There is nothing like Kentucky.
Songs, movies and pop culture in general have talked about Kentucky forever now. It’s got a lot of history, beauty, culture and some of the gosh darn friendliest sports fanatics in the country. If you grew up there, you’ll most likely never leave.
But is it all good in the Bluegrass State? Of course not. Just like every other state, Kentucky has its least desirable spots. The purpose of this post is to use science and data to determine which cities are the worst you could possibly live in if you make Kentucky your home .
After analyzing 77 of the state’s most populous cities (over 5,200 people), we came up with this list as the 10 worst places to live in Kentucky:
The 10 Worst Places To Live In Kentucky For 2023
Where are these places, you wonder? And before you get all riled up and say we’re picking on small towns in Kentucky, that’s not the case.
We understand there’s a lot of good in every place. For example, the best place to live in Kentucky is Edgewood.
However, according to data (which doesn’t measure things like beauty and ‘friendly people’), the state has far better options for making a place home. And the worst place to live in Kentucky? The worst place to live in Kentucky is Oak Grove.
Read below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your city fared in 2023.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
For more Kentucky reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Kentucky
- Cheapest Places To Live In Kentucky
- Most Dangerous Cities In Kentucky
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Worst Places To Live In Kentucky For 2023
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Located along the Tennessee border in the southwest part of the state, Oak Grove went through a growth spurt in the 1990s. Over the course of the decade, the town’s population jumped nearly 150%. The number of residents sits at just 7,699, but that’s still an enormous jump.
The nearby army base, Fort Campbell, gives Oak Grove an economic boost. Unfortunately, that benefit only goes so far. The unemployment rate still sits at 14.6%, while about 1 out of 5 locals struggles below the poverty line.
The town has other problems as well. Housing and schools are poor. Meanwhile, the crime rate is about 80% above the national average.
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Poverty plagues this small town in the south-central part of the state. In fact, 30.6% of Somerset’s 11,696 residents suffers below the poverty line. This comes as a result of a 10.8% unemployment rate and a $30,107 median income.
These financial troubles feed into other aspects of life. For example, housing and education fall below expectations as well.
Things aren’t completely grim in Somerset. There are some charms to the town’s rural location. Situated near the Daniel Boone National Forest, locals get plenty of access to outdoor recreation.
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Glasgow is named after the famous city in Scotland. As a result, the area hosts the annual Scottish Highland Games. There, you can watch events like the Caber Toss, Hammer Throw, and Tug of War. Maybe, if you’re lucky, you can even taste a little haggis.
Clearly, the people of Glasgow are tough…capable, if necessary, of throwing a 19-foot pole with their bare hands. Unfortunately, life in town calls for a different kind of strength. High unemployment and low wages leave more than a quarter of the population below the poverty line. At the same time, the crime rate runs nearly 30% above the national average.
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We’ve already listed Mayfield on this list. Well, now Maysville shows up as well. May must be a tough month in Kentucky.
For Maysville, the problem is simple: not enough good-paying jobs. The town’s median income reaches just $40,212, leading to a local poverty rate of 21.9%. Meanwhile, the crime rate stands more than 25% above the national average and the school system tops out at just a 5/10 on Great Schools.
Built across the river from the state of Ohio, Maysville has a close connection with its history. Before the Civil War, the Ohio River once marked the boundary between freedom and slavery. Maysville remembers this fact with both the Harriet Beecher Stowe Museum and the National Underground Railroad Museum.
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You know you’re in trouble when your hometown is best known for its cemetery. Mayfield features the so-called Wooldridge Monuments, life-sized statues of a family seemingly marching at the grave of a 19th century local named Henry G. Wooldridge.
So the dead have a good thing going in Mayfield. What about the living? Well, for them, things in town are not as good.
More than a third of residents live below the poverty line. This comes with a 9.1% unemployment rate and a $37,212 median income. The town also has questionable schools and a troubling crime problem, with a crime rate nearly double the national average.
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Located in the southwestern part of the state, Russellville stands in largely rural section of Kentucky. There are some local manufacturing businesses, but not enough to provide jobs for the town’s 7,068 residents.
As a result, locals struggle with a lack of jobs. The unemployment rate has soared to 10.0%, leaving nearly 25% of the town below the poverty line. Without a strong tax base, other services suffer. The crime rate tops the national average and local schools can only score a 4/10 on Great Schools.
At least the area remains affordable. The cost of living is about 20% below the U.S. standard, with a median home value of $98,900.
Methodology: How we determined the worst places to live in Kentucky for 2023
To figure out the worst places to live in Kentucky, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what cities have the least amount of those things.
