Explore Jobs

Find Specific Jobs

Explore Careers

Explore Professions

Best Companies

Explore Companies

These Are The 10 Hardest Working Places In Kentucky

By Chris Kolmar
May. 18, 2016
Last Modified and Fact Checked on: Feb. 7, 2026

Find a Job You Really Want In

Discover the 10 Hardest Working Places in Kentucky (2026 Edition)
Swipe left for slideshow. Article continues below.

Since its inception, America has been celebrated as the land of opportunity, a place where hard work can lead to a brighter future for individuals and families alike. In Kentucky, this ethos is exemplified in communities that embody the spirit of relentless dedication and labor.

Among the various locales in Kentucky, certain areas stand out for their exceptional work ethic. These are the hardest working places in the Bluegrass State, where residents truly embody a commitment to their jobs and communities.

Leading the charge is Union, recognized as the hardest working place in Kentucky. Here, the dedication to work is so profound that commuting itself feels like a job!

Curious about which other cities are burning the midnight oil to secure their financial success? Here’s a look at the top contenders in Kentucky, where employees are consistently putting in the extra effort to climb the career ladder:

  1. Union
  2. Fort Wright
  3. Fort Mitchell
  4. Edgewood
  5. Wilmore
  6. Alexandria
  7. St. Matthews
  8. Jeffersontown
  9. Independence
  10. Fort Thomas

Middlesborough, take note! This ranking showcases the exemplary work ethic across the state, and there’s much to learn from it.

How We Determined the Hardest Working Places in the Bluegrass State

At Zippia, we pride ourselves on utilizing data to tackle tough questions. We employ rigorous analytics to identify the hardest working places across the nation, including Kentucky.

For this analysis, we tapped into the latest American Community Survey data, providing a comprehensive view of the workforce dynamics across the state.

Our methodology involved evaluating several key criteria:

  • Average hours worked
  • Average commute time
  • Workers per household (employed labor force divided by the number of households)
  • Labor force participation rate
  • Adults with a college degree

We believe that a community with a higher level of education, significant workforce participation, long working hours, and substantial commuting time deserves recognition as hardworking.

After gathering and analyzing data from 78 locations in Kentucky, we ranked each based on these criteria, with 1 indicating the “hardest working” status.

From there, we averaged the rankings to establish a hardworking index, ultimately crowning Union as the “Hardest Working Place in Kentucky.”

Check out the detailed chart below to see how each location ranks and the factors that contribute to their hard work.

1. Union

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 5,569 College Graduates: 50.0%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 38.0
Workers Per Household: 1.7

2. Fort Wright

Population: 5,726 College Graduates: 46.3%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 39.1
Workers Per Household: 1.5

3. Fort Mitchell

Population: 8,209 College Graduates: 45.0%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 38.1
Workers Per Household: 1.4

4. Edgewood

Population: 8,665 College Graduates: 49.4%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 38.4
Workers Per Household: 1.4

5. Wilmore

Population: 5,995 College Graduates: 55.2%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 29.5
Workers Per Household: 1.5

6. Alexandria

Population: 8,654 College Graduates: 30.1%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 38.1
Workers Per Household: 1.5

7. St. Matthews

Population: 17,686 College Graduates: 49.9%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 39.3
Workers Per Household: 1.3

8. Jeffersontown

Population: 26,862 College Graduates: 35.9%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 39.2
Workers Per Household: 1.5

9. Independence

Population: 25,638 College Graduates: 29.1%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 38.5
Workers Per Household: 1.6

10. Fort Thomas

Population: 16,250 College Graduates: 44.1%
Average Hours Worked Per Week: 38.0
Workers Per Household: 1.4

