Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,386, settled in 1797.
Vanceburg’s best subject grades are an A+ for safety and an A for cost of living; its weakest is a D− for incomes. 40% of residents live below the poverty line in Vanceburg, against 16% in Kentucky’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. No town in Kentucky scores lower than Vanceburg on incomes. On CDC health estimates it is near the bottom nationally. Vanceburg's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 96% of U.S. towns. Union Monument in Vanceburg is on the National Register of Historic Places. Vanceburg has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Vanceburg beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Vanceburg | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 34.7% | 18.9% |
Census counts: 513 in 1870, a peak of 1,939 in 1980, 1,428 in 2020. The archive holds 14 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 4 maps from 1949 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kentucky), ordered by how far Vanceburg is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Vanceburg, 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 Vanceburg.
At $391 a month, Vanceburg’s median rent is below both the Kentucky town median ($934 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Typical home values rose 12% in the year to September 2026. 57% of households own their home in Vanceburg.
| Vanceburg | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $391 a month | $934 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 57% | 59% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Lewis County school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Lewis County High School, with 568 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis County Central Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 466 | C+ |
| Lewis County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 568 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KY on state tests and graduation
34% of Vanceburg adults say their health is fair or poor. Of the 142 Kentucky towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Vanceburg. 20% of Vanceburg adults report frequent mental distress.
| Vanceburg | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 23% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Vanceburg | KY |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.2% | 14.2% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 85.2% | 81.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 34.7% | 18.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
No town among the 116 in Kentucky we compare has a lower property crime rate than Vanceburg. Vanceburg’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents.
| Vanceburg | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.7 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
About one in 4 of Vanceburg’s working residents works in town. The median household income in Vanceburg is $30,000. The top destinations are Maysville (8%), Lexington (5%) and Louisville (3%).
| Vanceburg | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 27% | 15% | 8% |
| Median household income | $30,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 92% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Vanceburg.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Vanceburg has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 24° and about 21 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
None within 15 miles of Vanceburg; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Vanceburg residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
5 notable people were born in Vanceburg.
City in Kentucky, United States
Vanceburg is a home rule-class city in Lewis County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,428 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lewis County. Vanceburg is part of the Maysville Micropolitan Statistical Area.
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.
5 notable people were born here, including Thomas H. Paynter and Ralph Davis.