We don’t think it’s a stretch to assume that people like the following things:
- Good education
- Lots of jobs
- Low crime
- Low poverty
- Nice homes
- High incomes
- High population density (Lots of things to do)
- Short work commutes
- Health insurance
The data comes from the Census’s most recent American Community Survey and the FBI Uniform Crime Report.
We broke crime down into violent crime and property crime to give violent crime a more significant weight. If you did a simple calculation of all crimes per capita, property crimes are typically 7x more common and bias that ranking.
Furthermore, only cities with at least 5,000 people were considered — leaving 77 cities.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 77 for all the criteria, with a #1 ranking being the worst for the particular criteria.
Next, we averaged the rankings into one “Worst Place To Live Score.”
Finally, we ranked every city on the “Worst Place To Live Score,” with the lowest score being the worst city in Kentucky — Oak Grove. Read on for a detailed look at the ten worst cities in Kentucky.
Summary: Wrapping Up The Worst In Kentucky
If you’re looking at areas in Kentucky with the worst economic situations, where there’s higher than average crime and little to do, this is an accurate list.
And in the end, Oak Grove ranks as the worst city to live in Kentucky for 2023.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best cities to live in Kentucky:
- Fort Thomas (Pop. 17,241)
- Bellevue (Pop. 5,578)
- Edgewood (Pop. 8,427)
For more Kentucky reading, check out:
Worst Places To Live In Kentucky?
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oak Grove | 7,699 |
| 2 | Somerset | 11,696 |
| 3 | Glasgow | 14,922 |
| 4 | Hopkinsville | 30,771 |
| 5 | Maysville | 8,851 |
| 6 | Princeton | 6,206 |
| 7 | Mayfield | 10,041 |
| 8 | Bowling Green | 71,422 |
| 9 | Franklin | 9,885 |
| 10 | Russellville | 7,068 |
| 11 | Monticello | 5,782 |
| 12 | Radcliff | 22,839 |
| 13 | Williamsburg | 5,272 |
| 14 | Covington | 40,930 |
| 15 | Newport | 14,378 |
| 16 | Richmond | 34,662 |
| 17 | Shively | 15,638 |
| 18 | Ashland | 21,695 |
| 19 | Leitchfield | 6,427 |
| 20 | Corbin | 8,397 |
| 21 | Morehead | 6,994 |
| 22 | Pikeville | 7,376 |
| 23 | Paducah | 26,248 |
| 24 | Walton | 5,333 |
| 25 | Bardstown | 13,425 |
| 26 | Berea | 15,465 |
| 27 | Winchester | 18,993 |
| 28 | Shelbyville | 16,932 |
| 29 | London | 7,492 |
| 30 | Hillview | 8,638 |
| 31 | Hazard | 5,236 |
| 32 | Florence | 31,699 |
| 33 | Lebanon | 6,165 |
| 34 | Frankfort | 28,479 |
| 35 | Campbellsville | 11,345 |
| 36 | Henderson | 28,201 |
| 37 | Middlesborough | 9,493 |
| 38 | Nicholasville | 31,066 |
| 39 | Crestwood | 6,046 |
| 40 | Madisonville | 19,533 |
| 41 | Danville | 17,164 |
| 42 | Owensboro | 59,839 |
| 43 | Harrodsburg | 8,952 |
| 44 | Murray | 17,241 |
| 45 | Paris | 10,202 |
| 46 | Cynthiana | 6,291 |
| 47 | Elizabethtown | 31,066 |
| 48 | Shepherdsville | 13,918 |
| 49 | Mount Sterling | 7,517 |
| 50 | Lyndon | 11,033 |
| 51 | La Grange | 9,901 |
| 52 | Vine Grove | 6,397 |
| 53 | Versailles | 10,196 |
| 54 | Douglass Hills | 5,480 |
| 55 | Jeffersontown | 28,800 |
| 56 | Lawrenceburg | 11,675 |
| 57 | Georgetown | 36,281 |
| 58 | Flatwoods | 7,314 |
| 59 | Elsmere | 9,080 |
| 60 | St. Matthews | 17,588 |
| 61 | Middletown | 9,473 |
| 62 | Union | 7,227 |
| 63 | Dayton | 5,641 |
| 64 | Independence | 28,256 |
| 65 | Alexandria | 10,125 |
| 66 | Mount Washington | 17,723 |
| 67 | Erlanger | 19,506 |
| 68 | Highland Heights | 6,896 |
| 69 | Taylor Mill | 6,834 |
| 70 | Wilmore | 6,025 |
| 71 | Villa Hills | 7,331 |
| 72 | Cold Spring | 6,208 |
| 73 | Fort Mitchell | 8,618 |
| 74 | Fort Wright | 5,845 |
| 75 | Fort Thomas | 17,241 |
| 76 | Bellevue | 5,578 |
| 77 | Edgewood | 8,427 |
Your study don’t not consider the lovely people in Monticello. The drugs are terrible , but the people are great.
