Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Louisville

You think about moving to Louisville but want to get additional information about the city and the lifestyle in this region before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you all the pros and cons of living in Louisville in the following article.

Table of Contents

Living in Louisville – Overview

ClimateLouisville has hot and muggy summers and cold and wet winters.
HousingProperty prices and rents in Louisville are lower than in many other major cities in the US and housing shortage is not a big problem yet.
IncomeMost people in Louisville don’t make good money and median income levels are below national average.
CrimeLouisville crime rates are significantly above national average and Louisville is a relatively unsafe city.
EducationSolid education level while you will still miss world-class education opportunities.
Job MarketUnemployment rate in Louisville is pretty low and many people find decent jobs relatively quickly.
CultureLouisville is a big multicultural city that attracts many people from smaller towns as well as from other states.
Leisure ActivitiesYou can go fishing, swimming or just relax near the Ohio River.
LandscapeLouisville is surrounded by rivers and forests and you can therefore spend lots of time in nature.
InfrastructureLouisville provides decent public infrastructure and you will find everything you need in this region.
Level of ToleranceLouisville is one of the most tolerant cities in Kentucky.
NightlifeNightlife in Louisville is not as great as in NYC or many other bigger cities in the US.
Total Population615,067 inhabitants.
advantages and disadvantages of living in louisville

Advantages of Living in Louisville

  1. Unemployment rate in Louisville is pretty low
  2. You don’t have to worry about losing your job that much
  3. Property prices in Louisville are pretty low
  4. Average person is still able to buy a home in Louisville
  5. Also rents in Louisville are pretty affordable
  6. Housing shortage is not a big problem in Louisville yet
  7. Competition in the housing market is rather low
  8. You may be able to make a real bargain in Louisville
  9. You will be in a pretty good position as a tenant
  10. You will find a decent place to live rather soon
  11. You don’t have to worry about getting evicted that much
  12. Financial pressure in Louisville is rather low
  13. People in Louisville are open and outgoing
  14. Easy to socialize in Louisville
  15. People in Louisville are helpful
  16. You can meet people from many different cultures
  17. You are welcome no matter where you come from
  18. People in Louisville are not that shallow
  19. You can make many good friends soon
  20. Louisville has some decent bars to hang out after work
  21. You can have many interesting conversations
  22. Living costs in Louisville are rather low
  23. Average person can still live the American dream in Louisville
  24. You can save and invest enough money for retirement
  25. Louisville is still a rather secret tip
  26. Louisville is not a crowded city
  27. You can get around by car pretty easily
  28. Finding a parking lot is not a problem in Louisville
  29. Easy to get from one end of the city to the other
  30. Louisville has a decent art community
  31. Louisville has a number of decent museums
  32. You can enjoy many delicious foods in Louisville
  33. Louisville is a pretty traditional city
  34. Louisville is a relatively bike-friendly city
  35. Many decent sports teams in Louisville
  36. You will find many recreational spaces to relax in Louisville
  37. You can spend lots of time in nature in and around Louisville
  38. Louisville offers the comfort of a big city
  39. You will find everything you need in this region
  40. Most people never get bored in Louisville
  41. Decent medical infrastructure in Louisville
  42. Louisville is an important economic center
  43. Population in Louisville is growing
  44. Decent future outlook for Louisville
  45. Most people in Louisville are rather relaxed
  46. People can experience real seasons in Louisville
  47. Louisville has decent air quality
  48. Louisville has great tap water
  49. Easy to travel from Louisville

Unemployment rate in Louisville is pretty low

One advantage of moving to Louisville is that unemployment rate is pretty low and this means that you will most likely have a rather easy time finding a job, at least if you have decent education and can also provide lots of value to the corporate world.

You don’t have to worry about losing your job that much

Since finding a job is relatively easy in Louisville, you also don’t have to fear losing your job that much since even in case this happens, you will find a new job rather quickly and will still be able to pay your bills in the meantime if you save up some money in an emergency fund so that you don’t get into financial trouble.

Property prices in Louisville are pretty low

Another upside to moving to Louisville is that property prices are fairly low compared to other major cities in the US and while people moving to San Diego or other expensive places often have to spend a high fraction of their disposable income on housing and also have to pay back huge sums on their mortgage each month, you will have a more relaxed time in this regard in the Louisville region.

