Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,122, settled in 1816.
The best of Carlisle’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and safety and an A for history; the weakest is a D for health. Only 5 of Kentucky’s 238 towns score higher on cost of living. The median household income is $49K, and 15% of residents live below the poverty line. No town among the 116 in Kentucky we compare has a lower property crime rate than Carlisle. Only 9 of Kentucky’s 238 towns score higher on history. Carlisle's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 88% of U.S. towns. Carlisle has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Carlisle beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880.
9 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Carlisle is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Carlisle, 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 Carlisle.
Carlisle’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents, against 1.3 in Kentucky’s towns and 1.6 across U.S. towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Nicholas County school district. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Nicholas County High School, with 435 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas County Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 645 | C |
| Nicholas County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 435 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
Carlisle beats the Kentucky average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 19% of adults report frequent physical distress in Carlisle, above both the Kentucky town median (15%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). 46% of Carlisle adults have high blood pressure.
| Carlisle | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 38% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 14% |
| What stands out | Carlisle | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 84.7% | 81.3% |
| More uninsured adults | 8.4% | 5.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Carlisle’s average trip to work is 30 minutes. Since 2013, Carlisle has lost 110 jobs, to 550 in 2023. Most working residents leave Carlisle for work: only 11% work in town.
| Carlisle | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $49,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 15% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 73% of U.S. communities. Since 1997, 13 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Carlisle.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Carlisle has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 24° and about 9 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Carlisle home is worth about $206,000, down 2.2% in a year, 11% below the Kentucky typical home. The median rent in Carlisle is $636 a month.
| Carlisle | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $636 a month | $934 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 56% | 59% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| Carlisle | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 6.6% | 1.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. East Union Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Carlisle; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Carlisle residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
Where Carlisle’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
9 places in Carlisle on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Carlisle.
City in Kentucky, United States
Carlisle is a home rule-class city in Nicholas County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 census, Carlisle had a population of 2,093. It is the county seat of Nicholas County. It is located at the junction of Kentucky Route 32 and Kentucky Route 36, about halfway between Lexington and Maysville.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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+.
5 notable people were born here, including Elva R. Kendall and Gatewood Galbraith.