This is so wrong, you should visit these small towns before you publish anything. Talk with the folks that live in the towns and then write these opinion articles
#1 Worst Place on the Internet – right here, right now.
I live in barbourville great place friendly people low crime it is very safe and a lot of new business have opened here
I’ve lived around barbourville for many years, it could be a great town if you could get rid of the greedy crooked people running the town and the law enforcement.
It’s sad when you can sit and watch drug deals go down in front of the cops and ask them , aren’t you going to do anything? And there reply is, are hands are tied….
Please excuse my language BUT that’s up, ESPECIALLY being done right in front of the cops. It’s gotten to be a HUGE shame how out if control it’s gotten everywhere with drugs. I know in Bourbon County it’s extremely bad, BUT yes they are trying BUT to me not hard enough. I know a several years ago they(state police & other agency) came in to do a drug bust BUT this time they DID NOT tell Paris police they were coming. And when they came in they came in HARD & HUGE, I remember that day all to well. There was this big panel truck that stopped in the middle of the street and they raised up the back door and ALL kinds of men got out that was wearing camouflage and carrying assault guns and was walking the streets and they had “THE HOOD” locked down and were stopping EVERY vehicle in and out and checking EVERYBODY ID and if the same vehicle came in or out 2 TIMES they made the vehicle park and the people had to walk, yes they were checking EVERY SINGLE PERSON’S ID and FINALLY they were able to arrest ONE of the biggest drug dealers in Bourbon County and the only reason they got him is because they DID NOT tell Paris police they were coming because EVERY time Paris police knew they were coming this one drug dealer they been after for a long time kept getting away. There was even helicopters to so yea they got him BUT do they actually think that stopped him, HELL NO he has his little people doing his dirty work. And I know for a fact because this next thing came from a reliable source but this one cop walked up to this girl one night and said “YEA YOU BEEN SMOKING CRACK, BUT WE AIN’T WORRIED ABOUT THAT” and then one time here recently Paris police along with State Police were gonna be doing a drug bust BUT A CERTAIN POLICE OFFICER told SOMEBODY who lives in an area “HEY YOU MIGHT WANT TO LET YOUR BOY KNOW WE GETTING READY TO COME IN ON 6th street and SHUT IT DOWN” now OK what the hell is wrong with that issue. Hmm let’s see “CROOKED POLICE OFFICERS” maybe I don’t know BUT it don’t sound right. BUT of course you got plenty of “RATS” here. All I know is PARIS POLICE DEPARTMENT needs to BE DOING MORE TO SHUT THIS DOWN, that includes ALL THE RATS to.
BUT I’M SURE AIN’T NOTHING GOING TO CHANGE AROUND HERE. But it’s a shame IT’S NOT SAFE AT ALL TO RAISE CHILDREN.!!! Now is the whole town BAD? NO the whole town is not the BAD, but we most definitely have way more than our share. I believe it goes to the police department because to me they are NOT trying hard enough. But overall BOURBON COUNTY/PARIS is NOT a bad place to live, it’s just the drug problem, BUT that’s everywhere. Plus I tell how pitiful Paris Police are:::INFORMATION WAS GIVEN TO THEM ABOUT DRUGS BEING SOLD AND DONE AT A CERTAIN ADDRESS BUT DID THEY DO ANYTHING?? HELL NO THEY DIDN’T…
Leitchfield is my home town, it’s an amazing place to raise your kids. And “crime is 1 in 26” ?? That’s not bad at all compared to places like Louisville, where there are endless amounts of traffic, drugs, crime, poverty, and underfunded schools. You’re a close-minded simpleton.
With high drug rates ,no one can get a job,if any is available do to not passing a drug test. Low pay at most job, I myself haven’t had a raise in 8 years, only 4 people at work has. If your not kin your not in there. I average 21,000 a year, and I’m on the high end of the pay scale there in Russell Spring. The on man there that he own the town, and keeps it at bay, keeping other business out. Only his is top. He even bought the drug testing company to pass only worker for him.
Cadiz/Trigg county is the same thing you just described. Their are 3 prominent business owners that get decide who or what kind of business can move into county/town limiting both jobs and growth. I love the part about if you ain’t kin you ain’t in that’s Cadiz to a tee that’s the only way you get one of the better jobs in Cadiz. Wide spread opioids(painkillers) problem
Maybe you should have titles your article “Hardest Economic Hits in Kentucky” or “Poverty Stricken Places”. I’ve lived in Barbourville my entire life, and frankly I couldn’t imagine a better place to live. Sure there are druggies and people without jobs, but everyone helps everyone as best they can. It’s small enough that we can help people in need. Also, I’d just like to point out that money doesn’t rule everything. People who live here and enjoy it tend to see a brighter side to life even if they arent rolling around in a big pile of money. There is more to life than that. A beautiful view everywhere you go, and a tight-knit community. What more could you want?
