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These Are The 10 Stressed Places In Kentucky

By Chris Kolmar
Apr. 13, 2016
Last Modified and Fact Checked on: Jan. 16, 2026

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Top 10 Most Stressed Places in Kentucky (2026 Update)
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Starting a new job can bring on a wave of anxiety. However, some locations in Kentucky face unique stressors that extend beyond the typical first-day jitters.

Longer commutes, increased work hours, and the ongoing challenge of job searches contribute to heightened stress levels in various cities. But which places in Kentucky are experiencing the most significant stress?

It appears that Bardstown has earned the title of the most stressed city in Kentucky, leading a list of the top ten most stressed locations in the Bluegrass State:

  1. Bardstown
  2. Covington
  3. Dayton
  4. Newport
  5. Nicholasville
  6. Mayfield
  7. La Grange
  8. Winchester
  9. Shelbyville
  10. Harrodsburg

Continue reading to discover why these Kentucky cities are in dire need of stress relief.

For more insights into Kentucky’s job market, explore:

Measuring Stress in Kentucky: Our Methodology

To assess stress levels, we identified six key factors that contribute to stress for many individuals and analyzed the 78 locations in Kentucky with populations over 5,000, based on the most recent American Community Survey data:

  1. Percentage of residents with long commutes (over 30 minutes)
  2. Unemployment Rate
  3. Average hours worked
  4. Population density
  5. Percentage of income spent on housing
  6. Percentage of residents without health insurance

The higher any of these indicators, the greater the stress level within that community.

Our data is sourced from the U.S. Census’ American Community Survey for the latest available period.

We ranked each location from 1 to 78 (with 1 being the most stressed) across these six criteria, averaging the ranks to produce a Stress Score. The location with the lowest score is deemed the most stressed out in Kentucky.

Next, we delve into the specific stress statistics for each of the top ten most stressed places, followed by a comprehensive ranking of all 78 locations analyzed.

1. Bardstown

Population: 12,833 Residents with High Rent: 63.7%
Residents with Long Commute: 31.6%
Residents Without Insurance: 16.8%

2. Covington

Population: 40,712 Residents with High Rent: 51.9%
Residents with Long Commute: 23.9%
Residents Without Insurance: 18.4%

3. Dayton

Population: 5,382 Residents with High Rent: 59.2%
Residents with Long Commute: 24.3%
Residents Without Insurance: 17.3%

4. Newport

Population: 15,467 Residents with High Rent: 44.2%
Residents with Long Commute: 22.7%
Residents Without Insurance: 20.9%

5. Nicholasville

Population: 28,483 Residents with High Rent: 43.5%
Residents with Long Commute: 39.1%
Residents Without Insurance: 15.4%

6. Mayfield

Population: 10,091 Residents with High Rent: 56.3%
Residents with Long Commute: 23.1%
Residents Without Insurance: 19.4%

7. La Grange

Population: 8,283 Residents with High Rent: 52.2%
Residents with Long Commute: 43.1%
Residents Without Insurance: 16.2%

8. Winchester

Population: 18,363 Residents with High Rent: 43.9%
Residents with Long Commute: 30.9%
Residents Without Insurance: 15.6%

9. Shelbyville

Population: 14,558 Residents with High Rent: 46.5%
Residents with Long Commute: 32.3%
Residents Without Insurance: 21.5%

10. Harrodsburg

Population: 8,359 Residents with High Rent: 54.9%
Residents with Long Commute: 25.0%
Residents Without Insurance: 13.6%

