Best PlacesUniversity of Kentucky, Lexington, KY Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around University of Kentucky, Lexington, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
University of Kentucky, Lexington ranks 4,154th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on short commutes by a wide margin, and the weather ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in University of Kentucky, Lexington
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
University of Kentucky, Lexington's strengths and weaknesses
Where University of Kentucky, Lexington ranks high
- Short commute15.2 minutes each way, better than 97% of neighborhoods
- BikingBetter than 94% of neighborhoods
- Health outlookBetter than 93% of neighborhoods
- Cheap childcare$797 a month, better than 89% of neighborhoods
- Heat safetyBetter than 88% of neighborhoods
Where University of Kentucky, Lexington ranks low
- Nice weatherabout 53 pleasant days a year, better than only 1% of neighborhoods
- Household income$29,703 median, better than only 5% of neighborhoods
- Cost of living vs incomeBetter than only 6% of neighborhoods
- Housing crash safetyBetter than only 10% of neighborhoods
- Big-city accessBetter than only 10% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in University of Kentucky, Lexington
A household needs to earn about $71,000 a year to comfortably buy the median University of Kentucky, Lexington home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $29,703, so buying stretches a typical household.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses University of Kentucky, Lexington's effective rate of 0.96%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices and rents, renting stays cheaper than buying across the first 10 years here, so the case for buying rests on staying much longer or on prices rising faster than assumed. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in University of Kentucky, Lexington
University of Kentucky, Lexington runs younger than the country.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for University of Kentucky, Lexington.
Who works in University of Kentucky, Lexington, and how
Work in University of Kentucky, Lexington centers on education and hospitality & food. Unemployment runs well above the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 50%
- Work from home 8%
- Transit, walk, or bike 42%
Life in University of Kentucky, Lexington
University of Kentucky, Lexington has more restaurants and bars per resident than 82% of neighborhoods and more parkland per resident than 89% of neighborhoods. Dining, parks, and nightlife concentrates in some parts of University of Kentucky, Lexington and thins out in others, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in University of Kentucky, Lexington, month by month
University of Kentucky, Lexington sees roughly 53 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 89 degrees. January highs sit near 46, with lows near 26. The comfortable stretch runs April through June, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 35° | 26° |
| April | 70° | 56° | 44° |
| July | 89° | 77° | 67° |
| October | 74° | 60° | 47° |
Flying in and out of University of Kentucky, Lexington
The nearest airport, Blue Grass, is about 6 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, about 71 miles away.
The best schools in and around University of Kentucky, Lexington
Schools across University of Kentucky, Lexington average a C−, better than 37% of neighborhoods.
Top middle schools
- Morton Middle SchoolB− · 43% proficient
Top high schools
- Opportunity Middle CollegeA− · 60% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every University of Kentucky, Lexington school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
University of Kentucky, Lexington measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare University of Kentucky, Lexington against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in University of Kentucky, Lexington
Is University of Kentucky, Lexington a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, University of Kentucky, Lexington ranks 4,154th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on short commutes, biking, and population health, and lowest on the weather and low incomes. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is University of Kentucky, Lexington expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $265,685. The overall cost of living runs about 13% below the national average. Set against a $29,703 median income, cost of living beats 6% of neighborhoods.
Is University of Kentucky, Lexington safe?
University of Kentucky, Lexington is safer than 37% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $495 per resident a year.
Compare University of Kentucky, Lexington with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to University of Kentucky, Lexington. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in University of Kentucky, Lexington represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
University of Kentucky, Lexington detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for University of Kentucky, Lexington: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in University of Kentucky, Lexington: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of University of Kentucky, Lexington: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in University of Kentucky, Lexington: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
University of Kentucky, Lexington detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.