Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Murray's standout: its public schools beat 95% of Kentucky towns on state tests and graduation. Overall it grades C+, 68th of 138 graded towns in Kentucky. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 87% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is incomes: the median household income is $44K, and 24% of residents live below the poverty line. 41% of working residents work locally in Murray, against 15% in Kentucky’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Edwin S. Diuguid House and Calloway County Courthouse. Only 1 of the 142 Kentucky towns we compare have a lower average trip to work than Murray.
Where Murray beats most towns.
Census counts: 218 in 1860, 17,307 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 4 maps from 1936 on.
15 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Murray is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Murray, 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 Murray.
Murray is shaped by its college students, has schools in the top 5% of Kentucky and draws workers from Paducah and beyond.
Its A+ ranks #7 of the 139 Kentucky towns we grade for schools.
Its public schools are run by the Murray Independent school district. Three of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Murray High School, with 607 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murray Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 4–8 | Grades 4–8 | 645 | A+ |
| Murray High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 607 | A |
| Murray Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 589 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
9,509 jobs are based in Murray, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 12.3 minutes, against 24 across Kentucky.
6.6% of workers work from home in Murray. The top destinations are Paducah (6%), Mayfield (3%) and Benton (2%).
| Murray | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 6.6% | 10% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
25.3% of residents are enrolled in college, against 5.5% statewide, which pulls the median age down. Only 41.7% of households own their home, against 68.3% across Kentucky.
Adults 18 to 34 are 43% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 28% of residents (38% statewide). Murray’s median age is 25.8 years. Murray has grown 6.9% since 2020, to 18,964 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Murray | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 25.8 years | 37.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 16% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 17% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 36% | 26% | 29% |
54% women, 46% men
About 87 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.5 points). Across Kentucky, 50.5% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 58% are women (KY 49%).
| Murray | KY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.4% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.2% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 32.8% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.5% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.3% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.4% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.4% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.9% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.2% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.4% | 11.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.3% | 32.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.4% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.9% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.7% | 16.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.5% | 11.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Its 2,732 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in any other Kentucky town.
3.4 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Central Park, at 76 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Central Park | — | 76 |
| 2. Bee Creek | — | 36 |
| 3. Doran Arboretrum | — | 25 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 3,705 U.S. towns with household incomes like Murray’s, it is healthier than 70%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
22% of Murray adults report frequent mental distress. Murray beats the Kentucky average on 7 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 20% of Murray adults worry about having enough food.
| Murray | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 27% | 23% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 38% | 35% |
| What stands out | Murray | KY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 11% | 13.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7% | 8.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 7.7% | 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. Since 1978, 20 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Murray.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Murray has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Murray is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Murray home is worth about $209,000, about the same as a year ago, 9% below the Kentucky typical home.
| Murray | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 42% | 59% | 73% |
| Median rent | $870 a month | $937 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes fell from 331 to 184 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of Murray
College town 25 of every 100 Murray residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
15 places in Murray on the National Register of Historic Places.
15 notable people were born in Murray.
City in Kentucky, United States
Murray is a home rule-class city in Calloway County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of Calloway County and the 19th-largest city in Kentucky. The city's population was 17,307 during the 2020 U.S. census, and its micropolitan area's population is 37,191. Murray is a college town and is the home of Murray State University.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Murray grades C+ overall, better than 42% of U.S. towns and #68 of 138 in Kentucky. It grades C− for health, B− for safety and A+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 4 years of the area's median household income ($52,706 across the Murray, KY area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
15 notable people were born here, including Leigh-Allyn Baker and Molly Sims.
