Louisville vs Owensboro
Louisville, Kentucky versus Owensboro, 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 Owensboro on overall objective livability (50 vs 44 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Louisville | Owensboro |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $63k | $52k |
| Cost of Living | $48k | $47k |
| Home Value | $205k | $152k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $888 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.87% | 0.96% |
| Income Tax | 4.50% | 6.30% |
| Sales Tax | 6.00% | 6.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.31% | 11.09% |
| Unemployment | 5.3% | 4.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 35°F | 35°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 79°F | 78°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48.1 in | 47.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 13.4 in | 5.7 in |
| Sunny Days | 229 days | 200 days |
| Summer Humidity | 67°F | 68°F |
| Comfortable Days | 76 days | 76 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 63.4 | 78.5 |
| Air Quality | 54 AQI | 48 AQI |
| School Quality | 72.9 | 56.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1746/100k | 1835/100k |
| Property Crime | 2968/100k | 3536/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 629,176 | 60,019 |
| Median Age | 37.9 | 37.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.51 | 0.30 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.93 |
| Political Leaning | D+21 | R+28 |
| White (%) | 62.9% | 81.6% |
| Black (%) | 23.6% | 7.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 6.8% | 4.5% |
| Asian (%) | 2.7% | 2.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.9% | 4.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 17 min |
| Walkability | 12.1/20 | 8.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 3 mi | 81 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 88.5% | 87.1% |
| Amenities Nearby | 6.95 | 21.49 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | 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 Louisville or Owensboro more affordable?
- Owensboro has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Louisville's $48k and Owensboro's $47k. Median rent is $1k in Louisville versus $888 in Owensboro.
- Is Louisville or Owensboro safer?
- Louisville has the lower violent crime rate. Louisville reports 1746/100k and Owensboro reports 1835/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Louisville or Owensboro?
- The median home value is $205k in Louisville and $152k in Owensboro, so homes are more affordable in Owensboro.