporated by the state assembly in 1873.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Beaver Dam grades B− overall, better than 46% of U.S. towns and #58 of 138 in Kentucky. It grades D for health, A for safety and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
2 notable people were born here, including John Oldham and Jason Crabb.