As a resident fleming county i do souley agree that flemingsburg is most deffinately the worst town to live in there is absolutely nothingin th8s town to offer no movie theaters no walmat absolutely nothing to ofder our youth we have 1 mcdonalds 1 dairy queen pizza hut this town really does suck if it wasnt for family i would stay in this hell hold county
Before you write a little nonsensical article like this, maybe you should do a little more homework. Mayfield is not in the middle of no where. It actually has two major interstates running through or close to the city: I-24 and I-69. Tyson and Remington are a few of the factories. An industrial park has recently received an offer for another business to build. The high school was rated #1 in testing for several years. The football team of the city is the current champion and has been for the past four year. The county school is also a top notch district. I just moved here and my home home was over $150, 000.Sure, there is petty crime and drugs just like everywhere else. I like this little town and really do not appreciate your skewing of census numbers from five years ago. Why don’t you do something positive with your life and write good news stories? We are a little short on writers with good purposes these days.
Very well said. I can’t wait to see what Mayor Cantrell does when she catches wind of this. Mayfield is on the rise. Yes, it may never catch Paducah with its waterways and established businesses, or Murray, with the university, but it is one of the friendliest and closest knit communities, not only in the state, but in the country I’d say.
It seems to me that you expect people to think that you are the “Know all and end all” in judgments on cities and locations for people to live. However you are completely wrong, because in America we have the right to live where we please and we do not need other people putting our towns down. So instead of putting someone or their city down, then I would suggest you try and help people.
You all forgot Stamping Ground..
Having grown up in Monticello KY and have parents that still live there I think that I know a little more about it than you (you’ve probably never even been there would be my guess) it’s a nice town there’s not a lot there but it is a great place. You’re a jerk in my opinion to talk smack about places you have no idea about. Drugs are in every town now unfortunately and they always bring a degree of crime with them but overall Monticello is above average as small towns go.
I am so sorry Virginia to be coming at you with this, but your take on Monticello, Ky is dead wrong. This article was nice considering what I would write about the town. It is the absolute worst place on earth to live, sorry. There is absolutely nothing there to do, no places to go…unless you are a full time church person or unless you live on a houseboat on lake cumberland, then there is not one thing to do and there are no jobs that pay any amount of money, unless you want to raise and kill chickens for a job. folks, Monticello is the worst!!!!!!!!!! The people talk about you behind your back, there are so many bullies in this town, it is absolutely pathetic. Closed minded, conservative, and ignorantly stupid are most all of the residents. These are the types of people that continue to vote Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul in as Senators and let’s not forget about the stupid ass Republican Governor they have. People in Kentucky still curious why the state is so poor, well it is because the rich take all the money from the poor and they continue to perpetuate this ignorance by keeping them stupid to where they don’t even realize what they have done to allow this state to be so freaking backward and uneducated. Its a really sad town and really sad place to live. I know, I lived there for 18 years until I got smart, and left it and have not looked back since.
Pretty sure the worst place to live in Kentucky is Olive Hill.
Monticello is by far the worst place to live the cops and judges ,Cps ,lawyers are cricked as a stick and if u use or sell drugs hey no worries there they are all for that here youil get off with a slap on wrist and ofcruse give them there share oh and the roads here messed up no railes so hold on if u go off a bluff there’s a lot of things messed up in this god awful place so it’s true about Wayne co that’s no joke well it is a big joke who am I kidding.
I was born & raised in Leitchfield & I think this is right now but you forgot to mention how bad the drug problem is there. It use to be a great town but over there years it just keeps getting worse. I come home to visit about once a year but am glad I moved.
Shit I use to live in Covington KY and Newport KY ware my little girl was brutally raped at the age of 12 talk about hell holes hmm might wanna redo ur list her and safe city’s
Nonsense. You can live almost anywhere and have a good experience. It highly depends on your way of life. If you’re just someone who moves into a city or county, sends your kids to public schools, and bar hops on weekends. You’re looking for trouble no matter where you go. I grew up in Georgetown and Cynthiana. In Cyn you’re not likely to have any problems unless you live in town. Its a shithole unless you live in the country. Georgetown has gotten infested with blacks over the years. And they are a major cause of declining property values and crime (as always). And like always, live in the country and you have no problems. Although I dare you to send your kids to public middle and high school. There are so many blacks there and they cause alot of riots. Believe me. DONT. Homeschool your children. The cumberland region is full of uneducated idiots and drugs. You would be amazed at the way adults talk and spell. Seriously. The schools in that region might as well be held in treehouses. They don’t learn anything at all there. Ky is at the bottom period.
