Frankfort vs Lexington-Fayette
Frankfort, Kentucky versus Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Frankfort and Lexington-Fayette score about the same overall (50 vs 52 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Frankfort | Lexington-Fayette |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $54k | $66k |
| Cost of Living | $43k | $44k |
| Home Value | $157k | $248k |
| Monthly Rent | $889 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.96% | 0.92% |
| Income Tax | 6.00% | 4.50% |
| Sales Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.78% | 9.93% |
| Unemployment | 5.4% | 5.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 34°F | 34°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 77°F | 76°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 50.5 in | 49.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 14.5 in | 14.5 in |
| Sunny Days | 230 days | 230 days |
| Summer Humidity | 66°F | 66°F |
| Comfortable Days | 73 days | 83 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 53.6 | 40.1 |
| Air Quality | 48 AQI | 48 AQI |
| School Quality | 46.2 | 62.6 |
| Violent Crime | 1558/100k | 1603/100k |
| Property Crime | 1950/100k | 2927/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 28,460 | 321,276 |
| Median Age | 34.2 | 35.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.43 | 0.46 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.93 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+21 |
| White (%) | 73.0% | 69.6% |
| Black (%) | 12.2% | 14.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 6.0% | 7.4% |
| Asian (%) | 2.5% | 4.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.3% | 4.2% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 17 min | 21 min |
| Walkability | 9.5/20 | 13.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 47 mi | 70 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 80.6% | 90.6% |
| Amenities Nearby | 25.65 | 15.66 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Good |
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 Frankfort or Lexington-Fayette more affordable?
- Frankfort has the lower cost of living: its index is $43k, compared with Frankfort's $43k and Lexington-Fayette's $44k. Median rent is $889 in Frankfort versus $1k in Lexington-Fayette.
- Is Frankfort or Lexington-Fayette safer?
- Frankfort has the lower violent crime rate. Frankfort reports 1558/100k and Lexington-Fayette reports 1603/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Frankfort or Lexington-Fayette?
- The median home value is $157k in Frankfort and $248k in Lexington-Fayette, so homes are more affordable in Frankfort.