Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Richmond grades C overall, 92nd of 138 graded towns in Kentucky, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Natural-hazard risk is low and it is more walkable than 82% of U.S. towns. On the other side, the median household income is $51K, and 20% of residents live below the poverty line. Its National Register listings include Whitehall and Madison County Courthouse. Among 142 Kentucky towns, just 7 have a lower share of households owning their home than Richmond. Richmond is home to Eastern Kentucky University.
Where Richmond beats most towns.
Old Central University
Census counts: 110 in 1800, a low of 110 in 1800, 34,585 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1798 and 4 maps from 1953 on.
36 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Richmond is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Richmond, 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 Richmond.
Richmond draws workers from Lexington and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has seen reported crime fall by a third or more.
21,291 jobs are based in Richmond, 1.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Half commute less than 21 miles. Employers in Richmond added 2,449 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 21,291. 30% of Richmond working residents work locally, above both the Kentucky town median (15%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). The top destinations are Lexington (28%), Berea (4%) and Georgetown (2%).
| Richmond | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 30% | 15% | 8% |
| Median household income | $51,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 8.3% | 10% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Below: Three of its 14 schools, each with why it was picked. Public schools: the Madison County school district.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 586 | B− |
| Madison Central High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,107 | B |
| B. Michael Caudill Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 517 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
Only 38.3% of households own their home, against 68.3% across Kentucky.
Adults 18 to 34 are just over two in five residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 29% of residents (38% statewide). Richmond is growing: up 16% since 2020, to 40,663 residents (2025 estimate). In Richmond, the age of the median resident is 28.4 years, against 37.6 years in Kentucky’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. On top of that, the share of residents in Richmond who are 65 or older: 11%.
| Richmond | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 28.4 years | 37.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 11% | 17% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 18% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 26% | 29% |
52% women, 48% men
About 94 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.3 points). Across Kentucky, 50.5% of residents are women. Median age: women 29.3, men 27.8.
| Richmond | KY | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.5% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.5% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 25.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.8% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.9% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.9% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.5% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 5.9% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.8% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.9% | 11.1% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.9% | 32.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 19% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.4% | 9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.7% | 16.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.2% | 11.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The FEMA hazard score for Richmond comes to 20 of 100. Paid flood insurance claims in the town since 1984: 17. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 37% come from inland flooding and 20% from tornadoes. Federal aid has come to Richmond households in 6 declared disasters; the latest was in 2021.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The biggest park or preserve is Lake Reba Park, at 93 acres. Trails total 8.0 miles in 11 parks and preserves.
| Richmond | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.7% | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Camp Catalpa | 1.3 mi | 33 |
| 2. EKU Cross Country Trail | 0.9 mi | 21 |
| 3. EKU Cemetery Park | 0.6 mi | 24 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
A home in Richmond typically sold within 53 days of listing. Home values are up 1.2% over the year to September 2026. In Richmond, the typical sale closed at 99.5% of the list price.
| Richmond | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $917 a month | $937 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 44% | 44% | 48% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes fell from 993 to 751 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Richmond’s violent crime rate stands at 2.4 per 1,000 residents. In Richmond, the property crime rate is 16.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Richmond | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16.1 per 1,000 residents | 8.2 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
In July, afternoons reach 86°; in January, nights fall to 25°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 6,092 U.S. towns with household incomes like Richmond’s, it is healthier than 77%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income. Within Kentucky it is healthier than 61% of the 141 graded towns: much of Kentucky scores lower on these measures.
Among adults in Richmond, 15% binge drink. On the CDC’s 31 measures, Richmond is ahead of Kentucky on 8 and behind on 8. Only 5 of the 141 Kentucky towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Richmond.
| Richmond | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 40% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 27% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 38% | 35% |
| What stands out | Richmond | KY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.1% | 8.7% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.9% | 8.2% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 12.1% | 8.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Richmond. Close and well known come first.
23 mi Stadium & arenaKroger Field
25 mi Stadium & arenaRupp Arena
38 mi Canyon & gorgeRed River Gorge
12 mi State parkFort Boonesborough State Park
26 mi GardenLexington Cemetery
38 mi National forestDaniel Boone National Forest2.5M visitors a yearKroger Field: Navin75, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Rupp Arena: The original uploader was Analogue Kid at English Wikipedia., CC BY 2.5 · Red River Gorge: Robert G. Davis, NWSRS, Public domain · Fort Boonesborough State Park: Bubba73, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lexington Cemetery: Analogue Kid at en.wikipedia, CC BY 2.5 · Daniel Boone National Forest: Schwaltz, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Richmond
College town 20 of every 100 Richmond residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
36 places in Richmond on the National Register of Historic Places.
17 notable people were born in Richmond.
City in Kentucky, United States
Richmond is a city in Madison County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 34,585 as of the 2020 census, making it the state's seventh-largest city. It is the principal city of the Richmond–Berea micropolitan area, which includes all of Madison and Rockcastle counties and had 123,000 residents in 2020. The city is named after Richmond, Virginia and is home to Eastern Kentucky University. Richmond is the county seat of Madison County and serves as the center for work and shopping in south-central Kentucky. Richmond is home to numerous festivals, notably the Millstone Festival.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Richmond grades C overall, better than 30% of U.S. towns and #92 of 138 in Kentucky. It grades C+ for health, C for safety and B+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
That is 5 years of the area's median household income ($60,368 across the Richmond-Berea, KY area).
17 notable people were born here, including Kit Carson and David R. Francis.
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