I moved to Georgetown from a real sh!thole in Southeastern Kentucky where hepatitis, severe depression, meth addiction, brown faucet water, food stamp dependency, and having at least five offspring with five different partners are all much more common than college degrees, marriages that last more than three years, and roofs that don’t leak. Georgetown is awesome! It’s one of those places that if you live in it and don’t have a job, it’s because you don’t want one. Everyone I work with and live around is well-educated from highly respected colleges, including the African Americans and the Asian Americans. I have never heard of a riot caused by black people in Kentucky. Were you hallucinating when you typed that? And for the record, most of the people who live in my neighborhood are from northern states, and they chose to live and work in Georgetown because they love it so much, as do I… I will try to ignore the racist bullsh!t in your comment and address the fact that you are actually one hundred percent correct about the Cumberland region, which I had the awful misfortune of having to spend four months in back in 2012. I will leave it at that.
This is the biggest load of crap ever. Not everyone wants to live in a huge city. Not everyone wants their job to be right next to where they live. Not everyone cares about having vast amounts of things to do at night. I chose this way of life. What does it matter if my house is not worth as much as in a large city when I can buy another house for the same value? Leitchfield is the BEST place to live in Kentucky.
I don’t know any sane people who wants to drive for an hour to get to work or school… I moved to Georgetown, Kentucky from an impoverished, uneducated, illness-infested sh!+hole in Southeastern Kentucky that could be rightfully compared to a third world country in many ways, and I never looked back.
I Live in Owensboro and it is one of the most fd yo cities it’s also one of the biggest cities in ky mfs stay getting.l robbed shot raped stabbed etc.. those small towns u listed are candy lands compared to Louisville or Owensboro or Lexington Paducah bowlinggreen hopkinsville Madisonville Henderson
@Wassup
Wanna try rewriting what you wrote? Makes no damn sense at all….GREAT SPELLER1
I think a new city should be added to the worst cities in Kentucky. That city is Lexington. Since I have moved here the number of shootings/death by shootings have increased. There was even a drive by shooting at the Fayette Mall. Shootings have almost become a daily reporting.
Recently, the Fayette School Board (four people) voted in a $13.5 million dollar property tax increase which equates to a five percent increase. They came up with a ten point safety program for the schools. I have no problem with that but, a budget review wasn’t reported as being done first to see how this could be funded within the existing budget. A good part of this program is to hire more personnel, so this isn’t a one time cost. Each year this “safety program” will add to the property tax bill. But it gets worse, this same board can vote in by the end of the year another four percent property tax increase for a total of nine percent in one year, which is added to the past two years tax increase. In Kentucky, schools get funded through property tax increases plus there are taxes added on your utility bills.
If you decide to still move here your children will go to beautifully built schools but, for some reason, even with all this money, not every child is successful.
I went door to door to try to get a petition signed so everyone could vote on this 5 percent tax increase. The level of poverty I saw in these homes was so disheartening. I wondered if the school superintendent or the board ever go out and look at what their burdensome taxes are doing to low income/fixed income citizens. Whether he and his school board know how people are living or not they are the worst kind of “public servants”; uncaring of what their actions do to citizens.
One other never ending tax in Kentucky is your motor vehicle. As long as you own that vehicle you pay a yearly tax. So please think twice about moving to Lexington, KY.
Lexington is growing by the day, both in population and businesses / jobs. The great exodus of Eastern Kentucky is keeping that trend alive and well. People fleeing from Eastern Kentucky in droves while seeking better jobs, better healthcare, and an overall better quality of life, but wanting to stay in their home state, is one of the biggest reasons for Lexington’s continuing population growth.
WOW! The spelling is atrocious!!!! Every review I have read, I could barely understand what they were saying!!!! Geez, I hope I am not moving to an inbred State/City!!!! I hope that Murray Kentucky is not like these other cities mentioned here!! I am moving to the out skirts of Murray, not in town. But if I can’t carry a conversation with anyone because they can not speak properly, that is gonna be an issue!!!
