Places › Kentucky › Hopkinsville

Living in Hopkinsville, KY

Small city in Kentucky

Hopkinsville is a small city in Kentucky, home to about 31,000 people, with 250,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, a car is essential. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.

Is Hopkinsville a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $211k and rents for $1,870 a month
  • Low taxes: about $1,066 state income tax per resident, 0.75% property tax
  • Dog-friendly: 2 dog parks within 9 mi
  • Safe: violent crime is 0.8× the US rate (FBI 2019)

👎 Cons

  • Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Fewer graduates: 22% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Smaller job market: about 250,000 people live within 31 mi

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Hopkinsville ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
31,000
250,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
46°F / 87°F
Average daily highs · 5″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$211k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,870/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
91
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$1,066
State income tax per resident · 0.75% property tax
Safety
0.8× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
12 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, earthquakes
Top-rated hospitals
1
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Below average
Tests below US average · 18 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
22%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
BNA
66 mi away

Living in Hopkinsville: common questions

What is the cost of living in Hopkinsville?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $211k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,870 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 91, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Hopkinsville?

Kentucky collects about $1,066 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.75% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Hopkinsville safe?

Violent crime is close to the national rate (0.8× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Hopkinsville?

Public schools in Hopkinsville test below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 18 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Hopkinsville?

Hopkinsville has cool winters: winter days average around 46°F and summer days around 87°F, with roughly 5″ of snow a year.

Does Hopkinsville get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is high, mainly from flooding, earthquakes and tornadoes: 12 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.98 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Hopkinsville?

The nearest major airport is BNA, about 66 mi away.

How Hopkinsville scores

Each bar compares Hopkinsville with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietQuiet / rural Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundCar essential Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureStrong culture scene Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateCool winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingVery affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceSlow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityPrivate AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingApartments & houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingExcellent
💸Low taxesExcellent
💼Job marketPoor
🏥HealthcareAverage
🏫SchoolsBelow average
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyPoor
🐕Dog-friendlyGood
⛰️OutdoorsPoor
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetySafe
🌪️Few natural disastersAverage
☀️SunnyAverage
🌤️Mild summersGood
✈️AirportAverage

Places like Hopkinsville

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

St. Joseph, MOSmall city46 $211k$1,360/moHigher crime Texarkana, ARSmall city37 $204k$1,370/moModerate crime Jefferson City, MOSmall city47 $266k$1,270/moSafe Jonesboro, ARSmall city41 $214k$1,400/moHigher crime Elizabethtown, KYSmall city47 $263k$1,470/moVery safe Enid, OKSmall city43 $158k$1,340/moModerate crime

Nearby

Clarksville, TNMid-size city · 20 mi away40 $295k$1,870/moModerate crime Bowling Green, KYSmall city · 58 mi away39 $263k$1,380/moSafe Hendersonville, TNSuburb · 61 mi away58 $442k$2,210/moVery safe Nashville, TNBig city · 63 mi away52 $409k$2,210/moHigher crime Gallatin, TNSmall city · 64 mi away50 $410k$2,210/moVery safe Owensboro, KYSmall city · 66 mi away47 $214k$1,470/moSafe

See all the best places to live in Kentucky.

Is Hopkinsville right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.