Living in Owensboro, KY
Small city in Kentucky
Owensboro is a small city in Kentucky, home to about 60,000 people, with 275,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly houses.
Is Owensboro a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $214k and rents for $1,470 a month
- Low taxes: about $1,066 state income tax per resident, 0.94% property tax
- Strong healthcare: 1 top-rated (4–5★) hospital within 31 mi
- Safe: violent crime is 0.6× the US rate (FBI 2019)
👎 Cons
- Smaller job market: about 275,000 people live within 31 mi
- Fewer graduates: 25% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
- Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Owensboro ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Owensboro: common questions
What is the cost of living in Owensboro?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $214k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,470 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 89, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Owensboro?
Kentucky collects about $1,066 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.94% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Owensboro safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.6× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Owensboro?
Owensboro has cool winters: winter days average around 45°F and summer days around 86°F, with roughly 6″ of snow a year.
Does Owensboro get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding and earthquakes: 10 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.52 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Owensboro?
The nearest major airport is SDF, about 81 mi away.
How Owensboro scores
Each bar compares Owensboro with the other 1143 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).
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Nearby
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Is Owensboro right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.