Well I think they have really wanted people to believe that these towns are bad well I am from Hazard Kentucky and I think that I can walk down the streets of town and not see drive by shootings and actually be safe and also I went to live in Lexington KY and I seen two drive bys and people stabbing people actually in a public resturaunt a man stabbed his Girlfriend almost killed the poor women and the two drive by shootings where the two men did not live and I believe that Lexington KY is the drug capital of drugs and here in Hazard people don’t fall over dead on streets well we have had three fall over in the street but that’s in the past year . But I can tell you this that Hazard has the most upmost respect when walking into a place of business and being served with respect. I walked into a Marathon constecutive store and only wanted to buy something to drink . So as I payed for my flavoured bottle of water the employee asked me did I want any food , free on the house . I said No thank you and he insisted so I took the plate of food with Rice and Vegetables and Walked outside took two bites of the ontray and noticed it had sticks in it and I instantly throwed it away rinsed my mouth out with my water walked back into the store the next Day and asked them why they gave me a plate of food with sticks in it and they said it was a delicacy from my Hometown . Because I am from Hazard Kentucky and this is what is spoke about our towns . So it makes me think , this is why I got treated they way I got treated as of the before the employee had asked me where I was from . So I was placed as Trash from the city I come from or just being born and raised from a town that is so horrible. So I would like if the Census people would not post about my town or any other town I would love to sue your company for my being targeted as a lonely , mean , Drug addicted, poor, piece of Trash sterotyped kind of person so thanks for your article and making me a Victim . The only thing that is bad about my hometown is that there isn’t enough jobs to idolize everyone’s free hands . So people become bored and boredom makes drug addicts . So be useful in taking Hazard KY off any list and help promote jobs in these cities if you think there so horrible . But actually to many jobs create Murder , drive by shootings, and help fund on going drug deals so less jobs create a more peaceful town without Rude and self serving people as the ones I have met in Lexington KY so Lexington KY is on the top of my list as being one of the worst places to live . You need to get your facts right . An do more research. Do your job properly instead of writing things that are not True Facts.
I was born and raised in Hazard, Kentucky. Every negative thing written about it in that article is a true fact. There are so many more negative things about Hazard, Kentucky that could be added to it though. It’s one of the worst places that I have ever been to in this country, and one of the main reasons that it isn’t getting any better is because so many people there get more upset about people pointing out the problems there than they do about the problems themselves, even when half of their family, including their own offspring, overdoses. They would rather turn their heads to the problems and let the place keep slipping farther into hell than admit how bad that it is and try to fix those problems. As for Lexington, Kentucky, I have lived here for 12 years now (since I was 19 years old), and no one here has ever had a problem with me. It seems like around 40% of Lexington, Kentucky’s population is now from Southeastern Kentucky because of how many people have been fleeing that region for the last 25 years. They have been coming here and keep coming here for better work, better education, better healthcare, ect. They, like myself, have made a much better life for themselves here and have never looked back at Southeastern Kentucky.
Amen! Your comment was so spot on, I want to applaud you, Mrs. Thompson! I’m also from Hazard originally. It’s so amazing how so many people have come to Lexington from Eastern Kentucky, embraced this city as our home, added something to its culture and diversity, been given so much from it in return, and made a great life for ourselves and our families in the process. I would have left Kentucky a long time ago if it wasn’t for how much that I love Lexington.
I can barely understand any of your comment. Actually, Hazard can honestly have a lot worse things said about it than this article stated about it, and that is a true fact. Hazard has more meth heads and obese people than any place that I have ever seen in my life. I didn’t even realize that a meth head could be obese until I worked in Hazard for a year and witnessed the way of life there.
My husband, “Mr. Thompson”, was replying to “Town Of Hazard”, not me. I’m just saying.
I moved to Lexington from Hazard in 1997. I have never been discriminated against in Lexington for any reason. Everyone who knows me knows where I come from. In fact, most of my neighbors and coworkers also come from places in Eastern Kentucky, yet none of them have ever said anything to me about being discriminated against in Lexington for any reason. They all seem quite happy and content here. Lexington is abound with people like us who have escaped from the problems and perils caused by the depression, poverty, substance abuse, and crime of Eastern Kentucky, came here for a better life, and never had one regret about it.
How is it that Scottsville, Ky is only not on this list, but should be in the top 2 or 3 at the very least?
Why is Olive Hill KY a bad place to live?
My wife is from Hazard. She was born and raised there. I feel so sorry for her for having gone through that.
Omgosh, I live here in Cape Cod Massachusetts. I am from Rhode Island. I moved to Ohio and lived there for 25 yrs. I came back to the New England state of Mass and I was shell shocked . The people here are so nasty and unfriendly. The crime in New England is off the wall. All of the New England states are sanctuary cities and most people do not know how to speak English. I could go on and on. I hate it here any more. I was thinking about moving to Kentucky because I heard how friendly people are. But now that I have read all these peoples opinions I am scared. I am very loving, I am a Christian . I do not do drugs. I just want to live a peaceful life with pretty scenery and friendly people. Any suggestions?
Research Kingsport, Tennessee and Johnson City, Tennessee. They are about a half of an hour’s drive apart from each other. My husband and I have a vacation home in Johnson City, Tennessee, and we visit Kingsport, Tennessee every year. Both towns have many Churches, very friendly residents, stunningly beautiful scenery, fun events, unique boutiques, delicious food, ect. They are big enough to have a variety of businesses, entertainment options, and recreational activities, decent-paying jobs, and great medical care, but they still have that peaceful, laid back, small town full of southern hospitality and neighborliness feel. I think that you will really like those two towns.
