More accolades for Kentucky — home to 2 of Money’s ’50 Best places to Live in the US’
Two Kentucky cities — Lexington and Covington — have been named among the 50 best places to live in the U.S. in 2024, according to Money magazine.
The personal finance publication examined cities and towns with thriving economies, affordability, diversity and exceptional quality of life.
In considering what makes a city great, Money took a different tack for this year’s list, which was published Aug. 8.
“Instead of using a predetermined dataset to whittle thousands of American cities down to a ‘winning’ 50, we crafted our list from the ground up through meticulous research and in-depth reporting — paying special attention to those deeply invested in the livability, equity and sustainability of their communities.” the magazine’s methodology section states.
Money also surveyed its readers and asked for suggestions in a newsletter poll that got hundreds of responses, it said. That approach ultimately allowed cities such as Buffalo, New York and Lexington to make this year’s list.
Money magazine praises Lexington’s ‘Southern hospitality’
Money honed in on what typically draws visitors to Lexington — college athletics and its thriving arts and entertainment scenes, while also going a little deeper. It recognized cultural institutions such as Lexington’s 21c Museum Hotel and the Lexington Opera House, but also The Burl and the Town Branch Commons park and trail system.
“Respondents to our reader poll described Lexington as ‘clean and safe’ with great schools and an air of ‘Southern hospitality.’ The clincher? Lexington’s median home price is just over $370,000 — higher than much of the rest of the state, but a steal compared to cities with similar size and culture,” Money’s write-up states.
This isn’t the first time Lexington has won recognition for its comparatively lower cost of living and high quality of life. It recently got a mention from U.S. News & World Report in its own list of the best places to live.
Covington is ‘Cincinnati’s little secret’
Covington got national attention in early 2023 when President Joe Biden appeared there to announce $1.6 billion in grants aimed at improving the Brent Spence Bridge. The roughly 60-year-old bridge is one of the busiest trucking routes in the country and carries more than $1 billion worth of freight every day.
Along with improving the corridor, Money notes Covington is also redeveloping a 23-acre IRS site into a mixed use neighborhood “complete with homes, stores, and a riverside park.”
“Nicknamed the Cov, it may be a suburb of Cincinnati (which indeed is minutes away, just across the Ohio River), but Covington has a style all its own,” the Money article states. “Its Mainstrasse Village boasts murals — including one of KFC’s Colonel Sanders in outer space — and the German-style Chimes Clock Tower, which features a mechanical puppet show every hour in certain months.
According to Money, Covington has one of the lowest median home listing prices on its list at $246,000, “making it an affordable place to put down roots.”
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