Living in Louisville, KY

If you are looking for a city that is warm with southern hospitality and rich with culture, Louisville, Kentucky is a great place to settle.

As Kentucky’s largest city, it was estimated to have a population of 766,757 as of the 2019 census.

In this guide, we will tell you more about what it is like to live in Louisville. We will go over cost of living, employment opportunities, education, transportation, and other important things to know.

Cost of Living in Louisville Kentucky

What is the Cost of Living in Louisville?

One of the best things about Louisville is the city’s overall affordability. For data to help us analyze cost of living, we will turn to Sperling’s Best Places.

Sperling’s uses a scale to rate cost of living where the US average is 100. Ratings above 100 are higher than average costs of living, while ratings below 100 are lower than average costs of living.

On that scale, the rating for Louisville is 88.4, making it less expensive to live in than the average location in the US.

The rating for Kentucky is 83.6, so that is a little bit lower than the rating for Louisville, but not too much lower. So, for a metropolitan area, Louisville is a very cost-effective place to live.

You are probably wondering about the breakdown of costs. The only category in which Louisville is more expensive than the nationwide average is transportation, which is still quite close (103.2).

Costs are lower than the nationwide average in Louisville for all other categories, including grocery expenses, healthcare costs, housing, utilities, and miscellaneous expenses.

In fact, the most dramatic savings are in the area of housing, as you will see below.

Getting Around in Louisville Kentucky

What are Housing Costs in Louisville?

On the same scale where the nationwide average is represented by 100, housing costs in Louisville are only 69.6.

In fact, the median home cost is only $160,800. You can contrast that with the median nationwide home cost of $231,200.

So, that is spectacular news if you are in the market for a house.

Employment Opportunities in Louisville Kentucky

Employment Opportunities in Louisville

Now you know about the low cost of living in Louisville, Kentucky. But what can you expect in terms of the local job market?

The US median income in 2019 was $65,712. The US Census reports a median household income in Louisville from 2015 through 2019 of $53,436, and a per capita income for the same time period of $30,943.

Although that is a lower income for Louisville than the US average, it is not unexpected given the reduced cost of living for this area.

Kentucky is also a state with a flat income tax rate of 5%. There are some states with lower income taxes, but there are also some with much higher income taxes (indeed, some states have tax brackets in excess of 9%).

The sales tax rate in Kentucky is 6.00%, which is fairly low.

So, between the low cost of living and moderate tax rates, you should be able to earn and save effectively living here.

Sperling’s also gives some projections on future job growth, stating that Louisville may see a 38.33% job growth rate in the future compared to 33.51% nationwide.

In which industries can you expect to find jobs in Louisville?

Shipping and cargo are big in Louisville, as are automobile manufacturing and bourbon whiskey distillation.

Top employers in Louisville, KY include UPS, Ford Motor Company, GE Appliances, Humana Inc., Norton Healthcare, UofL Health, Yum! Brands, Papa John’s International, Brown-Forman, Anthem, Kindred Healthcare, LG&E and KU Energy, and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville.

Education in Louisville Kentucky

Louisville Education

For elementary and secondary education, there are 246 schools in Louisville. These comprise 168 public schools and 78 private schools. Not surprisingly, given the prominent presence of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville, a lot of them are Catholic schools. View Louisville school ratings.

On average, the budget in Louisville is $12,392 per student, which is right around the nationwide average of $12,383.

Some of the local schools are very highly rated, for example Dupont Manual High School.

What about postsecondary education? Options include the University of Louisville, Bellarmine University, Spalding University, Louisville Bible College, Boyce College, Simmons College of Kentucky, Spencerian College, Strayer University, Sullivan University, Jefferson Community and Technical College, and Sullivan College of Technology and Design. Indiana University Southeast.

Getting Around in Louisville Kentucky

Getting Around Louisville

As you might expect given its prominent role in the shipping industry, a number of beltways pass through the city. It also is home to the Louisville International Airport. The Norfolk Southern and CSX freight railroads run through Louisville, along with the Paducah and Louisville Railway and the Louisville and Indiana Railroad (both regional).

Ironically, however, the Kentucky Cardinal passenger rail was discontinued, and no other passenger rail service replaced it.

There is also no light rail system for commuters. There used to be a set of motorized trolleys, but those went away in 2014.

But this is not to say that Louisville is lacking in public transportation options. LouLift zero-emission buses can get commuters to select locations downtown, and there are also regular city buses operated by the Transit Authority of River City (TARC). These buses can not only get you around Louisville itself, but also to other parts of Jefferson County and beyond.

Walking is another great way to get around Louisville. In fact, “Walk Score”: https://www.walkscore.com/cities-and-neighborhoods/ listed Louisville in 2016 among the most walkable cities with populations above 200,000.