Not everyone in any if these towns are awful people. Yes you have your places that are horrible but that is everywhere in the United States, not just KY. This state is has some gorgeous countryside and lovely people. I have had my fair share of being treated so bad that it has made me cry, and I have also met the sweetest people. That is everywhere you go. Drugs are had everywhere! Yes it’s worse in some places but it’s not just KY. things can happen anywhere you go. You can do reasearch on almost any town anywhere, and I am sure something bad will show up from some point in history. Anyway my point lol KY is beautiful and has some amazing people. I live in Villa Hills it’s an amazing place to live! I adore it here yes I have some complaints but the good out weighs them.
Wow…. I’m really confused now. I thought Somerset was a nice place to live. It has grown so much since I was a little girl going through that town to get to Dale Hollow. My husband and I want to buy a little house around Somerset but now I’m wondering. We were going to get a boat for the lake and retire there. We found a very small place about 20 minutes from Somerset and not quite to Russell Springs, Ky. Geeeee anymore feedback would be great since I don’t want to make a big mistake. Right now I live in Latonia, KY (Covington) and I HATE IT.
Look up information about Kingsport, Tennessee and Johnson City, Tennessee if you don’t know a lot about them already. Like I was telling Diane who commented above your comment, “both of these towns are big enough to have a variety of businesses, entertainment options, and recreational activities, decent-paying jobs, and great medical care, but they still have that peaceful, laid back, small town full of southern hospitality and neighborliness feel”. I think that you would really like those two towns and may even want to retire in one of them. People are so friendly and courteous in those towns and the surrounding areas as well. There are so many great restaurants, interesting little boutiques, and fun events held in those areas too, and they aren’t very far from famous Tennessee tourist towns, such as Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Bristol, and Sevierville. Dollywood, Dixie Stampede, and Splash Country are in that region. That whole region just has so much to offer. On another note, one of my younger sisters and her husband lived in Somerset for 3 years and they both hated almost every minute of it. There are a lot of rude people and drug-related problems in Somerset and in Pulaski County in general, as well as surroundings counties. I know a lot of people who have tried to settle down in Somerset, but left a few years later like my sister and brother-in-law did, and for some reason, none of those people who were working there when they lived there liked their workplaces in Somerset, although they liked their particular profession or job position. Some of them have talked about having problems with loud, rude, drug-addicted neighbors in Somerset, which was one issue that led to them suffering from very bad depression, anxiety, and stress while living there as well. My sister had a neighbor there who would beat his wife up in the yard for everyone to see as if he was proud of it. She defended him relentlessly and would never press charges against him though. He eventually got arrested for meth possession and theft, then overdosed and died after getting out of jail, probably on bond, I assume. From what I hear and have heard for a long time, things of that nature are very common there.
Which came first? Lack of education or Mitch McConnell? Whichever it is it seems he is happy getting richer and richer while keeping his state poor and backward. That’s something Kentuckians need to think about.
One complaint that Kentuckians are making about their own communities is the lack of quality in public schools. This is one part of the major cause of the other problems with addiction, unemployment, and crime. You need to elect people to state offices and local government that will make schools a priority. You must create public interest in supporting education through television and other media. At the same time you have to retrain the adult workforce to give them new skills so they can compete for jobs and so you can demonstrate to prospective employers that you can supply educated, trained, and reliable workers for their jobs. This is a huge task that requires a lot of help from people who know how to plan for change and how to attract investment in your communities. Only when you have convinced your citizens that this is a life and death matter for everyone and the existence of the towns themselves can you turn around the tragedies that are so frequently cited in your comments and in the national media. I would also ask what HAVE our state AND federal elected representatives done to improve the situations. Then vote out those who may be doing nothing or too little to solve the real problems. I believe Kentuckians can fix these things if they can be persuaded to try and to look critically at their existing leaders and say “We are better than this. We deserve better than this. We are going to insist on better leadership and an end to the status quo.” Best wishes.
We have no major cities here but this absolutely has to be the worst county in Kentucky. Being high is a favorite pastime here. The water is undrinkable, the roads are caving in, but we have three courthouses. Why? There are mostly churches and gas stations. No major businesses and property taxes are insane. Law enforcement is almost nonexistent. You can’t even drive without worrying about being plowed into by some pillhead or meth head. Good ol’ boy politics keeps new businesses out and the population is in steady decline.
There are some people in deep denial on here crying and defending the cities listed on this page. Lol!
As you can tell a high percentage of the comments here are by people from Kentucky and most of whom have lived in Kentucky their entire lives for the most part. Thankfully I wasn’t raised in Kentucky but had the misfortune to live in that sordid state for a few years with the employment that I had at the time during the last Great Recession of 2008 to 2012 or so. I finally was able to leave in 2013 and moved back to the north where at least people can spell decently and act as if they have common sense. Of course, we still have our trash and undesirables here but its a fraction of what I experienced in Kentucky.
