Laurel County, Kentucky
Among the top 5% of US counties for affordability.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade A+, better than 96% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade C, better than 42% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 25% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade C, better than 45% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade A, better than 87% of US counties
- top 10% for cost of living
- top 15% for park & nature access
- bottom 10% for school quality
Laurel County is a county in Kentucky with about 62,000 residents. It grades A+ for affordability and C for safety & wellbeing. Standout strengths include cost of living, park & nature access, and sales tax. It rates lower on natural disaster risk and school quality.
Official websitelondonky.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Hot summers · Cold winters · Wet · Light snow
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74%45%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.9 in3.5 in
muggy 93%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$54k30th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$42kbetter than 90% of US counties
Home Value$141k39th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$772better than 62% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$1kbetter than 80% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.59%better than 77% of US counties
Income Tax5.60%better than 35% of US counties
State 4.50% + Local 1.10%
Sales Tax6.00%better than 84% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden9.13%better than 58% of US counties
Unemployment3.6%better than 72% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)36°F56th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)76°F46th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation51.9 in79th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall5.7 inbetter than 62% of US counties
Sunny Days230 daysbetter than 41% of US counties
Summer Humidity66°Fbetter than 45% of US counties
Comfortable Days76 daysbetter than 41% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk71.7better than 28% of US counties
School Quality36.8better than 10% of US counties
Violent Crime530/100kbetter than 68% of US counties
Property Crime1275/100kbetter than 33% of US counties
Community
Population62,44273rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age39.834th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.073rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9836th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+6889th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)95.3%96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)0.7%27th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)1.6%10th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)0.3%26th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)2.2%19th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time22 minbetter than 68% of US counties
Walkability5.6/20better than 35% of US counties
Airport Distance114 mibetter than 41% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access85.0%better than 61% of US counties
Amenities Nearby5.28better than 69% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessExcellentbetter than 85% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Laurel County an affordable place to live?
- Laurel County is relatively affordable. Its cost-of-living index is $42k, better than 90% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Laurel County?
- The median home value in Laurel County is $141k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Laurel County?
- Median household income in Laurel County is $54k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Laurel County?
- Median gross rent in Laurel County is $772 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Laurel County safe?
- Laurel County is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 530/100k (better than 68%). Property crime is 1275/100k.
- What is the weather like in Laurel County?
- Laurel County averages 76°F in July and 36°F in January, with 51.9 in of annual precipitation and about 230 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Laurel County?
- Public-school quality in Laurel County is below average, scoring better than 10% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Laurel County?
- The average one-way commute in Laurel County is 22 min.
Other counties in Kentucky
Explore Kentucky
Data sources
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)