Average person is still able to buy a home in Louisville

Thanks to relatively low property prices, the average person is still able to buy a decent home in Louisville without having to overcommit himself or herself and you can therefore just buy a home so that you never have to worry about losing your home in case your landlord wants to evict you.

Also rents in Louisville are pretty affordable

Louisville can not only be a great place to live for people who want to buy a home, but it is also a decent place for tenants since rents are relatively low and the average person can still afford to rent a decent house while this is often pretty difficult in other more expensive regions.

Housing shortage is not a big problem in Louisville yet

You should also know that compared to other major cities, housing shortage is not a big problem in Louisville yet and you will therefore find many housing opportunities for a reasonable price and can just choose out of many options in this regard.

Competition in the housing market is rather low

Also competition in the Louisville housing market is rather low and this is both true for renting and buying.

In turn, while you may have to deal and bid with many other good prospective tenants or buyers for a home in more popular regions, you will not have to deal with those things in Louisville that much and will be able to rent or buy a home in a rather relaxed manner.

You may be able to make a real bargain in Louisville

Since competition in the housing market is rather low and there will be fewer bidders compared to NYC or other more popular regions, it will also be easier for you to buy a home under market value and to make a real bargain in Louisville on your property investment.

You will be in a pretty good position as a tenant

Since demand for housing is not as high as in many other major cities, you will also be in a pretty decent position as a tenant since you will have more than enough housing opportunities available to you while people in other regions often struggle to find a good place to live within a reasonable amount of time.

You will find a decent place to live rather soon

You also don’t have to spend as much time and effort in the Louisville property market compared to more popular regions and you will also be able to find a suitable place to stay rather soon even if you don’t have the perfect financial background.

You don’t have to worry about getting evicted that much

Since there are many housing opportunities in Louisville, you also don’t have to worry about getting evicted that much since even in case this happens, you will find a decent place to stay and since landlords know that, they will also be more willing to compromise with you compared to other regions where many people are standing in line for every single apartment.

Financial pressure in Louisville is rather low

Another benefit of moving to Louisville is that also overall financial pressure will be lower compared to other more expensive regions.

Since housing is pretty cheap in Louisville, people don’t have to make as much money as people living in NYC since people in NYC have much higher expenses and while people in more expensive regions often struggle financially to get along, you will have a rather easy time in Louisville in this regard.

People in Louisville are open and outgoing

Moving to Louisville can also be great since people in this region are open and outgoing and you will therefore find many occasions to talk to people from various social classes and chances are that you will never run out of conversation partners.

Easy to socialize in Louisville

Since people in Louisville are always curious and communicative, you will also have a rather easy time socializing in Louisville and can expand your social circle pretty quickly so that you don’t have to worry about getting socially isolated once you move to Louisville.

People in Louisville are helpful

Compared to other regions in the Us, people in Louisville are also pretty helpful and once you connect to someone, he or she will often feel obligated to help you out and you can therefore build a really strong group of people who can help out each other so that everyone can benefit from it in the long run.

You can meet people from many different cultures

Since Louisville is a big multicultural city, you will also be able to meet people from all over the world and you can also experience many different cultures which can be quite interesting and also teaches you a lot about how the world works in general so that you can become more mature and tolerant in the long run.

You are welcome no matter where you come from

It also doesn’t really matter where you come from.

As long as you are a friendly and open person and also willing to adapt to local customs at least a little bit, you will find many new people to hang out with rather soon and can easily get along with most locals.

People in Louisville are not that shallow

People in Louisville are also not as shallow as in many other big cities and once you get to know people at a deeper level, they will often stay with you for quite a long time and you can really rely on the support of those people while you might become disappointed in this regard in other regions where it is just all about money on inner values don’t count anymore.

You can make many good friends soon

Since people in Louisville are honest and real, it is also relatively easy to make many good friends rather quickly whom you can rely on during difficult periods of your life when you need emotional support to overcome those dark times so that you can carry on as best as possible.

Louisville has some decent bars to hang out after work

Another upside to living in Louisville is that there are many decent bars and other locations where you can hang out with your buddies after work and can relax from your stressful workday so that you can reload your batteries while still getting decent entertainment at the same time.

You can have many interesting conversations

Since most people in Louisville are friendly and outgoing, you can also have many interesting conversations with people from all over the world and can learn quite a lot from those discussions.

You can also get to know various alternative ways of life and may get to know yourself even better in the long run.