There are several reasons why Kentucky is the bottom of the barrel as far as overall US states go and most of it is because of the people that live there. They don’t value education much less common sense that they would rather live in someplace that looks like the Third World rather than having to clean up after themselves and making their communities look better. Furthermore, these people don’t value self discipline nor value hard work in most cases. I would say that maybe out of 10 Kentuckians that you will encounter that two of them actually know anything about working hard and most of the rest survive either by family or government or standing around with their thumb up their collective butts.
There’s many reason why Kentucky is this way but it goes back to ancestry, education, intelligence and work ethic. Kentucky has a lot of natural resources but they are most extracted at little cost to be sold off at the highest price possible. This is done and the local people aren’t often smart enough to market what is available. In other words, in a whole lot of Kentucky counties the people are simply village idiots and have been for decades if not longer. That’s why we have even in our Northern state a large percentage of people over the decades that have fled Kentucky for Northern climates despite our winters and other factors.
Kentucky ranks 47th in the country in educational attainment which is why half or more of the comments on this page are written by village idiots and Grade A Kentucky Fried Idiots that obviously didn’t do well in K-12 school and I would venture to guess that most of them haven’t been anywhere around a University or College or even trade school where you have to read books and try to educate yourself about the issues. Kentucky also ranks 47th in per person (per capita) income as well as 47th in median family income and also 47th in overall household income. In fact, Kentucky has been 44th or worse in per capita income since 1939 in every year over 81 years now in 2020. That’s a damning indictment of a state which always ranks near the bottom of just about everything.
However, there are plenty more statistics and facts about Kentucky that Kentuckians don’t like being told about their state. Including the poor state of K-12 education that ranks usually in the low to mid 40s of the USA along with the fact that only about 44.5 percent of Kentucky high school students can read at grade level and the math scores are at 40 percent being proficient at high school level math along with only 36 percent being proficient or better at science.
That speaks a lot of why Kentucky is a bottom feeder state and reliant on federal government welfare programs and handouts coming from Washington. Not to mention that for every dollar in federal taxes that Kentucky pays into the system they end up getting $1.51 back in federal handouts. So in essence Kentucky has been for years a welfare state and will remain a welfare state even though Kentucky also has some of the highest personal income taxes around. However, the state is basically broke and requires at least about 1 billion dollars just to try to maintain its existing infrastructure and replacing bridges that are structurally deficient. Also, the Kentucky teachers and public employees pension fund is busted to the amount of being in a shortfall of about 40 billion dollars and it continues to get worse every year.
Let’s add in the fact that Kentucky is the worst governed state in America, worst state for retirees because of taxes and government, dead last being worst in cancer cases, heart disease, diabetes and other health indicators. Now you can understand when you read these comments why Kentucky is the bottom of the barrel. My blog White Trash Kentucky tells a lot more of the sordid state of the Bluegrass State that people in the state don’t like what I have to say.
I’ve seen what exists out of Kentucky society and Kentucky culture and if you’re an outside do yourself a favor and don’t waste your time on Kentucky much less move there because in many cases unless you can live at a high level you’re going to be miserable. Even cities like Louisville and Lexington aren’t really all they are cracked up to be.
We have a neighbor and his family that will not stop harassing us. We owned the land many years before they moved next door. Because they put a house on their 5 acre property before us and hunted and road their atv on our property for year (with our approval) they think they own it now. We built a house and clear most of the 26 acre of our land and have a businesses breeding and selling goats. They put their building 3 1/2 ft from the property line. We put our home in the middle of our property. Bad, Bad neighbors for no reason but to try to run us off our property. For 5 year they keep damaging our fence so the goat will escape and to make us keep going over to their side to fix the fence. They come out their home every time to yell for no reason and hate that we keeping fixing the consent destruction they keep doing to our property . We put up cameras and the damage to the fence stop. This year for the first time he put down a strip of grass running alone the fence line so the goats can try to eat the grass and damage the fence instead of him. He ran his old truck into our fence were we rotate our goats and didn’t tell us about it and wanted a year to fix it. When that what he does for a living. They harass us on the street with their car.To this day we are waiting for an appeal in court for packing up a water way that runs through part of the neighbor hood 1 foot from the property line causing a muddy mess in our field that we use to use for our goats to eat. To this day they like to urinate and play with them self facing our cameras and our family. They also have cameras. But we have class and would never do that in front of their cameras. We are a retired military family and to this day my son is in the front line. helping to keeping my neighbors safe. We are good people and this is the thanks we get from our good neighbor in Bourbon County.