Owensboro, KY
Census place 2158620 · pop 60,302
Calls itself the Bar-B-Q Capital of the World and hosts the International Bar-B-Q Festival each spring.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
2957 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
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).
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
18.9% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$56,357 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
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 152/100k · worse than most cities
333 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
57.4% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
89.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+1.3% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
26.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.92% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
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.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$178,900 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
37 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
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.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
17 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,093/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
Not measured for Owensboro: 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 Owensboro, KY a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Owensboro scores 49/100 — 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 rent and its weakest is property crime 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 Owensboro, KY?
- Owensboro reports 333 violent crimes per 100k and 2957 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Owensboro, KY expensive to live in?
- Owensboro has a median home value of $178,900 and typical rent around $1,093/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Owensboro, KY?
- Its weakest measured area is property crime rate (2957/100k) — 12/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Owensboro, KY best at?
- Its strongest measured area is rent ($1,093/mo) — 93/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Calls itself the Bar-B-Q Capital of the World and hosts the International Bar-B-Q Festival each spring.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.