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Bowling Green, KY

Census place 2108902 · pop 75,388

D−48/ 100
🫤 Rough
D−
in KY
📍 Kentucky ranks #22 of 50 states →
🏆 Commute18 min · top 13%
🚽 Own36.6% · bottom 3%
💡 Did you know?

Sole home of Chevrolet Corvette assembly and the National Corvette Museum, where a sinkhole once swallowed eight rare cars.

Source ↗
Taxes
0.75% property · US 0.99%6.00% sales · US 7.00%3.50% flat income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

Google Maps ↗Zillow ↗Wikipedia ↗

The breakdown — worst first

Homeownership36.6%3

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

36.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Poverty rate25.6%8

U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities

25.6% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Median household income$48,87311

U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities

$48,873 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Property crime rate2984/100k12

U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities

2984 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Income inequality0.4914

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.49 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Broadband access90.0%38

U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities

90.0% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Unemployment rateCounty-level3.9%39

U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities

3.9% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Violent crime rate231/100k44

U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities

231 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Bachelor's degree or higher31.2%52

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

31.2% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Housing cost$241,90059

U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities

$241,900 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level83/10060

U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities

83/100 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.

Property-tax burden0.75%68

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.75% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Air quality (AQI)County-level39 AQI73

U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities

39 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Rent$1,277/mo84

U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities

$1,277/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Population growth (5yr)+11.5%84

U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities

+11.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level0 days85

U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities

0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Commute time18 min87

U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities

18 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Not measured for Bowling Green: Obesity, Mental, Inactive, Smoking, Uninsured. 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 Bowling Green, KY a good place to live?
By the numbers, Bowling Green scores 48/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 17 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is commute time and its weakest is homeownership. 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 Bowling Green, KY?
Bowling Green reports 231 violent crimes per 100k and 2984 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Bowling Green, KY expensive to live in?
Bowling Green has a median home value of $241,900 and typical rent around $1,277/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Bowling Green, KY?
Its weakest measured area is homeownership (36.6%) — 3/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Bowling Green, KY best at?
Its strongest measured area is commute time (18 min) — 87/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Sole home of Chevrolet Corvette assembly and the National Corvette Museum, where a sinkhole once swallowed eight rare cars.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.