Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,637, settled in 1886.
The best of Sturgis’ subject grades are an A+ for safety and an A for cost of living; the weakest is a D for incomes. Only 7 of Kentucky’s 180 towns score higher on safety. On civic life, just 4 of Kentucky’s 204 towns do worse. Sturgis has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Sturgis beats most towns.
Where Sturgis’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Sturgis is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 327 in 1890, a peak of 2,321 in 1940, 1,735 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1907 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sturgis, 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 Sturgis.
Sturgis’ property crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents, against 8.3 in Kentucky’s towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns. Only 6 of the 116 Kentucky towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Sturgis. Sturgis reports less crime per resident than 99% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
| Sturgis | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 8.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.3 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Union County school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sturgis Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 343 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
The typical Sturgis home is worth about $112,000, down 0.8% in a year, 51% below the Kentucky typical home. Sturgis’ median rent is $678 a month, below both Kentucky’s towns ($934 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
| Sturgis | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $678 a month | $934 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 59% | 59% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Sturgis beats the Kentucky average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 42% of Sturgis adults have high blood pressure.
| Sturgis | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Sturgis | KY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.8% | 18.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.8% | 10.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Sturgis for work: only 4% work in town. The median household income in Sturgis is $37,000. Since 2013, Sturgis has lost 295 jobs, to 221 in 2023.
| Sturgis | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $37,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4% | 15% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Sturgis since 1999.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Sturgis has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Sturgis’ July high is 89°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
0.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Sturgis | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.2% | 1.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sturgis City Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Sturgis; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Sturgis residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
4 notable people were born in Sturgis.
City in Kentucky, United States
Sturgis is a home rule-class city in Union County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 census, Sturgis had a population of 1,735. Located in northwest Kentucky, the city was founded in 1890 and named for Samuel Sturgis, who owned the land now occupied by the city. The town is known within the motorcycle community for the Kentucky Bike Rally, previously known as the Little Sturgis Bike Rally. The name change came as a result of a lawsuit from Sturgis, South Dakota, regarding the use of the name Sturgis, despite both communities having the same name.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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.
4 notable people were born here, including Brenda Cowan and Tommy Womack.