Living costs in Louisville are rather low

Compared to other major cities, living costs in Louisville are pretty low and while people living in Los Angeles or other big metropolitan areas often have to spend a fortune on drinks or other things and services, you can save lots of money in Louisville in this regard since overall price level is much lower.

Average person can still live the American dream in Louisville

Since the average person can still afford to buy a home in Louisville and living costs are still relatively low, it is still possible to live the traditional American dream in Louisville for many people while the average person often struggles to afford a decent lifestyle in more expensive regions.

You can save and invest enough money for retirement

Another advantage of living in Louisville is that since you will not have to spend a high fraction of your disposable income on housing, you will have enough money left to save and invest for retirement and in case you do so properly, you will most likely not have to deal with old-age poverty as much as other people living in more expensive regions and are often not able to save up enough money in this regard.

Louisville is still a rather secret tip

Since Louisville is not the most popular city, it is still a rather secret tip and if you move to Louisville right now, you can still benefit from low housing costs before the region becomes more popular and property prices and rents may increase significantly.

Louisville is not a crowded city

Another benefit of living in Louisville is that the city is not as crowded as many other big metropolitan regions and you will therefore find many spaces in public where you can be on your own in case you have to think about complex problems that need to be solved.

You can get around by car pretty easily

Since Louisville is not that crowded yet, it is also relatively easy to get around by car in an efficient manner and you will also not get stuck in traffic as frequently as people living in bigger metropolitan areas where traffic jams are quite common during rush hour.

Finding a parking lot is not a problem in Louisville

Due to reasonably low traffic, parking lots are also all over the place and you will therefore not have to spend lots of time and money in Louisville in this regard.

Easy to get from one end of the city to the other

Since Louisville city is not as big as other major cities in the US and traffic is not a big problem yet, it is also pretty easy to get from one end of the city to the other and this is great in case you want to visit friends from other parts of the city and don’t want to get stuck in traffic jams.

Louisville has a decent art community

While you will not find the same great art scene as people moving to San Francisco, Louisville still attracts many decent artists from all over the world and you can therefore hang out with many like-minded and interesting people.

Louisville has a number of decent museums

Not only does Louisville have a decent art scene, but you will also find many museums where you can visit interesting exhibitions and chances are that you will never run out of ideas in this regard.

You can enjoy many delicious foods in Louisville

Since Louisville is a multicultural place and a melting pot for different cultural influences, you will also find many restaurants operated by people from all over the world and you can therefore try many interesting foods and can also get some inspiration regarding what you want to cook at home.

Louisville is a pretty traditional city

While Louisville is a tolerant place, it is still more traditional than most other big cities in the US and you can therefore really enjoy the American way of life in this city.

Louisville is a relatively bike-friendly city

While Louisville has not been a bike-friendly city just one decade ago, times have changed and it is now rather easy to get around by bike and if you live close to the city center, you may not even need a car since you can just get from A to B by bike in a pretty efficient manner.

Many decent sports teams in Louisville

Moving to Louisville can also make quite a lot of sense in case you are a sports fan and want to watch many games on a regular basis since Louisville provides lots of entertainment in this regard.

You will find many recreational spaces to relax in Louisville

Since Louisville is not the most crowded city and there are many recreational green spaces, you will have a rather easy time finding a spot where you can relax during lunch break or after work to reload your batteries for the challenging times yet to come.

You can spend lots of time in nature in and around Louisville

Louisville is also surrounded by nice rivers, lakes and forests and you can therefore go fishing, hiking or do many other interesting things in nature so that you can further improve your overall quality of life in the long run.

Louisville offers the comfort of a big city

While Louisville has many nice things to do in nature, it still offers the comfort of a big city and you will just find many shops and other things for daily life within walking distance so that you can live your life in a pretty efficient manner.

You will find everything you need in this region

You also find everything you need in the Louisville region and will not have to commute to other cities as would be the case if you lived in smaller towns and you can therefore save lots of gas and time in this regard in the long run.

Most people never get bored in Louisville

Since there are many things to do in nature and you can also do most other things you are used to from other big cities, chances are that you will never get bored living in Louisville and that you will find more than enough entertainment to stay happy in this regard in the long run.

Decent medical infrastructure in Louisville

Louisville also offers decent medical infrastructure and in case you get sick, you will find more than enough specialists who will be able to treat your disease as efficiently as possible to maximize your chances of curing your disease as quickly as possible.

