Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Frankfort is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C− overall, 119th of 138 graded towns in Kentucky, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is cost of living: a typical home costs about $250K, 3.6 years of the Frankfort area’s $69K median household income. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $53K, and 19% of residents live below the poverty line. 34% of working residents work locally in Frankfort, where Kentucky’s towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 8%. Its National Register listings include Old Statehouse and Liberty Hall. Only 2 of Kentucky’s 204 towns score higher on civic life.
Where Frankfort beats most towns.
Old Statehouse
Old Statehouse is one of 3 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its 40 National Register listings are more than in 96% of Kentucky towns with a listing.
Census counts: 628 in 1800, 28,602 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1861 and 5 maps from 1924 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Frankfort is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Frankfort, 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 Frankfort.
Frankfort draws workers from Lexington and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.
25,017 jobs are based in Frankfort, 2.1 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 17 minutes, against 24 across Kentucky.
About one in 3 of Frankfort’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Frankfort is 17 minutes. Since 2013, Frankfort has added 2,857 jobs, to 25,017 in 2023.
| Frankfort | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Franklin County school district. Three of its 17 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elkhorn Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 725 | C |
| Franklin County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 990 | B− |
| Frankfort High SchoolTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 331 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
8.8 miles of trail in 12 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Cove Spring Park, 228 acres with 5.2 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cove Spring Park | 5.2 mi | 228 |
| 2. Juniper Hill Park | 0.7 mi | 118 |
| 3. Fort Hill Civil War Park | 0.6 mi | 140 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 6,810 U.S. towns with household incomes like Frankfort’s, it is healthier than 56%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income. Within Kentucky it is healthier than 50% of the 141 graded towns: much of Kentucky scores lower on these measures.
Frankfort beats the Kentucky average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 42% of Frankfort adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Frankfort | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 40% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 27% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 14% |
| What stands out | Frankfort | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 6.9% | 5.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Reported crimes fell from 661 to 521 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Frankfort’s property crime rate is 15.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Frankfort | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 15.9 per 1,000 residents | 8.2 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Frankfort has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 25° and about 15 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
885 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 64 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 64% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 885 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Frankfort.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Adults 18 to 34 are 27% of residents (22% statewide). 28% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 28% across Kentucky.
| Frankfort | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.3 years | 37.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 17% | 18% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.2 points. Across Kentucky, 50.5% of residents are women. Median age: women 36.1, men 34.6.
| Frankfort | KY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.3% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.3% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.7% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.5% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.2% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.8% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.2% | 11.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.8% | 32.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.6% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.1% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.3% | 16.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.1% | 11.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
49% of households own their home in Frankfort. The typical Frankfort home is worth about $250,000, about the same as a year ago, 8% above the Kentucky typical home.
| Frankfort | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 49% | 59% | 73% |
| Median rent | $944 a month | $930 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Frankfort. Close and well known come first.
Big draw33 mi Theme parkArk Encounter
23 mi Stadium & arenaKroger Field
22 mi Stadium & arenaRupp Arena
22 mi GardenLexington Cemetery
19 mi Park & preserveKentucky Horse Park
27 mi Ancient sitePleasant HillArk Encounter: OlinEJ, CC0 · Kroger Field: Navin75, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Rupp Arena: The original uploader was Analogue Kid at English Wikipedia., CC BY 2.5 · Lexington Cemetery: Analogue Kid at en.wikipedia, CC BY 2.5 · Kentucky Horse Park: Wes Blevins, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Pleasant Hill: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Frankfort
About 7 of every 100 Frankfort residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Kentucky.
40 places in Frankfort on the National Register of Historic Places.
23 notable people were born in Frankfort.
Capital of Kentucky, United States
Frankfort is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is a home rule-class city and the seat of Franklin County. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,602, making it the 13th-largest city in Kentucky and 4th-smallest U.S. state capital by population. Located along the Kentucky River in the Upland South, Frankfort is the principal city of the Frankfort, Kentucky micropolitan area, which includes all of Franklin and Anderson counties. Before Frankfort was founded, the site was a ford across the Kentucky River, along one of the great buffalo trails used as highways in colonial America. English explorers first visited the area in the 1750s. The site evidently received its name …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Frankfort grades C− overall, better than 17% of U.S. towns and #119 of 138 in Kentucky. It grades C for health, C for safety and C for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
23 notable people were born here, including Will Chase and Elizabeth Ann Hulette.
.jpg){kind=link}
