10 Safest Cities in Kentucky (With Pictures)

Note: This article’s statistics come from third-party sources and do not represent the opinions of this website.

Kentucky has a lower crime rate than the national average, making it a relatively safer choice to live. On average, the USA has a crime rate of 3.6 violent crimes per 1,000 people. Kentucky only has about 2.2 violent crimes per 1,000 people, making it much safer overall than the rest of the country. In fact, Kentucky is probably one of the safest places to live in the USA.

Of course, some places are safer, and some are more dangerous. Most of the safest cities have a violent crime rate of 0, which means that no violent crimes were reported during the reporting period (which is usually a couple of years behind).

Therefore, if you’re looking for a safer option, we recommend one of these cities. Your chance of being involved in a violent crime is practically zero.

The 10 Safest Cities in Kentucky: A Quick Look

Note: All crime rates are taken from the FBI’s 2019 crime reporting survey. (FBI)

1. Providence

This small town claims the spot as the safest city in Kentucky. It has a crime rate of zero and a declining property crime rate, making it one of the safest options out there. However, it is an extremely small town without many shops or opportunities for entertainment. It isn’t really known for much besides its low violent crime rate.

Still, if rural living is for you, this is probably one of your best options.

2. West Liberty

West Liberty is another tiny town that is well-loved by its residents. However, like most small towns, it lacks things to do. The average resident makes slightly more money than in Providence, but the violent crimes rate is a bit higher, which is why it landed at number two on this list.

It is a sparse suburban area with a small population. About half of the population owns their home, while the other half rents them.

All violent and property crimes are far below the national average, though. Generally speaking, this town is extremely safe compared to other areas.

3. Flatwoods

This little town is technically a suburb of Ashville, although it is technically in a different county. This city is the largest town in the county, according to the 2010 census. With that said, there is no major employer within the town, so it is considered a “bedroom” community. Many of the residents work in other areas and commute.

This area is very small. However, it does have its own police and fire department, so it is decently safe as far as accidents are concerned. The town also has an emergency medical center but no hospital.

4. Hartford

According to the numbers, Hartford is very safe. However, crime rates are currently increasing, especially when it comes to property crime. Therefore, we have moved it slightly lower on this list.

This city is the seat of the county, though it has a rather low population. There are not many services or places of entertainment in this city. However, they do have a public library.

5. Pioneer Village

Like most cities on this list, Pioneer Village is extremely small. Therefore, it is considered a sparse suburban area. There isn’t much here, as you expect. They do not have many services or entertainment venues. Therefore, you will have to travel quite far to live here.

However, the property crime rate is increasing quite suddenly over the years. Therefore, it is rated lower. The cause of the property crime rate is unknown, especially considering that the average income is higher than in most areas.

6. Williamstown

Like some other towns on this list, Williamstown is a bedroom community. They are most famous for being home to the Ark Encounter theme park, which has a life-sized Noah’s Ark. This is one of the largest employers in the area, as most people who live here commute to surrounding areas for work.

They also have a lending library called the Grant County Public Library.

7. Fort Thomas

Fort Thomas is easily one of the larger towns on this list. It has four times the population of most other locations we’ve discussed, though it still has a relatively low violent crime rate at only 0.5. Property crimes are somewhat high at 7, but even that number is low for a town of this size.

This town is officially part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area. However, it is one of the safer places to live. Much of the crime from Cincinnati doesn’t seem to spill over into the decently quiet town.

This location is well known for their schools, which rank among the top n the country. Their sports programs are well recognized, as they usually rank high in both football and cross country. Their band has even received much recognition.

8. Independence

Another larger town, Independence has a pretty low violent crime rate at only 0.9 per 1,000 people. While that is higher than the other locations we’ve discussed so far, it is much lower than the national average.

This city is actually the third largest in Northern Kentucky after Florence and Covington (which has a pretty horrid crime rate).

This community is home to many schools, most of which are highly rated. Many of these are public schools, though there are quite a few private schools as well. Being a decently larger town, there are plenty of restaurants and other things to do.

9. Taylor Mill

This smaller town has a fairly low violent crime rating at only 0.4 per 1,000 people. However, the property crime rating is at 10.2 per 1,000 people, making it one of the higher rates on this list. It is unknown why the property crime rate is so high, but it may have to do with the higher poverty rate, which often drives people to commit property crimes.

However, this town is also near Covington, which has a pretty high crime rate, spreading over into the area.

There are only a few schools in this community, likely because of the lower population. For instance, Taylor Mill Elementary has about 620 students from preschool to 5^th grade. (Kenton K12)

10. Indian Hills

Indian Hills is a wealthy community. In fact, it is one of the wealthiest in the U.S., with a median income of 184,375. It is one of the most prosperous suburbs of Louisville and has been since the mid-20^th century, so we don’t expect that to change any time soon.

As you might expect, this community has a rather low crime rate due in part to its affluence. It was originally a stock farm but has obviously grown far beyond that today. We’re truly surprised that this community didn’t rank higher than it did, but property crimes were decently high (likely due to outsiders coming into the community).

While this may be one of the safer places out there, it is difficult for many to move into this area due to the high housing and living costs.

What is the Safest City to Live in in Kentucky?

All of Kentucky is relatively safe. However, there are some places that are safer than others. Based on our guidelines, Providence is the safest city to live in currently. It is a very small suburban/rural area, so you wouldn’t expect much crime to begin with.

In 2019, Providence had no violent crimes at all. Their average income is also quite low, so they are more accessible than other communities out there. Their crime rate is also decreasing, though they have a small number of property crimes each year.

However, other competitors may list other places as safer. It depends on their procedure. We look at the most current FBI report on crime in Kentucky, which lists all crimes reported. Violent crimes rank more than property crimes since they are technically what makes a community unsafe. However, we also consider whether or not the crime rate is decreasing or increasing.

Generally, the FBI crime report is a couple of years behind, so we can use whether the crime rate is decreasing or increasing to determine if the community is safer or more dangerous now. Not all competitors take this into account, however, which may be why their ratings are somewhat different from ours.

How to Stay Safe in Kentucky

Generally speaking, rural and suburban areas are safer than heavily populated areas. Most communities on our list are relatively small, though there are a few moderately sized areas as well. When you have fewer people around, the crime rate is typically lower.

Therefore, if you want to stay safe in Kentucky, your best bet is to avoid heavily populated areas, especially bigger cities. Naturally, these areas are more dangerous.

The poverty rate does seem to have some effect on property crimes (likely because when people don’t have enough money to buy what they need, they seek it out in other ways). However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that violent crime rates increase. Therefore, some communities may have a high property crime rate but a fairly low violent crime rate.

When property crimes are due to other reasons, like gang activities, the violent crime rate tends to increase as well.

In Summary

Kentucky as a whole is a pretty safe area. The overall crime rate is decently low, so even the most dangerous communities aren’t really as unsafe as the cities in some other states. Many of the safest cities in Kentucky have a violent crime rate of zero, which means that no violent crimes were reported during that year.

When choosing a safe place to live in Kentucky, you have a lot of options to choose from. Many of these communities are smaller, so they are best for those that prefer rural living. However, there are some more populated areas on our list as well.

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