Should I Move To
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), Kentucky is home to about 629,176 people. On cost of living, it lands in the affordable band — 13% below the national average. The median renter pays around $1,014 a month against a typical household income of $63,114. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 41 out of 100 (grade D), putting it at #772 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)'s composite cost-of-living index lands at 87 (100 = US average), which puts it in the affordable band. At $1,014/mo against $63,114 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 19% of income on housing — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Median home value sits around $204,800.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is four-season — summer averages around 85°F, winter averages around 26°F. Precipitation totals about 45 inches a year. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life. Air quality reads good (AQI 48).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) doesn't obviously fit families. It earns 54/100 (grade C-) on the families profile. Strongest on affordability (85/100); weakest on walkability (5/100).
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) doesn't obviously fit retirees. It earns 48/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Strongest on affordability (85/100); weakest on walkability (5/100).
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) doesn't obviously fit remote workers. It earns 53/100 (grade C-) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on affordability (85/100); weakest on walkability (5/100).
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) doesn't obviously fit young professionals. It earns 41/100 (grade D) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on affordability (85/100); weakest on walkability (5/100).
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance), Kentucky pulls a 41/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade D), currently ranked #772 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)'s cost-of-living index is 87 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the affordable band — 13% below the national average. Median rent runs about $1,014/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 85°F, winter averages around 26°F, with about 45 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 5/100. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life.
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) has about 629,176 residents, 33% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 38.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance) with other Kentucky cities scored on UrbRank.
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