What it's like to live in Fort Thomas
Fort Thomas is a small city in Kentucky with rent below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Fort Thomas deals with cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Cold winters
How Fort Thomas compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Fort Thomas
Based on Fort Thomas's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,252
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $45,040 a year
- 40% of Fort Thomas renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$67,000
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $33,500
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 20% below US
$1,126/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,126 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $335,000. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $335,000 · 40% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Campbell County is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Campbell County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 84% below US
54 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 423/100k · Fort Thomas Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 19% below US
21 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 21 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 18% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 85°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 26°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 54% above US
55% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is William Howard Taft National Historic Site (4 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Fort Thomas's strongest points are rent below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoff is cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,126/mo) equals 13% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (18% of workers here already work from home).
Other places near Fort Thomas
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