Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,306, settled in 1798.
The best of Eddyville’s subject grades are an A+ for safety, an A for cost of living, and an A− for the outdoors; the weakest is a C− for hazard risk. 11% of residents are under 18 in Eddyville, below both the Kentucky town median (22%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). Only 16 of Kentucky’s 180 towns score higher on safety. 28% of the land in Eddyville is conserved, against 1.7% in Kentucky’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Only 8 of Kentucky’s 238 towns score higher on the outdoors. Old Eddyville Historic District and MAMIE S. BARRETT (towboat) is on the National Register of Historic Places. Eddyville has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Eddyville beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Eddyville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 69 in 1800, a low of 69 in 1800, 2,375 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2019 and 3 maps from 1931 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Eddyville, 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 Eddyville.
No town among the 116 in Kentucky we compare has a lower property crime rate than Eddyville. Eddyville’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents.
| Eddyville | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.3 per 1,000 residents | 8.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Lyon County school district. Three of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon County Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 485 | A |
| Lyon County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 292 | B |
| Lyon County Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 210 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
3.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Mineral Mound State Park, at 445 acres with 2.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mineral Mound State Park | 2.6 mi | 445 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Eddyville beats the Kentucky average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 44% of Eddyville adults sleep under 7 hours. Among 142 Kentucky towns, just 10 have a lower share of adults who had a checkup this year than Eddyville.
| Eddyville | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 40% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 79% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 38% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 39% | 35% |
| What stands out | Eddyville | KY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.6% | 8.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 7.8% | 5.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 73% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Eddyville has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Eddyville is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Eddyville for work: only 14% work in town. 8.9% of residents live below the poverty line in Eddyville. Since 2013, Eddyville has added 113 jobs, to 1,082 in 2023.
| Eddyville | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.9% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 15% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Eddyville home is worth about $243,000, down 3.1% in a year, 5% above the Kentucky typical home.
| Eddyville | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 54% | 59% | 73% |
| Median rent | $730 a month | $934 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Eddyville; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Eddyville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
5 notable people were born in Eddyville.
City in Kentucky, United States
Eddyville is a home rule-class city in Lyon County, Kentucky, United States, of which it is also the county seat. The population was 2,375 at the 2020 census, up from 2,350 in 2000. The Kentucky State Penitentiary is located at Eddyville. The town is a tourist attraction because of its access to nearby Lake Barkley.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Eddyville.
Eddyville has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Kuttawa isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Eddyville with a neighbor →
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 John Long Routt and Bill Cunningham.
