Did you know that the bigger the hat you wear to the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, the more money people think you have?
All joking aside, we’re here to tell you where the location of the richest places in Kentucky for 2024.
Many of the state’s wealthiest places are also Kentucky’s best. And like the rest of the country, the wealthy in Kentucky spare no expense. That’s why we looked at the median income and home prices for 107 Kentucky places with at least 3,000 residents to narrow down the most well-to-do places.
If you guessed that Bowling Green and Owensboro made the list, guess again. Many of Kentucky’s most affluent places are centered around the state’s eighth largest city, Florence. Are you at all surprised? We aren’t. Florence is super safe, and this key attribute is trickling down to Kentucky’s richest places.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Richest Places In Kentucky For 2024
You’ll need to make at least $90,760/year to keep up with the Joneses in these places.
What is the richest place in Kentucky? According to the latest data, Prospect is the richest place in Kentucky.
Want to know more? We suggest you grab a mint julep, a sunny spot at Churchill Downs, and read on to see where Kentucky “Richie Rich” lives. If you have a second, take a look at Kentucky’s poorest places. It will put this list in perspective.
Rich people not your cup of tea? Feel free to check out some more reading about Kentucky:
The 10 Richest Cities In Kentucky For 2024
1. Prospect
/10
2. Hurstbourne
/10
Population: 4,654
Median Income: $117,031
Median Home Values: $607,879
More on Hurstbourne: Data | Real Estate
3. Union
/10
Population: 7,369
Median Income: $131,047
Median Home Values: $399,302
More on Union: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
4. Crestwood
/10
Population: 6,175
Median Income: $110,147
Median Home Values: $424,893
More on Crestwood: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
5. Edgewood
/10
Population: 8,447
Median Income: $117,308
Median Home Values: $335,091
More on Edgewood: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
6. Villa Hills
/10
Population: 7,331
Median Income: $109,196
Median Home Values: $341,685
More on Villa Hills: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
7. Crestview Hills
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Population: 3,212
Median Income: $107,857
Median Home Values: $320,510
More on Crestview Hills: Data | Real Estate
8. Douglass Hills
/10
Population: 5,466
Median Income: $90,760
Median Home Values: $354,085
More on Douglass Hills: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
9. Fort Thomas
/10
Population: 17,310
Median Income: $95,391
Median Home Values: $316,890
More on Fort Thomas: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
10. Fort Wright
/10
Population: 5,841
Median Income: $105,075
Median Home Values: $306,662
More on Fort Wright: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Determined The Richest Places In Kentucky For 2024
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the richest places is simply identifying personal incomes. After all, rich people have really high salaries.
However, we don’t believe that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “richest places.” So we looked at this set of criteria from the newly released 2018-2022 American Community Survey and applied Saturday Night Science:
- Median Home Values
- Median Household Income
Median household income is the most digestible way to understand how rich a place is. And home values are a measure of wealth. The two combine to define a “Rich City.”
After we collected the data for all 107 places with more than 3,000 people in Kentucky, we ranked each place from 1 to 107 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the richest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Rich Score,” with the place having the lowest overall Rich Score, Prospect, crowned the “Richest City In Kentucky For 2024.”
The data has been updated for 2024. This is our tenth time ranking the wealthiest cities in Kentucky.
You can skip to the end to see the rankings for all 107 places.
Summary: The Wealthiest Places In Kentucky For 2024
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the richest places in Kentucky, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Kentucky.
The richest cities in Kentucky are Prospect, Hurstbourne, Union, Crestwood, Edgewood, Villa Hills, Crestview Hills, Douglass Hills, Fort Thomas, and Fort Wright.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very top of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the poorest cities in Kentucky, according to data:
Poorest: Williamsburg
2nd Poorest: Prestonsburg
3rd Poorest: Barbourville
For more Kentucky reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Kentucky
- Worst Places To Live In Kentucky
