The Town FilesStanford, Kentucky
City in Lincoln County · population 3,640 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $155,000
- Household income
- $49,337
- Jan low / Jul high
- 23° / 87°
- Snow a year
- 8 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 20
- Median age
- 49.3
Stanford is a city of 3,640 people in Lincoln County, Kentucky. The median home is worth $155,000, close to the typical Kentucky town ($161,450). It ranks easier by car than 95% of Kentucky towns.
How Stanford 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 Stanford is worth $155,000, close to the typical Kentucky town ($161,450). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $49,337, which is more affordable than 47% of Kentucky towns. Median rent is $669 a month. 67.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Stanford | Typical Kentucky town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $155,000 | $161,450 |
| Median rent | $669 | $837 |
| Median household income | $49,337 | $54,969 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.1× | 3.0× |
| Homeownership | 67.3% | 63.5% |
| Median year built | 1978 | 1974 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.2% | — |
Who lives in Stanford
| People | Stanford | Typical Kentucky town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.3 | 39.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 25.2% | 18.1% |
| Under 18 | 20.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.4% | 19.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12.0% | 18.0% |
| Veterans | 10.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.0% | — |
| Work from home | 10.0% | 7.5% |
| Average commute | 27.0 min | 22.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 84.7% | 88.6% |
Weather in Stanford
July highs average 86.5°F and January lows 23.3°F. About 47.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 8.1 inches of snow (typical Kentucky town: 9.4 in). Expect about 27 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 103 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Stanford since 1950, compared with 19 for the typical Kentucky town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on April 3, 1974 about 7.5 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 107 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 3, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 30 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on April 25, 2015.
Severe weather in Lincoln County since 1996
Lincoln County has been included in 28 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 16, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3624: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides |
| April 10, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4702: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Lincoln County
Lincoln County had 3,920 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $44,735 a year. Unemployment was 5.1% in 2023; in Stanford itself the ACS puts it at 1.1%.
Public schools in Stanford
5 public schools with 2,199 students, about 14.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County High School | 9-12 | 916 | 16.1 |
| Lincoln County Middle School | 6-8 | 690 | 15.3 |
| Stanford Elementary School | PK-5 | 578 | 11.3 |
| Patriot Academy | 6-12 | 15 | 5.0 |
| Lincoln County Area Technology Center | 8-12 | — | — |
Towns near Stanford
- Lancaster, KY7.2 mi · 3,899 people · home $175,300
- Danville, KY9.9 mi · 17,234 people · home $207,600
- Harrodsburg, KY19.5 mi · 9,064 people · home $154,200
- Berea, KY20.3 mi · 15,539 people · home $199,900
- Richmond, KY23.9 mi · 34,585 people · home $214,900
- Wilmore, KY24.0 mi · 5,999 people · home $248,900
- Nicholasville, KY25.4 mi · 31,093 people · home $226,800
Stanford questions
Is Stanford, Kentucky a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Stanford scores better for retirees than 63% of Kentucky towns and quieter than 55%. 25.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 49.3).
How much does a house cost in Stanford?
The median owner-occupied home in Stanford is valued at $155,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $49,337, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $669 a month.
What is the weather like in Stanford?
July highs average 86.5°F and January lows 23.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 47.9 inches of precipitation a year and 8.1 inches of snow.
Does Stanford get tornadoes?
20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Stanford since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 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)