Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Springfield gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $259K for a typical one, or 4.2 years of the county’s $62K median household income. It grades B+ overall, ranked 36th of 138 in Kentucky. On the plus side, its schools rank ahead of 84% of Kentucky towns. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 91% of U.S. towns, with 49 places on the National Register. Its National Register listings include Mordecai Lincoln House and St. Rose Roman Catholic Church Complex. 27% of working residents work locally in Springfield, where Kentucky’s towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 8%. Springfield's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 93% of U.S. towns.
Where Springfield beats most towns.
John Pope House| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Washington County Elementary School | PK–5 | 473 |
| St. Dominic School | K–8 | 202 |
| Washington County Middle School | 6–8 | 214 |
Census counts: 164 in 1800, 2,846 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1902 and 2 maps from 1953 on.
30 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Springfield is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Springfield, 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 Springfield.
Springfield pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, draws workers from Lebanon and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
2,640 jobs are based in Springfield, 1.9 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 17.3 minutes, against 24 across Kentucky.
About one in 4 of Springfield’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Springfield is 17 minutes. Jobs based in Springfield grew to 2,640 in 2023, 559 more than in 2013.
| Springfield | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $49,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 16% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its A− for schools comes with an A− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $259K.
Its public schools are run by the Washington County school district. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Washington County High School, with 507 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 473 | B− |
| Washington County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 507 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
Springfield’s violent crime rate is 2.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Springfield | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.7 per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.3 per 1,000 residents | 8.3 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 5,290 U.S. towns with household incomes like Springfield’s, it is healthier than 67%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income. Within Kentucky it is healthier than 51% of the 141 graded towns: much of Kentucky scores lower on these measures.
Springfield beats the Kentucky average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 12% of adults binge drink in Springfield.
| Springfield | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 38% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 25% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 81% | 79% | 79% |
| What stands out | Springfield | KY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13% | 18.9% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 84.1% | 81.3% |
| More uninsured adults | 7% | 5.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Springfield has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 25° and about 3 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Springfield home is worth about $259,000, up 4.3% in a year, 12% above the Kentucky typical home. 58% of Springfield households own their home.
| Springfield | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 58% | 59% | 73% |
| Median rent | $816 a month | $937 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. Since 1992, 9 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Springfield.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Springfield; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Springfield residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
2,519 counted in 2010 and 2,846 in 2020; an estimated 3,033 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 6% since 2020, after 13% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
30 places in Springfield on the National Register of Historic Places.
10 notable people were born in Springfield.
City in Kentucky, United States
Springfield is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Washington County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,846 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Springfield grades B+ overall, better than 73% of U.S. towns and #36 of 138 in Kentucky. It grades C for health, B+ for safety and A− for schools.
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−.
10 notable people were born here, including Charles A. Wickliffe and Georgia Davis Powers.
