Louisville 66 Good
Louisville Livability #214 ranked city in Kentucky#10,438 ranked city in the USARanks better than 64% of areas

Louisville, KY - The Derby City

Louisville, KY, known as 'The Derby City,' offers a unique blend of Southern charm and cultural richness. Located in northern Kentucky, Louisville is a large city that serves as a major cultural and economic hub. Major nearby cities like Lexington and Cincinnati enhance its status as a central point in the region. Louisville's blend of historic landmarks, cultural festivals, and urban amenities creates a distinctive living experience.

Louisville is home to several iconic landmarks, including the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, the historic Churchill Downs, and the Muhammad Ali Center. The city offers a variety of attractions, from the beautiful Waterfront Park to the bustling NuLu District, known for its trendy shops and restaurants. Louisville's dining scene is renowned for its bourbon and Southern cuisine.

Annual events such as the Kentucky Derby and the St. James Court Art Show highlight the city's vibrant cultural scene and provide unique entertainment opportunities for residents and visitors. These events celebrate Louisville's rich cultural heritage and community spirit. Prestigious institutions like the University of Louisville and Bellarmine University contribute to the city's academic and cultural vibrancy, fostering a thriving intellectual community.

The arts and culture scene in Louisville is dynamic and diverse, with numerous theaters, music venues, and art galleries. The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts and the Speed Art Museum are just a few of the cultural landmarks that showcase the city's commitment to the arts. Living in Louisville provides ample opportunities to engage with art, music, and history, making it an exciting place to call home.

Louisville’s community is welcoming and diverse, creating a friendly environment for newcomers. The city is home to professional sports teams like the Cardinals (NCAA) and Louisville City FC (USL), providing plenty of excitement for sports fans. Major industries in Louisville include healthcare, logistics, and education, with significant employers such as Humana and UPS Worldport driving economic growth. The city has extensive public transit options, including buses and a developing bike-sharing program, making it easy to navigate.

Pros and Cons of Living in Louisville

PROS
  • Cost Of Living

    Residents in this area benefit from an affordable cost of living. This includes goods and services, transportation, housing, utilities, groceries and healthcare.

  • Housing

    The housing category in this area boasts higher than average scores, likely influenced by a positive home affordability ratio, robust appreciation rates or elevated home values.

CONS
  • Amenities

    It appears that many amenities may not be conveniently situated within walking distance, potentially necessitating the use of a vehicle or public transit.

  • Commute

    Commuters in this area may experience longer-than-average work commute times due to limited public transportation access.

  • Schools

    Factors such as lower than average graduation rates, lackluster reading and math scores and the limited accessibility of local elementary and high schools could contribute to the low schools score.

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What's it like Living in Louisville?

Located in the state of Kentucky, Louisville is a large city with a population of 618,733 inhabitants. According to the most recent Census, 68% of Louisville residents are White, 24% Black and 3% Asian. Single men and women might be happy to hear that in Louisville, only 50% of the population is married. The average American spends about 26 minutes on their one way commute to work each day. Lower travel times can increase overall happiness and allow for more time to be spent with family and friends. While living in Louisville, your commute times will be about average, with a one way commute time of 23 minutes.

Are you trying to decide if living in Louisville is the right fit for your lifestyle? To ensure a positive experience before relocating to any new city in Kentucky, you will probably want to make sure that you check all of the most important boxes. Several key factors deserve attention. For one, safety is paramount, ensuring that your new area is low in crime is key. Proximity to workplaces or schools minimizes commute times and fosters convenience. Access to essential amenities like parks, grocery stores, food, fitness, shops and healthcare facilities enhances daily life. Efficient public transportation options provide mobility and connectivity. The sense of community creates a welcoming and supportive environment. Lastly, the overall atmosphere, encompassing the vibe, aesthetics, and lifestyle offerings, contributes to a fulfilling living experience. Considering these elements helps identify the ideal neighborhood for your needs and preferences. With useful information like crime, cost of living, health & safety and other key data points, finding the best places to live in Louisville and in the areas around Louisville is a much easier task.

With a livability score of 60 out of 100, Louisville is ranked #17,005 in the United States and #349 in Kentucky. This is a poor rating when compared to the average of other places in the country. If we consider each of the categories on their own, we see that Louisville ranks well for cost of living (A+) and housing (A). Louisville does not do well for the following: amenities (F), crime (F) and education (D-). It might be a good idea to take a closer look at each category to find out why.

Finding affordable real estate and housing in Louisville can be tricky. Having said that, this area might be the place to get the best of both worlds. Based on factors like home/rental affordability and appreciation rates, this area has received an above average score in the housing category. A healthy real estate market can lead to wealth appreciation for property owners, as rising property values can contribute to homeowners' equity, financial stability and the ability to build long-term wealth.

Being close to public transit, grocery stores, parks and other conveniences are all important when weighing your options for a new home in Louisville. Before you determine if any of these amenities are available in the area, you will also want to know if the real estate prices in Louisville are affordable. The median home price for Louisville homes is $165,400, which is 31.2% higher than the Kentucky average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Louisville, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 3, which is 7.1% higher than the Kentucky average.

Best Places to Live in and Around Louisville

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Compare Louisville, KY Livability

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      Louisville transportation information

      Statistic Louisville Kentucky National
      Average one way commute23min23min26min
      Workers who drive to work78.0%82.2%76.4%
      Workers who carpool8.7%9.7%9.3%
      Workers who take public transit2.9%1.1%5.1%
      Workers who bicycle0.3%0.2%0.6%
      Workers who walk2.0%2.4%2.8%
      Working from home6.4%3.3%4.6%
      Source: The Louisville, KY data and statistics displayed above are derived from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).