Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Central City gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $118K for a typical one, or 2.3 years of the county’s $52K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 116th of 138 in Kentucky. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $51K, and 26% of residents live below the poverty line, and its schools rank behind 84% of the state's. 26% of residents live below the poverty line in Central City, where Kentucky’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Among 142 Kentucky towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Central City. Robert Thomas House is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Central City beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Central City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,144 in 1890, 5,819 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 5 maps from 1909 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Central City, 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 Central City.
Central City trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Greenville and other neighbors.
4.8 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. The trail density in Central City is 0.9 miles per square mile.
| Central City | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 1.8% | 4.3% |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green River Education CenterLargest public school before high school | – | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
Homes are within reach (about $118K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 21 miles. At 2.3 years of the county’s $52K median household income, the typical home (about $118K) costs less against local pay than in 96% of Kentucky towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living.
Central City’s median rent is $683 a month. Typical home values fell 15% in the year to September 2026.
| Central City | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $683 a month | $937 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 59% | 59% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 6,101 U.S. towns with household incomes like Central City’s, it is less healthy than 55%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
Central City beats the Kentucky average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 43% of Central City adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Central City | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 40% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 39% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 38% | 35% |
| What stands out | Central City | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 8.5% | 5.4% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 10.6% | 8.8% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 14% | 11.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Central City has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 27° and about 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Central City has about as many jobs (1,854) as working residents, but only 271 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Central City for work: only 15% work in town. Jobs based in Central City fell to 1,854 in 2023, 206 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Greenville (11%), Owensboro (8%) and Madisonville (7%).
| Central City | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 15% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 1997, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Central City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Central City; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Central City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
4 notable people were born in Central City.
City in Kentucky, United States
Central City is a home rule-class city in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 5,819 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city in the county and the principal community in the Central City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Muhlenberg County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Central City grades C− overall, better than 18% of U.S. towns and #116 of 138 in Kentucky. It grades C− for health, B+ for safety and C− for schools. Jobs & income 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 B+.
4 notable people were born here, including Bobby Watson and Bernard Hickman.
