Berea, KY
Census place 2105842 · pop 15,786
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
17.9% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.3% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$59,495 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
58.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
90.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
27.2% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+2.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
23 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.43 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
861 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.72% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$199,900 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
87 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
68/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,118/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
Not measured for Berea: Air, Obesity, Mental, Inactive, Smoking, Uninsured, Bad air. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Berea, KY a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Berea scores 56/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 15 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is rent and its weakest is poverty rate. Kentucky overall ranks #22 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Berea, KY?
- Berea reports 87 violent crimes per 100k and 861 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Berea, KY expensive to live in?
- Berea has a median home value of $199,900 and typical rent around $1,118/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Berea, KY?
- Its weakest measured area is poverty rate (17.9%) — 24/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Berea, KY best at?
- Its strongest measured area is rent ($1,118/mo) — 92/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.