Bowling Green vs Smiths Grove
Bowling Green, Kentucky versus Smiths Grove, Kentucky: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Bowling Green and Smiths Grove score about the same overall (39 vs 42 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bowling Green | Smiths Grove |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $47k | $54k |
| Cost of Living | $48k | $45k |
| Home Value | $215k | $140k |
| Monthly Rent | $931 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $11k | $231 |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.76% | 0.66% |
| Income Tax | 6.35% | 4.50% |
| Sales Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 11.82% | 8.19% |
| Unemployment | 5.6% | 5.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 37°F | 37°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 80°F | 78°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 50.1 in | 52.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 8.5 in | 4.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 183 days | 200 days |
| Summer Humidity | 68°F | 68°F |
| Comfortable Days | 70 days | 79 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 85.1 | 74.9 |
| Air Quality | 48 AQI | 49 AQI |
| School Quality | 42.3 | 42.3 |
| Violent Crime | 1284/100k | 1669/100k |
| Property Crime | 3855/100k | 2696/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 72,385 | 707 |
| Median Age | 27.8 | 49.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.49 | 0.34 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.94 | 1.29 |
| Political Leaning | R+17 | R+59 |
| White (%) | 65.8% | 79.5% |
| Black (%) | 12.6% | 15.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.5% | 0.6% |
| Asian (%) | 7.7% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.4% | 5.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 19 min | — |
| Walkability | 8.6/20 | 3.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 61 mi | 69 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.1% | 87.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 13.26 | 28.29 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Moderate |
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 Smiths Grove more affordable?
- Smiths Grove has the lower cost of living: its index is $45k, compared with Bowling Green's $48k and Smiths Grove's $45k. Median rent is $931 in Bowling Green versus $1k in Smiths Grove.
- Is Bowling Green or Smiths Grove safer?
- Bowling Green has the lower violent crime rate. Bowling Green reports 1284/100k and Smiths Grove reports 1669/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bowling Green or Smiths Grove?
- The median home value is $215k in Bowling Green and $140k in Smiths Grove, so homes are more affordable in Smiths Grove.