More historic than 16% of U.S. towns · #121 of 142 in Kentucky. What drives it
Most of Wilder was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1992. Below: maps from 1898 on and the census since 1940.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Wilder is more historic than 16% of U.S. towns, #121 of 142 in Kentucky. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Wilder’s overall grade.
Kentucky towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Kentucky town has 29.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Wilder’s 6.4 sits near the middle of its state (36% of Kentucky towns have fewer) while its 2 historic buildings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.8 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Wilder’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wilder was once known as Leitch's Station. It was the first settlement in Campbell County. The name Wilder dates back to a railroad station built in the mid-19th century for the Louisville, Cincinnati and Lexington Railway named Wilder station. St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church was built in 1858 by German immigrants. "Wilder Station" is now located on property owned by Newport Steel. It is the home of supposed ghostly hauntings at the country music nightclub and honky tonk, Bobby Mackey's Music World, which has been called "the most haunted nightclub in America".
Wilder is more historic than 16% of U.S. towns, #121 of 142 in Kentucky. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Wilder?
One place: the St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church (listed 1980).
How old are the homes in Wilder?
0.0% of Wilder’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 5.9% for a Kentucky town; the median home was built in 1992.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
