328,690
Population
Sunny Days: 188
95100 Affordability
95100 Schools
70100 Diversity
80100 Safety
Lexington, Kentucky
Horse Capital Of The World
Lexington Kentucky
Lexington Horse Farm
Transylvania University
North Limestone, Downtown Lexington
LookyLOO Review of Lexington
The Wildcats
If you’re not from the area and have heard of Lexington, chances are it’s for one of two reasons: 1. The Horses 2. The Kentucky Wildcats.
While it's possible to avoid the horse culture in Lexington, it's impossible to avoid the city’s insanity for the Wildcats (at least in-season). Few communities come together and rally around a team (or anything) quite like Lexington rallies around hoops. Being a part of this community is something that residents take great pride in, and often claim is the crown jewel of their city. The large hospital and jobs that come with the massive public university certainly don’t hurt either.
Do not be deceived by Kentucky’s claim of being a southern state. If you’re living in Lexington, expect the weather to be a brutal mix of both southern and midwestern inhospitality. The local parks and nearby outdoor hotspots such as Red River Gorge and Mammoth Cave are certainly a plus, but residents often complain about the fact that there are very few days weather-wise to enjoy them. Snowier and more frigid winter days than most southern cities quickly transition into hotter and more humid summer days than most midwest cities.
Lifestyle
While Lexington has weather like the Midwest it feels more southern than Midwestern in “vibe” and “heat”. By heat, we mean the sense that the city is in the early stages of growth as we’ve seen with other Southeastern cities like Nashville or Atlanta. The city is quiet for a population of 300k but the school and downtown commercial district are enough to keep most people occupied with a smallish but growing arts and music scene and plenty of restaurants and bars. It certainly is a city that feels like a big town and for many, that’s just the right vibe.
If you want to see what's happening in Lexington, check out the calendar of events..
Worklife
Horses, agriculture and bourbon are major industries in Lexington. In fact the city has the greatest concentration of thoroughbred horse farms in the world. In addition to horse raising, breeding and training Lexington is also a major tourist attraction for those who want to come and watch the horses race. Lexington and the Fayette County area are the leading producers of burley tobacco in the country. The rich soil also works for growing corn, soybeans and other crops. In addition to the classic industries Lexington is known for there is also manufacturing happening via Toyota and small and large tech ventures, including the city’s largest employer, Lexmark International. While there’s plenty to do for work here we also expect growth to come from wfh refugees looking for the quality of life without the price tag of bigger cities.
Schools
Lexington is part of the Fayette County Public School District. It receives an "A-" on niche.com with high "A's" for College Prep and Diversity.
Fayette [enrollment policy](public school enrollment policy dictates that students are assigned to the school based on their residential address, meaning they will attend the zoned school for their home location; to enroll, parents must provide necessary documentation and register their child at the corresponding school within the district, with the primary requirement being that a child must be 5 years old by August 1st to enroll in kindergarten) dictates that students are assigned to the school based on their residential address, meaning they will attend the zoned school for their home location; to enroll, parents must provide the necessary documentation and register their child at the corresponding school within the district, with the primary requirement being that a child must be 5 years old by August 1st to enroll in kindergarten.
A few of the highest-performing high schools in the district include:
-Lafayette High School is the #2 rated public high school in the entire state. It receives an "A" on niche.com and gets the highest grades for Academics and Teachers.
-Paul Laurence Dunbar is another star in the district. It receives an "A" on niche.com with the highest grades for Academics, Diversity, and College Prep. The Math, Science, and Technology Center is a magnet program housed within the school.
Why You Should Move Here Now?
A Remote Haven
As more and more people transition to permanent remote work, Lexington has become popular due to its mix of great homes and close proximity to city amenities. With a new world class 100% fiber-optic network running throughout the city, Lexington is making strides to transition its identity from a small, midwest/southern college town into a city of the future.
Reviews of Lexington from Locals
Live Comfortably
phorgewerk
Living in Lexington
10mo ago
🦉🦉🦉
You can absolutely live comfortably on 100k/yr in Lexington, the people in this thread saying its "lower middle class" are bizarre. The only way it would suck is if you are trying to find a place downtown and already have a mountain of debt. Listings do tend to get snapped up quickly though which does suck if you are trying to make up your mind about a property.
You can get stuff in the satellite towns for much cheaper though as other people have pointed out, it really just comes down to how much you value your commute time. Rush hour on Nicholasville road is some unhinged demolition derby shit.
You can absolutely live comfortably on 100k/yr in Lexington, the people in this thread saying its "lower middle class" are bizarre. The only way it would suck is if you are trying to find a place downtown and already have a mountain of debt. Listings do tend to get snapped up quickly though which does suck if you are trying to make up your mind about a property.
You can get stuff in the satellite towns for much cheaper though as other people have pointed out, it really just comes down to how much you value your commute time. Rush hour on Nicholasville road is some unhinged demolition derby shit.
Want to give Lexington a shot?
Use our friends at VRBO and Expedia to help get you going!
Living in Lexington
Neighborhoods in Lexington
View All
Historic Downtown
Young Professionals
Historic Downtown is the first place to look if you’re a young professional and moving to Lexington. The city has worked hard to grow the commercial and arts scene downtown and so cultural, arts and nightlife are all densely packed here. The Opera House is here, for those looking to get some culture, along with Rupp Arena, where the Wildcats play so whether you’re feeling operatic or ready to cheer you’ll find it downtown. Finally the area has an interesting mix of apt/condo and homes to choose from for those who don’t want only the cookie cutter buildings to choose from.
- Historic Downtown
- Chevy Chase
- Kenwick