Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Tennessee instead of Kentucky, you would:
Economy
be 16.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Kentucky, 15.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Tennessee, however, that number is 12.9% as of 2023.
make 20.0% more money
Kentucky has a GDP per capita of $50,135 as of 2024, while in Tennessee, the GDP per capita is $60,177 as of 2024.
Safety
be 2.8 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Kentucky has a violent crime rate of 220 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Tennessee, that number is 612 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 50.9% more likely to be a victim of property crime
Kentucky has a property crime rate of 1,525 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Tennessee, that number is 2,301 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 33.5% more for a home
The median home value in Kentucky is $192,300 as of 2023, compared to $256,800 in Tennessee as of 2023.
pay 20.3% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Kentucky is $933 as of 2023, while in Tennessee, it is $1,122 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 11.1% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Kentucky, 18.0% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Tennessee, that number is 20.0% as of 2023.
be 36.0% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Kentucky, 2.5% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Tennessee, that number is 3.4% as of 2023.
be 13.5% less likely to be food insecure
In Kentucky, 12.6% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Tennessee, that number is 10.9% as of 2021.
commute 1.7 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Kentucky takes 24.0 minutes as of 2023. In Tennessee, it takes 25.7 minutes as of 2023.
be 66.7% more likely to be uninsured
In Kentucky, 5.7% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Tennessee, that number is 9.5% as of 2023.
live in an area that is 51.6% more densely populated
Kentucky has a population density of 44.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In Tennessee, that number is 67.0 people per sq km as of 2023.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2023), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
