Top 10 safest cities in Kentucky, according to SafeWise

KENTUCKY ( FOX 56 ) — According to The Hill , the public’s concern for safety skyrocketed to the highest in three decades in 2023.

Whether you’re traveling to the Commonwealth, looking to relocate, or curious about threats in your area, knowing how safe the area is may be at the forefront of your mind.

SafeWise strives to make sense of all the home safety and security information available to the public and releases a database of “ safest cities ” each year.

According to SafeWise, researchers utilize FBI crime statistics data to rank cities in each state and across the nation. The 2024 report includes the most recent FBI data that was released in October 2023 and accounts for crimes reported in the calendar year 2022. The information falls into two categories, property and violent crime, and was calculated per 1,000 residents.

Property crime includes the following:

• Burglary
• Larceny
• Theft
• Motor-vehicle theft

Violent crime includes the following:

• Aggravated assault
• Murder
• Rape
• Robbery

According to SafeWise, arson is not included in FBI property crime rates and is not reflected in the rankings. Also, cities that fell below the identified population thresholds or that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI were excluded from the 2024 report.

In addition to FBI crime data, SafetyWise conducted a nationwide survey to find out American’s top safety concerns. Approximately 5,000 residents were surveyed, at least 100 from each state, according to SafetyWise. The State of Safety survey asked participants to rate how concerned they were about each crime and safety issue using a scale from one to seven.

Kentucky’s top safety concerns, according to SafeWise

According to the combination of the State of Safety survey and FBI crime data, Kentucky’s violent crime rate of 2.7 is the eighth lowest in the nation, and its property crime rate of 16, places it in the 12th lowest ranking. The crime rates, according to SafeWise, have continued to drop year after year.

Property crime rates, per SafeWise, have seen a 4% decrease each year. However, Kentuckians claimed to worry the most about package theft, with approximately 62% of residents stating it’s something they worry about each day.

SafeWise’s survey concluded that Kentuckians are most concerned about the following crimes:

• Violent crime: 59% of Kentuckians
• Property crime: 48% of Kentuckians
• Gun violence: 57% of Kentuckians
• Package theft: 62% of Kentuckians

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The national average, based on the State of Safety survey, is as follows:

• Violent crime: 50%
• Property crime: 52%
• Gun violence: 51%
• Package theft: 53%

Safest Cities in Kentucky for 2024, according to SafeWise

Based on SafeWise’s research , Kentucky’s crime rates fall below national averages and are among the lowest in the country, with both violent and property crime dropping year after year.

SafeWise reported several distinct findings in Kentucky’s analysis, including:

• 110 Kentucky cities met the criteria for ranking, with 11 appearing in the top 20 for the first time.
• Edgewood, Southgate, and Park Hills each reported 0 violent crimes
• There were no homicides reported by the top 20 cities.
• Taylor Mill and Morganfield each reported zero burglaries.
• All 20 cities reported fewer than 100 total property crimes each.

Here are the top 10 safest cities in Kentucky, according to SafeWise .

1. Edgewood

Edgewood, with a population of approximately 8,372 residents, is ranked as the safest city in Kentucky. Edgewood’s violent crime rate is 0 for 2024, dropping from 0.2 in 2023. Property crime sits at 5.3, rising from 4.7 in 2023.

Edgewood saw improvement from 2023, moving the city up seven slots and claiming the title of the safest city in the Bluegrass in the 2024 rankings.

2. Southgate

Southgate, with a population of approximately 3,658 residents, sits at number two for Kentucky’s safest cities. Southgate’s violent crime rate is 0 for 2024, dropping from one in 2023. Property crime sits at 6.6, rising from 4.4 in 2023.

Southgate saw improvement in 2023, moving the city up 20 slots in the 2024 rankings.

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3. Park Hills

Park Hills, with a population of approximately 3,158 residents, sits at number three for Kentucky’s safest cities. Park Hills’ violent crime rate is 0 for 2024, dropping from 0.3 in 2023. Property crime sits at 6.6, falling from 7.7 in 2023.

Park Hills saw improvement in 2023, moving the city up 21 slots in the 2024 rankings.

4. West Liberty

West Liberty, with a population of approximately 3,251 residents, sits at number four for Kentucky’s safest cities. West Liberty’s violent crime rate is 0.3 for 2024, dropping from 1.1 in 2023. Property crime sits at 4.4, falling from 10.8 in 2023.

West Liberty fell two slots in the 2024 rankings.

5. Carrollton

Carrollton, with a population of approximately 3,898 residents, caps off the top five of Kentucky’s safest cities. Carrollton’s violent crime rate is 0.3 for 2024, dropping from 1.1 in 2023. Property crime sits at 4.4, falling from 10.8 in 2023.

Carrollton shot up 35 slots in 2024, sitting comfortably at number five.

6. Wilmore

Wilmore, with a population of approximately 6,081 residents, sits at number six on the list of Kentucky’s safest cities. Wilmore’s violent crime rate is 0.2 for 2024, dropping from 0.3 in 2023. Property crime sits at 6.2, falling from 7.4 in 2023.

Wilmore raised the bar by 15 ranks in 2023, landing at number six.

7. Fort Thomas

If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Fort Thomas keeps its number seven slot of Kentucky’s safest cities. With a population of approximately 17,159 residents, violent crime dropped from 0.4 to 0.2 in a year, and property crime rose from 3.9 to 5.6.

8. Taylor Mill

Taylor Mill, with a population of approximately 6,821 residents, sits at number eight on the list of Kentucky’s safest cities. Taylor Mill’s violent crime rate is 0.4 for 2024, dropping from 0.6 in 2023. Property crime sits at 2.3, falling from 2.8 in 2023.

Taylor Mill fell by two slots in the 2024 rankings.

9. Prospect

Prospect, with a population of approximately 4,552 residents, sits at number nine on the list of Kentucky’s safest cities. Prospect’s violent crime rate is 0.2 for 2024, rising from 0 in 2023. Property crime sits at 7, rising from 4.7 in 2023.

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Prospect raised the bar by 20 ranks in 2023, landing at number nine.

10. Vine Grove

Vine Grove, with a population of approximately 6,843 residents, caps off the top 10 safest Kentucky cities. Vine Grove’s violent crime rate is 0.3 for 2024, dropping from 1.3 in 2023. Property crime sits at 5.7, falling from 6.3 in 2023.

Vine Grove’s improvements from 2023 had the city claiming the ranks by 20, concluding the list of Kentucky’s top 10 safest cities.

To view the complete rankings of Kentucky’s safest cities, click here .

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