- Safest Places In Kentucky
Detailed List Of The Richest Cities In Kentucky
| Rank | City | RichScore | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prospect | 1.5 | $173,528 | $572,605 |
| 2 | Hurstbourne | 2.5 | $117,031 | $607,879 |
| 3 | Union | 3.0 | $131,047 | $399,302 |
| 4 | Crestwood | 4.0 | $110,147 | $424,893 |
| 5 | Edgewood | 6.5 | $117,308 | $335,091 |
| 6 | Villa Hills | 7.5 | $109,196 | $341,685 |
| 7 | Crestview Hills | 9.0 | $107,857 | $320,510 |
| 8 | Douglass Hills | 10.0 | $90,760 | $354,085 |
| 9 | Fort Thomas | 11.5 | $95,391 | $316,890 |
| 10 | Fort Wright | 12.5 | $105,075 | $306,662 |
| 11 | Middletown | 13.5 | $81,881 | $319,167 |
| 12 | Park Hills | 14.0 | $89,167 | $315,392 |
| 13 | St. Matthews | 14.0 | $78,928 | $342,929 |
| 14 | Fort Mitchell | 14.0 | $74,830 | $369,881 |
| 15 | Independence | 16.5 | $92,355 | $283,892 |
| 16 | Mount Washington | 16.5 | $91,185 | $286,136 |
| 17 | Alexandria | 16.5 | $100,938 | $279,406 |
| 18 | La Grange | 17.0 | $72,265 | $357,217 |
| 19 | Walton | 17.5 | $79,811 | $303,985 |
| 20 | Crescent Springs | 18.5 | $75,565 | $311,103 |
| 21 | Georgetown | 21.5 | $74,530 | $291,754 |
| 22 | Jeffersontown | 25.5 | $78,929 | $251,563 |
| 23 | Taylor Mill | 25.5 | $79,781 | $245,188 |
| 24 | Shelbyville | 26.0 | $74,433 | $271,621 |
| 25 | Cold Spring | 26.0 | $76,151 | $256,036 |
| 26 | Lexington | 27.0 | $66,087 | $289,233 |
| 27 | Lyndon | 29.5 | $63,806 | $281,572 |
| 28 | Vine Grove | 30.5 | $74,035 | $237,941 |
| 29 | Florence | 30.5 | $67,352 | $257,002 |
| 30 | Nicholasville | 32.5 | $61,832 | $277,506 |
| 31 | Versailles | 33.0 | $55,606 | $307,956 |
| 32 | Shepherdsville | 34.0 | $71,875 | $228,290 |
| 33 | Wilmore | 35.0 | $59,848 | $271,874 |
| 34 | Erlanger | 35.0 | $74,147 | $217,776 |
| 35 | Louisville | 37.5 | $63,114 | $231,566 |
| 36 | Russell | 38.0 | $80,750 | $186,744 |
| 37 | Bellevue | 40.5 | $66,741 | $215,115 |
| 38 | Lawrenceburg | 44.0 | $58,935 | $223,391 |
| 39 | Williamstown | 45.0 | $60,726 | $216,691 |
| 40 | Elsmere | 45.0 | $61,890 | $198,526 |
| 41 | Wilder | 45.0 | $66,250 | $190,965 |
| 42 | Elizabethtown | 45.5 | $54,493 | $230,510 |
| 43 | Franklin | 46.0 | $54,784 | $223,713 |
| 44 | Hillview | 46.0 | $63,578 | $196,339 |
| 45 | Crittenden | 48.0 | $52,217 | $235,003 |
| 46 | Bowling Green | 50.5 | $47,118 | $265,897 |
| 47 | Berea | 51.0 | $54,481 | $216,269 |
| 48 | Winchester | 52.5 | $50,982 | $224,257 |
| 49 | Bardstown | 53.5 | $47,654 | $232,877 |
| 50 | Frankfort | 53.5 | $53,905 | $209,529 |
| 51 | Radcliff | 54.0 | $54,558 | $191,577 |
| 52 | Ludlow | 54.5 | $59,089 | $184,106 |
| 53 | Stanford | 55.0 | $57,618 | $186,463 |
| 54 | Danville | 56.5 | $48,038 | $219,456 |
| 55 | Richmond | 56.5 | $45,457 | $259,818 |
| 56 | Dayton | 58.0 | $61,432 | $173,888 |
| 57 | Newport | 59.0 | $50,278 | $198,174 |
| 58 | Harrodsburg | 60.5 | $49,293 | $196,771 |
| 59 | Paris | 61.0 | $46,752 | $217,396 |
| 60 | Owensboro | 61.0 | $51,982 | $186,902 |
| 61 | Benton | 61.5 | $61,443 | $152,890 |
| 62 | Greenville | 61.5 | $68,984 | $131,494 |
| 63 | Covington | 62.5 | $53,770 | $181,857 |
| 64 | Southgate | 63.0 | $54,107 | $180,350 |
| 65 | Lancaster | 63.5 | $45,610 | $217,697 |
| 66 | Campbellsville | 65.5 | $53,254 | $178,765 |
| 67 | Morganfield | 66.5 | $57,619 | $146,453 |
| 68 | Mount Sterling | 68.5 | $47,408 | $184,088 |
| 69 | Hazard | 70.0 | $65,846 | $92,026 |
| 70 | Corbin | 70.5 | $52,929 | $155,672 |
| 71 | Madisonville | 71.0 | $54,234 | $143,015 |
| 72 | Flatwoods | 72.0 | $58,294 | $123,058 |
| 73 | Highland Heights | 74.0 | $44,910 | $186,185 |
| 74 | Cynthiana | 74.0 | $46,601 | $180,289 |
| 75 | Hodgenville | 75.0 | $37,022 | $197,500 |
| 76 | Henderson | 76.0 | $46,276 | $176,516 |
| 77 | Oak Grove | 76.0 | $40,740 | $187,947 |
| 78 | Russellville | 76.0 | $45,484 | $181,096 |
| 79 | Glasgow | 76.5 | $44,125 | $183,709 |
| 80 | Carrollton | 77.5 | $48,333 | $145,181 |
| 81 | Paducah | 77.5 | $46,984 | $163,883 |
| 82 | Lebanon | 79.0 | $37,500 | $185,248 |
| 83 | London | 79.5 | $45,858 | $166,838 |
| 84 | Beaver Dam | 79.5 | $48,991 | $135,306 |
| 85 | Central City | 81.5 | $52,184 | $109,487 |
| 86 | Shively | 82.0 | $45,953 | $148,818 |
| 87 | Hopkinsville | 82.0 | $43,577 | $170,550 |
| 88 | Leitchfield | 82.5 | $43,214 | $171,337 |
| 89 | Ashland | 83.5 | $51,250 | $104,334 |
| 90 | Somerset | 84.5 | $33,245 | $181,592 |
| 91 | Murray | 87.5 | $37,421 | $163,997 |
| 92 | Scottsville | 88.0 | $34,835 | $169,245 |
| 93 | West Liberty | 88.0 | $47,083 | $106,992 |
| 94 | Princeton | 88.5 | $46,317 | $115,834 |
| 95 | Monticello | 89.5 | $43,353 | $136,290 |
| 96 | Columbia | 90.0 | $45,163 | $130,093 |
| 97 | Maysville | 92.5 | $41,171 | $131,500 |
| 98 | Morehead | 92.5 | $32,020 | $150,504 |
| 99 | Mayfield | 92.5 | $42,589 | $130,153 |
| 100 | Stanton | 95.5 | $29,097 | $137,688 |