The Town FilesLexington-Fayette, Kentucky
Urban county in Fayette County · population 322,570 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $293,500
- Household income
- $69,479
- Jan low / Jul high
- 25° / 87°
- Snow a year
- 15 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 16
- Median age
- 35.3
Lexington-Fayette is an urban county of 322,570 people in Fayette County, Kentucky. The median home is worth $293,500, above the typical Kentucky town ($161,450). It ranks more vibrant than 95% of Kentucky towns, better transit than 94% of Kentucky towns, better for cycling than 93% of Kentucky towns.
How Lexington-Fayette ranks
Percentile among Kentucky towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Kentucky towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Lexington-Fayette is worth $293,500, above the typical Kentucky town ($161,450). Homes cost about 4.2 times the median household income of $69,479, which is more affordable than 11% of Kentucky towns. Median rent is $1,164 a month. 53.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Lexington-Fayette | Typical Kentucky town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $293,500 | $161,450 |
| Median rent | $1,164 | $837 |
| Median household income | $69,479 | $54,969 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.2× | 3.0× |
| Homeownership | 53.8% | 63.5% |
| Median year built | 1984 | 1974 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.7% | — |
Who lives in Lexington-Fayette
| People | Lexington-Fayette | Typical Kentucky town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.3 | 39.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 14.7% | 18.1% |
| Under 18 | 21.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.3% | 19.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 14.9% | 18.0% |
| Veterans | 5.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 11.9% | — |
| Work from home | 12.2% | 7.5% |
| Average commute | 20.9 min | 22.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 92.5% | 88.6% |
Weather in Lexington-Fayette
July highs average 86.9°F and January lows 25.4°F. About 49.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 14.5 inches of snow (typical Kentucky town: 9.4 in). Expect about 25 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 90 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lexington-Fayette since 1950, compared with 19 for the typical Kentucky town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 3, 1974 about 9.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 2, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 43 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on July 10, 1966.
Severe weather in Fayette County since 1996
Fayette County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3633: Severe Winter Storm |
| April 3, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3626: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| February 16, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3624: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides |
| May 22, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4782: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| April 10, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4702: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Fayette County
Fayette County had 204,412 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $64,489 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in Lexington-Fayette itself the ACS puts it at 4.9%.
Public schools in Lexington-Fayette
72 public schools with 36,932 students, about 13.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette High School | 9-12 | 2,373 | 18.3 |
| Bryan Station High School | 9-12 | 2,025 | 17.0 |
| Henry Clay High School | 9-12 | 1,990 | 16.6 |
| Tates Creek High School | 9-12 | 1,733 | 17.0 |
| Frederick Douglass High School | 9-12 | 1,719 | 19.1 |
| Edythe Jones Hayes Middle School | 6-8 | 1,070 | 14.9 |
| Jessie M Clark Middle School | 6-8 | 985 | 15.2 |
| Leestown Middle School | 6-8 | 944 | 14.1 |
| Winburn Middle School | 6-8 | 804 | 12.6 |
| Garrett Morgan Elementary | K-5 | 780 | 14.4 |
| Sandersville Elementary | PK-5 | 769 | 14.0 |
| Southern Middle School | 6-8 | 764 | 13.6 |
Towns near Lexington-Fayette
- Nicholasville, KY11.9 mi · 31,093 people · home $226,800
- Versailles, KY14.5 mi · 10,347 people · home $286,100
- Winchester, KY14.8 mi · 19,134 people · home $188,300
- Paris, KY14.9 mi · 10,171 people · home $186,300
- Georgetown, KY15.7 mi · 37,086 people · home $265,400
- Wilmore, KY15.9 mi · 5,999 people · home $248,900
- Richmond, KY23.2 mi · 34,585 people · home $214,900
- Lawrenceburg, KY24.3 mi · 11,728 people · home $201,100
Lexington-Fayette questions
Is Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lexington-Fayette scores better for retirees than 11% of Kentucky towns and quieter than 3%. 14.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.3).
How much does a house cost in Lexington-Fayette?
The median owner-occupied home in Lexington-Fayette is valued at $293,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $69,479, so homes cost about 4.2 times income. Median rent is $1,164 a month.
What is the weather like in Lexington-Fayette?
July highs average 86.9°F and January lows 25.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 49.8 inches of precipitation a year and 14.5 inches of snow.
Does Lexington-Fayette get tornadoes?
16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lexington-Fayette since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 3, 1974. The typical Kentucky town has had 19.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)