The Town FilesLouisville, Kentucky
City in Jefferson County · population 246,161 (2020 Census)
- Jan low / Jul high
- 28° / 89°
- Snow a year
- 13 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 39
Louisville is a city of 246,161 people in Jefferson County, Kentucky. It ranks more walkable than 98% of Kentucky towns, more vibrant than 97% of Kentucky towns, better transit than 97% of Kentucky towns.
How Louisville 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
| Housing | Louisville | Typical Kentucky town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | — | $161,450 |
| Median rent | — | $837 |
| Median household income | — | $54,969 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 3.0× |
| Homeownership | — | 63.5% |
| Median year built | — | 1974 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | — | — |
Who lives in Louisville
| People | Louisville | Typical Kentucky town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | — | 39.1 |
| Age 65 and over | — | 18.1% |
| Under 18 | — | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | — | 19.8% |
| Below the poverty line | — | 18.0% |
| Veterans | — | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | — | — |
| Work from home | — | 7.5% |
| Average commute | — min | 22.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | — | 88.6% |
Weather in Louisville
July highs average 89.0°F and January lows 27.8°F. About 48.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 13.4 inches of snow (typical Kentucky town: 9.4 in). Expect about 43 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 74 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
39 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Louisville 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 1.1 miles from the town center and killed 3. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 3 deaths and 240 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 2, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 157 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on May 3, 1996.
Severe weather in Jefferson County since 1996
Jefferson County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3633: Severe Winter Storm |
| April 24, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4864: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| April 3, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3626: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| February 24, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4860: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| February 16, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3624: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides |
Jobs and pay in Jefferson County
Jefferson County had 482,313 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $71,280 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023.
Public schools in Louisville
164 public schools with 87,178 students, about 15.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballard High | 9-12 | 2,033 | 19.0 |
| Marion C. Moore School | 6-12 | 2,031 | 14.6 |
| duPont Manual High | 9-12 | 1,922 | 17.3 |
| Louisville Male High | 9-12 | 1,904 | 20.9 |
| Pleasure Ridge Park High | 9-12 | 1,615 | 18.4 |
| Fern Creek High | 9-12 | 1,588 | 15.1 |
| Southern High | 9-12 | 1,540 | 17.1 |
| Atherton High | 9-12 | 1,496 | 18.7 |
| Pathfinder School of Innovation | K-12 | 1,451 | 17.1 |
| Butler Traditional High | 9-12 | 1,406 | 17.6 |
| Seneca High | 9-12 | 1,317 | 15.0 |
| Central High Magnet Career Academy | 9-12 | 1,239 | 15.5 |
Towns near Louisville
- Shively, KY4.4 mi · 15,636 people · home $154,700
- Indian Hills, KY5.8 mi · 2,860 people · home $699,200
- St. Matthews, KY5.8 mi · 17,534 people · home $338,000
- Louisville/Jefferson County, KY6.5 mi · 386,884 people · home $233,900
- Clarksville, IN6.9 mi · 22,333 people · home $179,700
- Graymoor-Devondale, KY7.5 mi · 2,853 people · home $338,000
- New Albany, IN7.5 mi · 37,841 people · home $180,500
- Jeffersonville, IN8.1 mi · 49,447 people · home $216,800
Louisville questions
Is Louisville, Kentucky a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Louisville scores better for retirees than 3% of Kentucky towns and quieter than 2%.
What is the weather like in Louisville?
July highs average 89.0°F and January lows 27.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 48.3 inches of precipitation a year and 13.4 inches of snow.
Does Louisville get tornadoes?
39 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Louisville 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)