Bowling Green vs Louisville
Bowling Green, Kentucky versus Louisville, Kentucky: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Louisville edges out Bowling Green on overall objective livability (50 vs 41 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bowling Green | Louisville |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $47k | $63k |
| Cost of Living | $48k | $48k |
| Home Value | $215k | $205k |
| Monthly Rent | $931 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.76% | 0.87% |
| Income Tax | 6.35% | 4.50% |
| Sales Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.82% | 9.31% |
| Unemployment | 5.6% | 5.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 37°F | 35°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 80°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 50.1 in | 48.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 8.5 in | 13.4 in |
| Sunny Days | 183 days | 229 days |
| Summer Humidity | 68°F | 67°F |
| Comfortable Days | 70 days | 76 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 85.1 | 63.4 |
| Air Quality | 48 AQI | 54 AQI |
| School Quality | 42.3 | 72.9 |
| Violent Crime | 1284/100k | 1746/100k |
| Property Crime | 3855/100k | 2968/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 72,385 | 629,176 |
| Median Age | 27.8 | 37.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.49 | 0.51 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.94 | 0.95 |
| Political Leaning | R+17 | D+21 |
| White (%) | 65.8% | 62.9% |
| Black (%) | 12.6% | 23.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.5% | 6.8% |
| Asian (%) | 7.7% | 2.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.4% | 3.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 19 min | 23 min |
| Walkability | 8.6/20 | 12.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 61 mi | 3 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.1% | 88.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 13.26 | 6.95 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bowling Green or Louisville more affordable?
- Bowling Green has the lower cost of living: its index is $48k, compared with Bowling Green's $48k and Louisville's $48k. Median rent is $931 in Bowling Green versus $1k in Louisville.
- Is Bowling Green or Louisville safer?
- Bowling Green has the lower violent crime rate. Bowling Green reports 1284/100k and Louisville reports 1746/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bowling Green or Louisville?
- The median home value is $215k in Bowling Green and $205k in Louisville, so homes are more affordable in Louisville.