Where are the best places to live in Kentucky? How one ranking scored Lexington
Louisville and Cincinnati suburbs dominated a list of the best places in Kentucky to live, according to Niche rankings released late last month.
Eight Louisville suburbs, five of the city’s neighborhoods and seven Cincinnati suburbs made up the top 20, the lone exception being tiny Massac, near the junction of the Ohio and Tennessee rivers. Lexington was No. 51.
Niche creates an overall grade for each spot based on things like cost of living, proportion of college graduates and assessments of housing and public schools. The underlying grades are based on everything from Census data to reviews from Niche users.
Many of the top scorers in Kentucky shared high marks for housing and jobs, with average cost of living scores, where challenges tend to present themselves in major metro areas.
Lexington’s scores were nothing to scoff at, according to Niche, though it was held back by average grades for cost of living, jobs and housing. Its best scores were in “good for families” and diversity, with public schools, commutability and outdoor amenities also receiving high marks.
Despite scoring a bit lower in the recent Niche ranking, Lexington routinely brings in accolades as a top place to live and visit, including shoutouts from Condé Nast Traveler and one analysis looking at the hottest housing markets in the country.
Best places to live in Kentucky in 2026
According to Niche, these are the top 20 places to live in Kentucky.
- Windy Hills, a Louisville suburb
- Park Hills, a Cincinnati suburb
- Bonnycastle, a Louisville suburb
- Anchorage, a Louisville suburb
- Irish Hill, a Louisville neighborhood
- Beechwood Village, a Louisville suburb
- Fort Thomas, a Cincinnati suburb
- Lakeside Park, a Cincinnati suburb
- Belknap, a Louisville neighborhood
- Deer Park, a Louisville neighborhood
- Indian Hills, a Louisville suburb
- Rockcreek Lexington Road, a Louisville neighborhood
- Northfield, a Louisville suburb
- Massac
- Edgewood, a Cincinnati suburb
- Union, a Cincinnati suburb
- Wilder, a Cincinnati suburb
- Highlands Douglass, a Louisville neighborhood
- Prospect, a Louisville suburb
- Hurstbourne, a Louisville suburb
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