Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Franklin grades C overall, 82nd of 138 graded towns in Kentucky, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. On the other side, residents are less healthy than 83% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. It also does better than most on schools: its schools rank ahead of 73% of Kentucky towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $59K, and 17% of residents live below the poverty line. A typical home there costs about $248K, 4.1 years of the Franklin area’s $60K median household income. 34% of working residents work locally in Franklin, above both the Kentucky town median (15%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Franklin has 14 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Goodnight House and Simpson County Courthouse. Among 142 Kentucky towns, just 2 have a higher January low than Franklin.
Where Franklin beats most towns.
Goodnight House| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Simpson Elementary School | 1–3 | 731 |
| Lincoln Elementary School | 4–5 | 463 |
| Franklin Elementary School | PK–K | 324 |
Census counts: 280 in 1830, 10,176 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1836 and 4 maps from 1951 on.
14 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Franklin is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Franklin, 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 Franklin.
Franklin draws workers from Bowling Green and beyond and has seen reported crime fall by about half.
7,911 jobs are based in Franklin, 1.9 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. 24% of working residents cross a state line to work, Portland among the top destinations.
About one in 3 of Franklin’s working residents works in town. Franklin’s average trip to work is 18 minutes. Since 2013, Franklin has added 2,436 jobs, to 7,911 in 2023.
| Franklin | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Simpson County school district. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Franklin-Simpson High School, with 830 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simpson Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades 1–3 | Grades 1–3 | 731 | C |
| Franklin-Simpson High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 830 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
43% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Franklin. Franklin beats the Kentucky average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 20% of adults smoke cigarettes in Franklin.
| Franklin | 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% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 27% | 23% |
| What stands out | Franklin | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 7.1% | 5.4% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 13.8% | 11.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
5.2 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Jim Roberts Community Park, at 116 acres.
| Franklin | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.7% | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jim Roberts Community Park | 0.4 mi | 116 |
| 2. Lincoln Park | — | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Franklin has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Franklin is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
55% of Franklin households own their home. The typical Franklin home is worth about $248,000, about the same as a year ago, 7% above the Kentucky typical home.
| Franklin | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 59% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,010 a month | $930 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 9 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Franklin.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Reported crimes fell from 256 to 88 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Franklin; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Franklin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
8,408 counted in 2010 and 10,176 in 2020; an estimated 10,759 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 5.5% since 2020, after 21% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
14 places in Franklin on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Franklin.
City in Kentucky, United States
Franklin is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Simpson County, Kentucky, United States. The county is located on the south central border of the state, and its population was 10,176 at the 2020 census. Kentucky Downs, formerly known as Dueling Grounds Racetrack (owned by Corey Johnsen & Ray Reid), is located in Franklin on the Kentucky–Tennessee border. Kentucky Downs hosts the Kentucky Cup Turf Festival, a full card of world-class horse racing featuring four major turf stakes. Kentucky Downs also hosts year-round simulcasts for the Kentucky-Tennessee market.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Franklin grades C overall, better than 34% of U.S. towns and #82 of 138 in Kentucky. It grades C− for health, B− for safety and B+ for schools. Health 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 C+.
11 notable people were born here, including Thomas Chisholm and Herbert J. Drane.
