Louisville KY
Kentucky · Pop. 631,818
Louisville, KY: median household income of $66,849, median rent of $1,120/mo, 5.5% unemployment. Our verdict: It Depends.
Score Breakdown
Key Metrics
Median Income
$66,849
per year
Median Rent
$1,120
per month
Median Home
$234k
home value
Unemployment
5.5%
of labor force
Poverty Rate
15.9%
below poverty line
Avg. Commute
23 min
one way
City Reality Check balanced
"Louisville, KY Reality Check"
In Louisville, the rent-to-income burden runs around 20% — refreshingly manageable by national standards. Median income sits at $66,849 and median rent is $1,120/month. 45% of renters are cost-burdened (30%+ of income on housing). Landlords are winning; everyone else is treading water. Median home value: $233,900 — that's 3.5× the median income. 61% of households own their home — unusually high for a major US city. Residents put down roots here. Employment picture: 5.46% unemployment — a average employment landscape. Poverty rate: 15.9%. Average commute: 23 minutes — acceptable. Violent crime: 69.2/100k avg monthly rate (22458 reported); Property crime: 292.4/100k avg monthly rate (94878 reported). Louisville was founded in 1778 — that's 248 years of history baked into the streets. The city covers 66.3 sq miles at 9,531 people/sq mile — densely packed. Elevation: 466 ft — modest elevation. Louisville has 9 sister cities — cosmopolitan on paper, at least. RoastMyCity overall score: 68/100 — It Depends.
Local Context
Weather
/100Average high 67.1°F, low 49.3°F. 22 days per year above 90°F. 53.5 inches of annual precipitation.
Safety
/100Violent crime: 69.2/100k avg monthly rate (22458 reported); Property crime: 292.4/100k avg monthly rate (94878 reported).