Sperling’s commute stats are a little out of date with many more people working from home than in pre-pandemic times, but when they were last updated, they said that 3% used mass transit to get to work, 3.8% worked from home, 8.9% carpooled, and 80.4% drove to work by themselves.

The average time listed for a one-way commute in Louisville was 22.4 minutes. As the US average is 26.4 minutes, that is significantly shorter. So, if you do need to commute to work rather than work from home, that is excellent news.

Weather Condition in Louisville Kentucky

How is the Weather in Louisville?

Something else that makes Louisville an attractive place to live is its climate. Sperling’s climate index scores locations on a scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is the most comfortable climate possible. On that scale, the US average is a 7, and Louisville gets a 7.3.

Thus, the climate in Louisville is more comfortable than the average climate nationwide.

During the summer, temperatures range up to about 88 degrees Fahrenheit. During the winter, they drop down to around 26 degrees Fahrenheit.

Louisville gets around 46 inches of rain each year and about 9 inches of snow.

So, for those that are looking for four distinct seasons, this is a very nice place to live. View our local weather.

Leisure and Entertainment in Louisville Kentucky

Leisure and Entertainment in Louisville

You may be wondering what you can do during your time off while you are living in Louisville. What kind of leisure and entertainment opportunities await you?

Louisville is particularly famous for its sports. The Kentucky Derby takes place here at Churchill Downs. While there are no major league sports teams here, there are a number of professional, semi-professional, and college teams that are popular.

This city also hosts a number of important events every year. Examples include the Derby Festival, the Humana Festival, Abbey Road on the River, the Forecastle Festival, and others. There are quite a few popular indie bands that hail from Louisville as well.

If you are looking for museums and other attractions, you can visit the Frazier History Museum, the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, the Kentucky Science Center, the Speed Art Museum, and more.

Those who prefer outdoor parks will be glad to know there are 122 of them in the city, providing more than 13,000 acres of land to enjoy. Prominent parks include the Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area and the Jefferson Memorial Forest.

For more to do, check out our Arts & Events Calendar.

So, whatever you are into, you will find it in Louisville!

See What Our Clients Are Saying About Us!

