What it's like to live in Shively
Shively is a small city in Kentucky with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Shively deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
How Shively compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Shively
Based on Shively's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,798
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $35,960 a year
- 48% of Shively renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$30,940
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $15,470
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 36% below US
$899/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $899 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $154,700. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $154,700 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.5% county unemployment
Unemployment in Jefferson County is 4.5%, 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.
Jefferson County (county-wide)
SafetyNear US average
327 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 2691/100k · Shively Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 14% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 88°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 30°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 61% below US
14% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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 Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park (43 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Shively'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 air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($899/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget.
Other places near Shively
All Kentucky guides →Moving to St. Matthews →
10 mi away · pop. 17,577
Rent $1,369/mo · Income $82,412
Compare with Shively →Moving to Jeffersontown →
13 mi away · pop. 29,199
Rent $1,320/mo · Income $81,506
Compare with Shively →Not sure Shively is the one?
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