Louisville is an important economic center

Since Louisville is the biggest city in Kentucky, it is also a pretty important economic center and therefore pretty important for the state in general.

Consequently, the state will likely invest lots of money in public infrastructure projects to make Louisville a nice place to work and live for many years to come.

Population in Louisville is growing

Another indication that Louisville is an attractive place to live is that population in the Louisville region has been growing and this trend will most likely also continue in the future and Louisville may become a more popular place to move to just a few years from now.

Decent future outlook for Louisville

Since Louisville is an important economic center and population is growing, the city also has a pretty decent future outlook and you don’t have to worry that the city will become less attractive for many years to come.

Most people in Louisville are rather relaxed

Since people in Louisville don’t have the same financial pressure compared to people living in more expensive regions, many people in Louisville are pretty relaxed and will often also take the time to talk to you in case you want to start a conversation while you might not be successful in this regard in regions where people are more hectic and urgently need to make as much money as possible.

People can experience real seasons in Louisville

Since Louisville has warm summers and cold and wet winters, you can also experience real seasons in Louisville while people living in Dallas or other warm regions often don’t have this luxury and have to deal with the heat all year long.

Louisville has decent air quality

You should also know that Louisville has pretty decent air quality and this is great since you will be at lower risk of suffering from serious pulmonary issues compared to people living in more polluted regions.

Louisville has great tap water

Louisville is also known for its great tap water and you will therefore not have to buy bottled water from the store but can rather drink tap water and can therefore save lots of time and money in this regard in the long run.

Easy to travel from Louisville

Since Louisville has an international airport, it is also pretty easy to get from Louisville to various parts of our planet without having to deal with layovers or other unpleasant problems.

As you can see, there are many reasons for moving to Louisville.

However, there are also some drawbacks of living in Louisville that I want to address in the following chapters so that you can better decide whether you still want to move to Louisville or rather want to move to a different region instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Louisville

  1. Louisville has pretty high crime rates
  2. Median income in Louisville is below national average
  3. Many people live below the poverty line
  4. Significant level of inequality in Louisville
  5. Homelessness is a big problem in the Louisville region
  6. Social cohesion is about to deteriorate in Louisville
  7. Louisville is not the most glamorous city
  8. Louisville doesn’t attract many tourists
  9. Friends from other states may not visit you in Louisville often
  10. Not that many great shopping opportunities in Louisville
  11. Nightlife in Louisville is not as great as in other major cities
  12. You will not find world-class education in Louisville
  13. You may miss the feeling of big city life
  14. Hard to meet many influential people in Louisville
  15. Hard to build a strong network
  16. Louisville has rather poor public transport
  17. You often need a car to get around
  18. Many dodgy neighborhoods in Louisville
  19. Many locals consider leaving the region
  20. Louisville is not located at the coast
  21. Winters may be too cold for you
  22. You may not spend that much time outdoors
  23. Your friends may not understand your decision of moving to Louisville

Louisville has pretty high crime rates

One downside to moving to Louisville is that the city has a pretty high crime rate and people just don’t feel safe in this region anymore.

Consequently, many families consider leaving Louisville since they want to have a safer place for their kids growing up.

Median income in Louisville is below national average

You should also know that people in Louisville have a hard time making really good money since the income level in Louisville is far below national average and if you want to make really good money, you should rather move to San José or other cities where income levels are much higher.

Many people live below the poverty line

You should also be aware of the fact that many people in Louisville live below the poverty line and this is not only a sad picture but also leads to all sorts of social problems in the long run since many people become increasingly desperate and no longer know how to pay their bills.

Significant level of inequality in Louisville

Another problem with moving to Louisville is that there is also an increasing level of inequality in this region and the gap between the rich and the poor has widened over the past decade.

Homelessness is a big problem in the Louisville region

Due to the increasing level of inequality, homelessness has also become a serious problem in Louisville and may further increase crime rates and lower overall quality of life in the long run.

Social cohesion is about to deteriorate in Louisville

In general, social tensions are about to increase in Louisville and social cohesion is about to deteriorate.

In turn, people from different social classes may no longer hang out with each other in the future and people may also no longer be that helpful anymore.

Louisville is not the most glamorous city

Another disadvantage of moving to Louisville is that it is not the most glamorous city and if you want to be at the heart of the universe and want to have action 24/7, you should not move to Louisville but rather go for a bigger metropolitan region instead.