Jeff H.
Jeff H.
12:09 08 Jun 23
Tara King is a true ROCK STAR! She helps my team and I with whatever it is we throw and her. Her knowledge of the industry, due diligence and attention to detail help make her so good at all she does for her clients! Thank you Tara:)
Sylvie A.
Sylvie A.
14:29 07 Jun 23
American Mortgage Solutions is amazing. They always answer the phone and do a great job of explaining everything in a way that makes it easy to understand. For anyone looking for a mortgage, I highly recommend AMS.
Michelle F.
Michelle F.
15:40 19 Apr 23
Tara did amazing job helping me and my buyers close on their new home. It wasn't an easy situation with the buyers, but Tara put in the extra work and went the extra mile to get them approved and closed on time. She was responsive, receptive and so easy (and fun) to work with! I look forward to working with her more in the future.
Sarah J.
Sarah J.
18:25 17 Apr 23
Tara King was amazing! She and her team were able to pick up a contract 2 weeks in, deal with unusual circumstance, and get it closed... early to boot! Amazing job. 👏Thank you Tara🧡-Sarah Johnson, REALTOR
Gary D.
Gary D.
18:04 17 Apr 23
Huge thanks to Tara King for working her magic to get me into my new home!! Her and her team worked like champs to get me to closing in lightning speed!!! So grateful!!
Justin
Justin
17:26 13 Apr 23
Carli S.
Carli S.
18:47 28 Nov 22
Kris was wonderful! She went above and beyond for us. we couldn't be more thankful
Scott C.
Scott C.
14:56 28 Nov 22
American Mortgage was extremely helpful and and got me taken care of immediately. They are the best!
Naomy S.
Naomy S.
17:59 23 Nov 22
Travis Egan was great! I was a first time home buyer and he explained everything in great detail and answered any questions I had. I definitely recommend AMS!
Gary M.
Gary M.
17:13 23 Nov 22
Travis and American Mortgage Solutions financed the purchase of my daughter's home in KY. The process was smooth and all communications were very timely. It went so well that I had them do a re-finance on my home in FL.
adam M.
adam M.
17:21 08 Nov 22
We have used them multiple times and Brady and his team have always be n the best. We wouldn’t go anywhere else!
Wendy T.
Wendy T.
18:12 30 Aug 22
Travis Egan with American Mortgage Solutions made the home buying process extremely easy. Any questions I had, he was right there to answer them in a way that made complete sense. I would recommend Travis and his team 100 times over.
Sandra M.
Sandra M.
21:31 11 Aug 22
Travis, and everyone involved with the loan process, has been very responsive and supportive. I can recommend American Mortgage Solutions unconditionally. This company exceeded my expectations.
Miguel B.
Miguel B.
17:14 14 Jul 22
I have to say, I've been working with Jennifer Meinecke and she is absolutely amazing! Very Professional, knowledgeable and helpful. I just want to tell Hern thank you so much for all you do! I will continue working with you!
Ashley V.
Ashley V.
23:21 01 Jul 22
We had a great experience with this company! Kerie is amazing and was so helpful throughout the whole process. Buying a home is an overwhelming experience, especially as a first time home buyer, but they made the experience so seamless! Would definitely recommend!
Railey C.
Railey C.
21:43 22 Jun 22
Kris is not only very professional during the entire process, she also made it easy and stress free for us! She was so helpful, and her attitude is always positive and upbeat! I would recommend this company looking to purchase a home! Whenever something needed done, Kris was two steps ahead tackling it!
Mike H.
Mike H.
19:58 12 Jun 22
American Mortgage Solutions was everything you would want for the process - responsive and timely with communication, technically strong with great advice in finding the structure that worked best for us, and accurate/reliable in executing the full process.A very positive experience.
Mikayla M.
Mikayla M.
15:27 07 Jun 22
I worked with Kris Raines during my homebuying experience and she was amazing to say the least! She took so much stress off of the whole process and really made it as easy as possible. She was very responsive very kind and very informative. I highly recommend working with her as she will make the process as smooth as possible for you. I felt she took very good care of me as a client she kept me informed of where we were at in the process as well as prioritized any questions I had and got back to me very quickly. I have three kids two dogs and was moving cross country from Washington to Florida so a lot going on. Kris took so much weight off of moving from me. I can’t thank her enough which is why writing this review because it’s the least I could do. If you are in the process of buying a home or looking to buy a home please get in contact with her because you will have an amazing experience!
Steven H
Steven H
16:01 26 May 22
Jeremy F.
Jeremy F.
18:07 24 May 22
American Mortgage Solutions has the best customer service. They make the mortgage loan process easy and comfortable. Five Stars!
candace S.
candace S.
16:45 13 Apr 22
Very helpful and detailed on everything!! Super friendly
cindy C.
cindy C.
19:15 12 Apr 22
Easiest process I have every been through-Thank you
Janet B.
Janet B.
21:09 11 Apr 22
We have had 3 contracts , first one fell through because it did not pass inspection, 2nd one was new construction that fell way behind and the 3rd one was our perfect home. Travis was there through all the ups and downs. He was always available to answer any questions we had.Danielle was our loan processor, she walked us through all the things we needed to get together. She would communicate with us and answer any questions we had.I would recommend Travis and Danielle to anyone, family and friends. This was by far the best experience in buying property that we have had in the last 30 years.Professional and friendly, the best.
Joanna E.
Joanna E.
15:17 07 Apr 22
Every bank told me they couldn’t help me refinance because I hardly had any credit score due to not using credit cards but this business got me approved immediately and now my credit score is well over 700. I highly recommend!
Barbara D.
Barbara D.
13:21 07 Apr 22
James L.
James L.
18:14 25 Mar 22
Travis was very professional and courteous.
Kylie N.
Kylie N.
22:34 24 Mar 22
I loved working with Jennifer Meinecke! She was so helpful, friendly and knowledgeable! I highly recommend working with her and this company!
Virginia B.
Virginia B.
00:13 24 Mar 22
Can I share with you what a great company this is!!! Jennifer Meinecke is so sweet and hands down the one I would recommend. She actually cares about you and your needs which is phenomenal!!! It’s hard to find an honest person to really put your trust in, but I will be definitely using her knowledge and help again and refer EVERYONE I know to her!! Thank you for being so awesome at what you do, it shows!!
D W.
D W.
14:27 23 Mar 22
Jennifer Meinecke helped our daughter and son-in-law purchase their home. She was very friendly and diligent. She was helpful to make sure any issue was resolved quickly.
Jonathan C.
Jonathan C.
15:22 22 Mar 22
Helped me with my first mortgage. Easy to work with.
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Move Into Your Louisville Dream Home

Now you can envision what it would be like to live and work in Louisville, Kentucky. Ready to apply for a mortgage and move to a beautiful, affordable home in this community? To schedule your consultation, please give us a call at (502) 327-9770.

We also have offices in Cape Coral, Florida. You can reach us there at (239) 766-8344. Along with Kentucky and Florida, we serve customers in the states of Indiana, Tennessee and Colorado as well