Cold Spring vs Melbourne
Cold Spring, Kentucky versus Melbourne, Kentucky: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Melbourne edges out Cold Spring on overall objective livability (58 vs 52 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Cold Spring | Melbourne |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $76k | $74k |
| Cost of Living | $48k | $48k |
| Home Value | $223k | $149k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $625 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $158 |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.05% | 1.34% |
| Income Tax | 4.50% | 4.50% |
| Sales Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.55% | 9.15% |
| Unemployment | 2.5% | 6.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 32°F | 32°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 76°F | 76°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 45.5 in | 45.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 23.3 in | 16.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 221 days | 221 days |
| Summer Humidity | 66°F | 66°F |
| Comfortable Days | 70 days | 69 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 41.5 | 43.0 |
| Air Quality | 54 AQI | 53 AQI |
| School Quality | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Violent Crime | 351/100k | 0/100k |
| Property Crime | 1132/100k | 0/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 6,258 | 547 |
| Median Age | 49.7 | 54.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.09 | 0.15 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.75 | 0.73 |
| Political Leaning | R+19 | R+19 |
| White (%) | 95.6% | 92.1% |
| Black (%) | 1.5% | 0.7% |
| Hispanic (%) | 1.3% | 0.0% |
| Asian (%) | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 1.6% | 6.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 24 min |
| Walkability | 10.5/20 | 9.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 13 mi | 16 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.0% | 83.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 196.55 | 2925.05 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | 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 Cold Spring or Melbourne more affordable?
- Melbourne has the lower cost of living: its index is $48k, compared with Cold Spring's $48k and Melbourne's $48k. Median rent is $1k in Cold Spring versus $625 in Melbourne.
- Is Cold Spring or Melbourne safer?
- Melbourne has the lower violent crime rate. Cold Spring reports 351/100k and Melbourne reports 0/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Cold Spring or Melbourne?
- The median home value is $223k in Cold Spring and $149k in Melbourne, so homes are more affordable in Melbourne.