Cave City vs Smiths Grove
Cave City, 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.
Cave City edges out Smiths Grove on overall objective livability (52 vs 42 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Cave City | Smiths Grove |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $37k | $54k |
| Cost of Living | $42k | $45k |
| Home Value | $94k | $140k |
| Monthly Rent | $651 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $459 | $231 |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.87% | 0.66% |
| Income Tax | 4.50% | 4.50% |
| Sales Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 8.68% | 8.19% |
| Unemployment | 9.2% | 5.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 36°F | 37°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 78°F | 78°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 54.9 in | 52.1 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 5.7 in | 4.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 200 days | 200 days |
| Summer Humidity | 68°F | 68°F |
| Comfortable Days | 83 days | 79 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 70.9 | 74.9 |
| Air Quality | 47 AQI | 49 AQI |
| School Quality | 76.9 | 42.3 |
| Violent Crime | 311/100k | 1669/100k |
| Property Crime | 280/100k | 2696/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 2,707 | 707 |
| Median Age | 40.2 | 49.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.24 | 0.34 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 1.29 |
| Political Leaning | R+54 | R+59 |
| White (%) | 86.2% | 79.5% |
| Black (%) | 5.4% | 15.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 1.5% | 0.6% |
| Asian (%) | 0.9% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.9% | 5.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 22 min | — |
| Walkability | 5.6/20 | 3.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 73 mi | 69 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 70.0% | 87.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 51.72 | 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 Cave City or Smiths Grove more affordable?
- Cave City has the lower cost of living: its index is $42k, compared with Cave City's $42k and Smiths Grove's $45k. Median rent is $651 in Cave City versus $1k in Smiths Grove.
- Is Cave City or Smiths Grove safer?
- Cave City has the lower violent crime rate. Cave City reports 311/100k and Smiths Grove reports 1669/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Cave City or Smiths Grove?
- The median home value is $94k in Cave City and $140k in Smiths Grove, so homes are more affordable in Cave City.