What it's like to live in Nicholasville
Nicholasville is a small city in Kentucky with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Nicholasville deals with household incomes below the national average, cold winters, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Clean air
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Nicholasville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Nicholasville
Based on Nicholasville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,294
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $45,880 a year
- 41% of Nicholasville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$45,360
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $22,680
- Homes cost 3.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 19% below US
$1,147/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,147 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $226,800. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $226,800 · 41% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 40% below US
197 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1491/100k · Nicholasville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 86°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 28°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 25% below US
27% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 27%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
12 public schools inside the boundary
There are 12 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Camp Nelson National Monument (7 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Nicholasville's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,147/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Nicholasville
All Kentucky guides →Moving to Lexington-Fayette →
12 mi away · pop. 323,725
Rent $1,164/mo · Income $69,479
Compare with Nicholasville →Moving to Versailles →
14 mi away · pop. 10,492
Rent $1,160/mo · Income $62,368
Compare with Nicholasville →Moving to Richmond →
18 mi away · pop. 37,111
Rent $917/mo · Income $50,870
Compare with Nicholasville →Moving to Lawrenceburg →
21 mi away · pop. 11,943
Rent $954/mo · Income $66,486
Compare with Nicholasville →Not sure Nicholasville is the one?
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