Lexington, Kentucky
Cost of living, housing, income, commute, climate, and safety — compiled for relocators researching Lexington.
Key figures
Each metric shows how Lexington compares with the U.S. baseline (ACS/BLS nationals where available; catalog-city averages for crime, climate, and commute). Income, housing, population, and crime are for the incorporated city (city limits), not the broader metro/MSA — unemployment is county-level (BLS LAUS).
- Population
- 321,122City limits · not metro/MSA
- Median household income
- $67,631Incorporated place (ACS)14% below U.S. avgU.S. $78,538
- Housing cost index
- 86ACS home+rent vs U.S. (100 = avg)14% below U.S. avgU.S. 100
- Median home value
- $272,100City limits (ACS)10% below U.S. avgU.S. $303,400
- Median rent
- $1,101City limits (ACS)18% below U.S. avgU.S. $1,348
- Unemployment
- 4.0%County LAUS · not city-onlyNear U.S. avg (4.2 pts)U.S. 4.2 pts
- Avg commute
- 20 min20% below U.S. avgU.S. 25 min
- Walk Score
- 3424% below U.S. avgU.S. 45
- Violent crime rate
- 296.6annualized per 100k · citywide51% below U.S. avgU.S. 602.7
- Property crime rate
- 2998.1annualized per 100k · citywideNear U.S. avg (3084.9)U.S. 3084.9
- Summer high
- 86°FNear U.S. avg (87°F)U.S. 87°F
- Winter low
- 28°F6.0°F below U.S. avgU.S. 34°F
- Annual rainfall
- 49.8 in51% above U.S. avgU.S. 32.9 in
- Sunny days
- 23113% below U.S. avgU.S. 266
Compare Lexington with another city
Lexington, Kentucky counts about 321,122 residents inside the city limits. Households here report a median income near $67,631; our housing-derived cost index is about 86 (below the national housing-cost baseline). A typical home near $272,100 and rents around $1,101 frame most shortlists.
Ohio River valleys and rolling horse-country hills create distinct micro-markets. Pack for 86°F summer peaks; winter mornings often settle near 28°F. Commutes average near 20 minutes one-way, with walkability near 34/100. BLS LAUS puts recent unemployment around 4.0% for the surrounding county. Violent-offense rates around 296.6 per 100k are moderate for a large U.S. city, with meaningful variation by neighborhood.
Lexington is compact enough that a single wrong neighborhood choice is easy to feel day to day — visit at commute hour before signing. Figures on this page are merged from Census ACS, BLS LAUS, FBI Crime Data Explorer, and NOAA Climate Normals — use them to compare Lexington with nearby alternatives before you relocate.
Nearby & similar cities
Continue researching with these internal links — each page is a full data profile.
Sources
- Census / ACS: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year (Lexington-Fayette urban county, 1600000US2146027)
- BLS: BLS LAUS LAUCN210670000000003 (Fayette County, May 2026)
- Crime: FBI CIUS Table 8 (2019) city offenses known to law enforcement — rates per 100k; CDE API unavailable at enrich time
- Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 Monthly Normals (USW00093820 LEXINGTON BLUEGRASS AP)
Last updated 2026-07-28