Comprehensive List of Stressed Cities in Kentucky

City Rank Population Residents with High Rent Residents with Long Commute Residents Without Insurance
Bardstown 1 12,833 63.7% 31.6% 16.8%
Covington 2 40,712 51.9% 23.9% 18.4%
Dayton 3 5,382 59.2% 24.3% 17.3%
Newport 4 15,467 44.2% 22.7% 20.9%
Nicholasville 5 28,483 43.5% 39.1% 15.4%
Mayfield 6 10,091 56.3% 23.1% 19.4%
La Grange 7 8,283 52.2% 43.1% 16.2%
Winchester 8 18,363 43.9% 30.9% 15.6%
Shelbyville 9 14,558 46.5% 32.3% 21.5%
Harrodsburg 10 8,359 54.9% 25.0% 13.6%
Monticello 11 6,163 48.8% 23.1% 17.4%
Middlesborough 12 10,035 50.6% 19.2% 18.4%
Mount Washington 13 11,956 60.7% 61.4% 5.7%
Paris 14 9,746 48.9% 31.0% 13.9%
Cynthiana 15 6,388 52.8% 23.8% 17.0%
Elsmere 16 8,451 45.3% 28.8% 14.1%
Radcliff 17 22,939 46.7% 24.0% 12.5%
Ashland 18 21,551 46.9% 16.9% 14.5%
Richmond 19 32,706 52.2% 25.8% 15.4%
Versailles 20 8,908 36.7% 27.2% 19.4%
Leitchfield 21 6,781 37.7% 30.8% 19.6%
Mount Sterling 22 7,030 30.5% 27.4% 15.5%
Hillview 23 7,785 35.7% 29.1% 14.0%
Henderson 24 28,840 50.1% 21.6% 13.0%
Campbellsville 25 11,126 48.0% 14.5% 15.7%
Shively 26 15,450 41.1% 24.8% 14.9%
Louisville 27 605,762 46.0% 25.8% 12.8%
Bowling Green 28 60,660 49.9% 11.7% 16.4%
Erlanger 29 18,370 39.4% 24.3% 15.2%
Frankfort 30 27,389 46.8% 14.7% 14.3%
Bellevue 31 5,933 34.1% 26.4% 15.4%
Hopkinsville 32 32,507 44.6% 15.1% 16.4%
Murray 33 18,375 54.4% 12.9% 14.1%
Glasgow 34 14,152 53.5% 16.4% 16.1%
Russellville 35 6,998 59.1% 22.3% 17.9%
Hazard 36 5,453 41.2% 14.1% 17.5%
Elizabethtown 37 29,464 42.0% 26.3% 12.9%
Jeffersontown 38 26,862 44.0% 23.1% 10.8%
Middletown 39 7,333 59.2% 28.0% 7.0%
Shepherdsville 40 11,573 40.7% 34.1% 9.3%
Florence 41 31,038 41.1% 21.8% 12.2%
Lawrenceburg 42 11,014 33.1% 33.8% 12.5%
Franklin 43 8,563 39.5% 20.7% 18.0%
Somerset 44 11,311 56.7% 8.8% 18.9%
Highland Heights 45 7,152 50.1% 15.7% 8.4%
Paducah 46 25,046 45.5% 14.3% 14.4%
Flatwoods 47 7,483 30.0% 23.9% 13.9%
Lyndon 48 11,167 39.2% 21.8% 13.4%
London 49 8,062 38.5% 10.6% 23.3%
Edgewood 50 8,665 66.8% 21.6% 4.9%
Princeton 51 6,274 32.1% 22.8% 17.9%
Owensboro 52 58,000 44.6% 12.7% 12.1%
Oak Grove 53 7,522 45.6% 16.0% 13.7%
Lebanon 54 5,594 61.4% 11.8% 13.3%
Lexington-Fayette 55 304,473 47.9% 18.8% 13.1%
Alexandria 56 8,654 38.3% 45.1% 8.1%
Georgetown 57 30,349 37.7% 22.3% 9.7%
Villa Hills 58 7,359 28.0% 29.8% 4.3%
Corbin 59 7,051 44.0% 11.2% 11.8%
Independence 60 25,638 32.1% 34.2% 7.9%
Danville 61 16,471 46.6% 13.1% 13.0%
Wilmore 62 5,995 40.5% 26.1% 8.9%
Fort Thomas 63 16,250 43.7% 18.2% 6.5%
Vine Grove 64 5,296 23.1% 26.1% 5.9%
Williamsburg 65 5,260 46.4% 12.9% 14.4%
Madisonville 66 19,807 40.4% 17.3% 14.1%
Maysville 67 8,951 39.0% 18.2% 15.2%
Douglass Hills 68 5,566 31.6% 19.3% 12.4%
St. Matthews 69 17,686 33.2% 14.9% 12.6%
Cold Spring 70 6,093 54.0% 22.2% 6.1%
Central City 71 5,932 36.3% 13.3% 15.7%
Berea 72 14,209 46.5% 17.4% 12.9%
Union 73 5,569 0.0% 34.2% 5.3%
Morehead 74 6,896 44.6% 20.3% 11.9%
Taylor Mill 75 6,682 23.9% 24.3% 7.4%
Fort Mitchell 76 8,209 33.4% 14.2% 10.7%
Fort Wright 77 5,726 28.8% 16.7% 6.4%
Pikeville 78 7,313 37.6% 11.3% 11.2%

Conclusion

Understanding the stress levels in various Kentucky cities is crucial for those considering relocation or job opportunities in the area. As highlighted, Bardstown leads the list, but multiple cities exhibit significant stress factors that could impact quality of life. Identifying these stressors can help future residents make informed decisions about their living situations.

Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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