These Are The 10 Most Successful Cities In Kentucky

Top 10 Most Successful Cities in Kentucky (2026)

Swipe left for slideshow. Article continues below.

Success can be defined in many ways. Is it the balance in your bank account, the satisfaction after delivering a stellar presentation, or even nailing a great punchline at the bar?

Or is it something deeper—an elusive, subjective concept that varies for everyone?

Most likely, it’s a combination of factors.

At Zippia, we like to quantify success in measurable terms. Using reliable metrics, we’ve identified the top 10 most successful cities in Kentucky for 2026. Here’s the list:

If you’re questioning our selection, stick around. We have a solid methodology behind these rankings.

Explore more about Kentucky:

How We Determined the Most Successful Cities in Kentucky

When we think of success, financial wealth often comes to mind. But is that the sole indicator of achievement?

Not necessarily. We believe other factors contribute to a city’s success. Therefore, we utilized a set of criteria based on recent data, including metrics from the latest American Community Survey.

1. Union

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 5,569 Median Income: $103,929
Poverty Level: 4.6%
Unemployment Rate: 4.1%

2. Cold Spring

Population: 6,093 Median Income: $62,168
Poverty Level: 2.6%
Unemployment Rate: 3.6%

3. Edgewood

Population: 8,665 Median Income: $85,000
Poverty Level: 2.7%
Unemployment Rate: 5.1%

4. Fort Mitchell

Population: 8,209 Median Income: $63,004
Poverty Level: 6.0%
Unemployment Rate: 4.0%

5. Fort Wright

Population: 5,726 Median Income: $64,797
Poverty Level: 6.7%
Unemployment Rate: 4.0%

6. Alexandria

Population: 8,654 Median Income: $74,464
Poverty Level: 4.5%
Unemployment Rate: 6.1%

7. Independence

Population: 25,638 Median Income: $65,776
Poverty Level: 7.0%
Unemployment Rate: 6.9%

8. Fort Thomas

Population: 16,250 Median Income: $62,454
Poverty Level: 8.7%
Unemployment Rate: 6.3%

9. Middletown

Population: 7,333 Median Income: $56,503
Poverty Level: 9.8%
Unemployment Rate: 4.6%

10. Villa Hills

Population: 7,359 Median Income: $85,128
Poverty Level: 4.0%
Unemployment Rate: 9.1%

Measuring Success

If you’re reading this and thinking, “These metrics can’t truly encapsulate a city’s success or the individuals within it,” you might have a point.

However, we believe our approach effectively captures success. Congratulations to Union and our other top cities! For those that didn’t make the list, there’s always next year.

Detailed List of the Most Successful Cities in Kentucky

Rank	City	Median Income	Poverty Rate	Unemployment Rate
1	Union	$103,929	4.6%	4.1%
2	Cold Spring	$62,168	2.6%	3.6%
3	Edgewood	$85,000	2.7%	5.1%
4	Fort Mitchell	$63,004	6.0%	4.0%
5	Fort Wright	$64,797	6.7%	4.0%
6	Alexandria	$74,464	4.5%	6.1%
7	Independence	$65,776	7.0%	6.9%
8	Fort Thomas	$62,454	8.7%	6.3%
9	Middletown	$56,503	9.8%	4.6%
10	Villa Hills	$85,128	4.0%	9.1%
11	St. Matthews	$53,905	9.1%	4.8%
12	Jeffersontown	$60,251	8.6%	6.9%
13	Taylor Mill	$63,635	10.8%	6.7%
14	Douglass Hills	$61,604	14.4%	5.8%
15	Mount Washington	$62,799	7.7%	8.2%
16	Florence	$52,878	8.6%	6.6%
17	Lyndon	$50,516	10.9%	5.1%
18	Lawrenceburg	$50,696	9.6%	6.8%
19	Bellevue	$54,288	9.5%	7.9%
20	Georgetown	$56,854	11.1%	8.2%
21	Erlanger	$56,625	9.9%	8.6%
22	Vine Grove	$55,986	4.8%	12.0%
23	Shelbyville	$46,630	16.8%	7.2%
24	Elsmere	$45,639	16.6%	7.3%
25	Wilmore	$41,661	20.0%	4.2%
26	Shepherdsville	$48,571	13.2%	8.8%
27	Madisonville	$40,565	15.4%	7.5%
28	Elizabethtown	$42,735	14.8%	8.5%
29	La Grange	$53,778	16.8%	8.9%
30	Hillview	$46,707	8.3%	11.2%
31	Lexington-Fayette	$48,667	19.7%	8.0%
32	Versailles	$41,915	19.7%	7.5%
33	Owensboro	$38,213	17.9%	7.9%
34	Flatwoods	$41,344	17.3%	8.7%
35	Highland Heights	$49,982	19.4%	10.0%
36	Louisville	$44,806	17.0%	10.2%
37	Radcliff	$45,311	15.2%	12.3%
38	Pikeville	$37,283	26.1%	6.1%
39	Nicholasville	$44,213	18.2%	11.2%
40	Shively	$34,826	19.3%	8.8%
41	Danville	$38,198	19.7%	10.1%
42	Oak Grove	$35,886	16.4%	10.8%
43	Berea	$38,513	33.9%	7.2%
44	Frankfort	$40,622	19.1%	11.4%
45	Williamsburg	$34,408	21.8%	8.4%
46	Morehead	$37,036	34.5%	7.2%
47	Central City	$35,057	23.8%	8.6%
48	Maysville	$33,603	18.1%	10.6%
49	Russellville	$30,606	23.6%	7.9%
50	Henderson	$35,725	21.7%	10.7%
51	Dayton	$36,589	24.2%	9.8%
52	Mount Sterling	$38,459	19.9%	13.7%
53	Paducah	$31,338	23.1%	8.8%
54	Winchester	$35,055	20.3%	11.1%
55	Somerset	$24,851	29.4%	6.4%
56	Hazard	$38,167	26.1%	10.8%
57	Princeton	$37,008	20.8%	13.8%
58	Paris	$32,489	23.2%	10.4%
59	Ashland	$37,789	23.4%	12.5%
60	Covington	$35,460	22.2%	12.1%
61	Franklin	$30,398	22.4%	11.3%
62	Lebanon	$22,670	24.6%	9.0%
63	Newport	$35,041	24.0%	13.1%
64	Campbellsville	$31,026	24.4%	11.0%
65	Hopkinsville	$34,670	22.0%	16.4%
66	Glasgow	$28,155	24.9%	10.5%
67	Cynthiana	$27,572	27.6%	9.9%
68	Bowling Green	$34,036	29.9%	11.7%
69	Richmond	$30,295	33.2%	10.6%
70	Corbin	$32,713	24.6%	16.1%
71	London	$30,286	28.2%	12.7%
72	Bardstown	$32,000	26.8%	18.0%
73	Harrodsburg	$29,754	26.8%	21.7%
74	Murray	$29,993	36.8%	13.5%
75	Leitchfield	$26,786	31.3%	16.9%
76	Mayfield	$24,839	34.4%	15.0%
77	Middlesborough	$21,694	35.0%	14.1%
78	Monticello	$25,510	39.7%	17.1%

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.

Create Resume