Kentucky’s 20 Safest Cities of 2018

Every May, thousands of people visit the Bluegrass State to attend the Kentucky Derby, but there are plenty of good reasons to stay permanently. For starters, Kentucky offers a low cost of living, numerous recreational opportunities, and a robust entrepreneurial environment. It also boasts a violent crime rate that’s 25% lower than the national average.

The 20 cities on our list are helping keep crime rates low. A remarkable 40% of the safest cities in Kentucky reported no violent crime, and every city cited fewer than one crime of this type per 1,000 people. In contrast, an average 4.64 violent crimes are reported for every 1,000 people nationally, according to the most recent FBI crime report.

Especially deserving of recognition is the most populated safest city in Kentucky, Versailles. The county seat of Woodford County, Versailles reported a mere 15 violent crimes in 2016. Boasting the “small town feel you want with urban access you need,” this safe city is known for its friendly folks and picturesque countryside, while also being less than 15 miles from the bustling city of Lexington.

Nominal criminal activity among the 20 safest cities in Kentucky carries through to property crime. In fact, these cities cited an average 66% less property crime than the state as a whole. Tenth-ranked Flatwoods is particularly impressive—it reported the lowest rate of property crime of any city on our list.

With over 80 years of service to draw on, the Flatwoods Police Department is grounded in tradition but also embraces modern policing practices, such as community involvement. Setting the standard is Chief of Police, Scott Gillum, who says, “I am available to our citizens, for any reason, any time, day or night and welcome their input on any problems the city may have.”

If you want to help keep crime under control, explore our Kentucky Safety Directory for ideas about how to make a difference.

The 20 Safest Cities in Kentucky

How We Chose the Safest Cities in Kentucky

To identify the 20 safest cities in Kentucky, we reviewed the 2016 FBI crime report statistics and population data. Cities that fell below identified population thresholds or that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI were excluded from the ranking system.

Our evaluation is based on the number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape, and robbery) in each city. If there was a tie, we also factored in the number of property crimes (burglary, arson, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft). To level the playing field, we calculated the rate of crimes per 1,000 people in each city. This makes it easier to directly compare the likelihood of these crimes occurring in cities with vastly different populations.

Learn more about how we rank our Safest Cities reports.

How to Make a Safe Home Anywhere

Wherever you live, feeling safe in your home can bring greater peace of mind and happiness. Whether your city made our list or not, we recommend adding extra security to your home with monitored security services provided by the nation’s leading home security providers.

To learn more about the home security options available to you, check out SafeWise’s picks for  Best Home Security Systems of 2018.

If you would like to contact a SafeWise Safest Cities Analyst, please email info@safewise.com.