Detailed List of Hardest Working Places in Kentucky

City Rank Population College Graduates Average Hours Worked Per Week Workers Per Household
Union 1 5,569 50.0% 38.0 1.7
Fort Wright 2 5,726 46.3% 39.1 1.5
Fort Mitchell 3 8,209 45.0% 38.1 1.4
Edgewood 4 8,665 49.4% 38.4 1.4
Wilmore 5 5,995 55.2% 29.5 1.5
Alexandria 6 8,654 30.1% 38.1 1.5
St. Matthews 7 17,686 49.9% 39.3 1.3
Jeffersontown 8 26,862 35.9% 39.2 1.5
Independence 9 25,638 29.1% 38.5 1.6
Fort Thomas 10 16,250 44.1% 38.0 1.4
Lyndon 11 11,167 40.3% 39.5 1.3
Taylor Mill 12 6,682 27.8% 39.9 1.4
Villa Hills 13 7,359 47.7% 38.4 1.6
Middletown 14 7,333 43.1% 39.5 1.1
Cold Spring 15 6,093 37.2% 37.7 1.2
Douglass Hills 16 5,566 42.2% 36.1 1.4
Florence 17 31,038 26.6% 39.7 1.3
Lexington-Fayette 18 304,473 40.2% 37.5 1.4
Elsmere 19 8,451 16.8% 39.1 1.5
Georgetown 20 30,349 25.6% 38.8 1.5
Versailles 21 8,908 22.3% 39.9 1.4
Erlanger 22 18,370 23.1% 38.9 1.5
Mount Washington 23 11,956 19.2% 38.6 1.4
Shelbyville 24 14,558 18.8% 38.1 1.4
Bellevue 25 5,933 27.4% 37.6 1.3
Highland Heights 26 7,152 31.6% 32.6 1.7
Elizabethtown 27 29,464 27.0% 40.1 1.2
Berea 28 14,209 27.5% 33.0 1.3
Lawrenceburg 29 11,014 16.5% 38.9 1.3
Morehead 30 6,896 35.8% 33.0 1.2
Pikeville 31 7,313 36.5% 38.1 1.0
La Grange 32 8,283 21.8% 39.0 1.3
Vine Grove 33 5,296 27.7% 40.7 1.3
Louisville 34 605,762 27.4% 38.0 1.3
Nicholasville 35 28,483 21.2% 39.2 1.4
Richmond 36 32,706 30.0% 34.0 1.4
Williamsburg 37 5,260 32.9% 34.1 1.2
Shepherdsville 38 11,573 12.5% 38.7 1.5
Radcliff 39 22,939 18.5% 40.4 1.3
Owensboro 40 58,000 19.0% 38.0 1.1
Hazard 41 5,453 27.1% 42.5 1.1
Bowling Green 42 60,660 26.4% 35.7 1.4
Danville 43 16,471 25.0% 35.9 1.2
Oak Grove 44 7,522 14.1% 46.4 1.3
Mount Sterling 45 7,030 23.1% 40.6 1.2
Madisonville 46 19,807 15.1% 39.0 1.1
Murray 47 18,375 34.3% 33.2 1.3
Frankfort 48 27,389 25.5% 37.3 1.2
Hillview 49 7,785 10.1% 38.6 1.5
Somerset 50 11,311 15.8% 39.3 1.0
Covington 51 40,712 19.0% 38.2 1.2
Newport 52 15,467 18.7% 37.7 1.3
Winchester 53 18,363 18.0% 38.2 1.1
Paducah 54 25,046 22.7% 38.5 1.0
Henderson 55 28,840 16.7% 38.5 1.1
Paris 56 9,746 14.8% 37.5 1.2
Campbellsville 57 11,126 17.4% 37.2 1.1
Glasgow 58 14,152 17.4% 39.9 1.0
Dayton 59 5,382 9.5% 38.3 1.2
Ashland 60 21,551 18.8% 38.6 1.0
Maysville 61 8,951 14.3% 38.3 1.1
Flatwoods 62 7,483 16.4% 37.9 0.9
Shively 63 15,450 12.3% 37.1 1.1
Hopkinsville 64 32,507 17.5% 38.8 1.1
Bardstown 65 12,833 16.9% 37.0 1.2
London 66 8,062 14.7% 40.0 1.1
Franklin 67 8,563 13.8% 38.3 1.1
Princeton 68 6,274 16.8% 37.8 1.1
Russellville 69 6,998 14.1% 37.8 0.8
Lebanon 70 5,594 13.3% 36.1 1.0
Cynthiana 71 6,388 13.5% 37.1 1.0
Corbin 72 7,051 18.2% 38.6 1.0
Mayfield 73 10,091 15.6% 37.0 1.0
Harrodsburg 74 8,359 16.2% 38.2 1.0
Central City 75 5,932 5.6% 35.6 1.0
Monticello 76 6,163 8.5% 39.6 1.0
Leitchfield 77 6,781 7.9% 39.7 1.0
Middlesborough 78 10,035 10.9% 37.4 0.8

In conclusion, these hardworking communities in Kentucky exemplify the dedication and resilience that define the state’s workforce. By understanding the factors that contribute to their success, we can gain insights into the evolving labor market and the importance of hard work in achieving career goals. Explore these cities further to discover potential opportunities that await!

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.

Responsive Image

Related posts