Louisville doesn’t attract many tourists

Since Louisville is not the most popular city, it is also not that attractive to tourists and you will therefore have a hard time talking to people from all over the world compared to people moving to Houston or other places that are more popular among tourists.

Friends from other states may not visit you in Louisville often

Since Louisville doesn’t have the same high status as other major cities, your friends from other states may also not visit you that often and you may therefore feel lonely and think about old memories from the past quite often.

Not that many great shopping opportunities in Louisville

Another disadvantage of living in Louisville is that you will also not find as many fancy shopping opportunities as people moving to Chicago or other bigger cities and if you are a fashion victim, this may really lower your overall quality of life in the long run.

Nightlife in Louisville is not as great as in other major cities

While nightlife in Louisville is decent and you will find many bars to hang out after work, Louisville doesn’t have the same great clubs as NYC or L.A. where you often party until the early morning and if you are a party person, you may get fed up with nightlife in Louisville pretty soon.

You will not find world-class education in Louisville

While Louisville has a solid education level, you will still not find world-class education and if you plan to send your kids to renowned universities later on, you may rather want to move to Boston or to another educational center.

You may miss the feeling of big city life

Although Louisville is a big city, you will still miss the feeling of big city life you may be used to from NYC or other metropolitan regions and may just not get the full experience in this regard.

Hard to meet many influential people in Louisville

Since Louisville is not the most popular city, it is also hard to meet many celebrities or other influential people in Louisville and if you want to meet many important people, moving to Washington D.C. may be a much better idea in this regard.

Hard to build a strong network

Since it is hard to meet many influential people, it is also hard to build a strong business network in Louisville and you may therefore have a harder time climbing the corporate ladder.

Louisville has rather poor public transport

Another downside to living in Louisville is that public transport is rather poor and you will therefore not be able to get around by bus in an efficient manner unless you live close enough to the city center.

You often need a car to get around

Since public transport in Louisville is pretty poor, you also often need a car to get around and this will be pretty bad for your finances and also pretty bad for our environment in the long run.

Many dodgy neighborhoods in Louisville

Another problem with living in Louisville is that there are many dodgy neighborhoods in this region and if you are not careful, you may end up in a rather dodgy place where you might not feel safe at all and may also not get in touch with locals as much as you wished and may become socially isolated.

Many locals consider leaving the region

Due to high crime rates and other unpleasant problems the city of Louisville has to deal with, many locals also think about leaving the region and if this trend continues, Louisville may lose its importance in the long run and overall infrastructure may become worse.

Louisville is not located at the coast

Louisville is also not located at the coast and you will therefore not be able to go surfing or swimming on a daily basis and you may really envy your friends who will have this luxury and may have higher overall quality of life due to that.

Winters may be too cold for you

While some people like the cold, others rather prefer the heat and if you belong to the second group of people who want to live in a warm region all year long, you should rather move to Austin or other hot places instead of Louisville.

You may not spend that much time outdoors

Due to cold and wet winters, you may also not spend as much time outdoors as people living in warmer regions with more hours of sun and this may also adversely affect overall quality of life in the long run.

Your friends may not understand your decision of moving to Louisville

Since Louisville is not the most popular city and crime rates are pretty high, your friend may also not understand your decision of moving to Louisville and will also often have to worry about your well-being.

Top 10 Moving To Louisville Pros & Cons – Summary List

Living in Louisville ProsLiving in Louisville Cons
Living costs in Louisville are rather lowCrime rate in Louisville is high
Property prices are fairly cheapIncome level in Louisville is rather low
Rents are affordable for the general publicHomelessness is a big problem in Louisville
Housing shortage is not a big problem yetSignificant gap between the poor and the rich
Unemployment rate is pretty lowMany people live below the poverty line
Louisville offers the comfort of a big cityLouisville is not the most popular city
Decent medical infrastructure in LouisvillePublic transport is rather bad
Traffic is not a big problem yetLouisville doesn’t attract many tourists
Easy to get around by carLocals may leave the region
Excellent tap water quality in LouisvilleNightlife in Louisville is not great

Is Louisville A Good Place To Live?

While living and housing costs in Louisville are pretty low and the average person can still afford to live the American dream, you should also know that crime rates are pretty high and income levels are pretty low compared to other major cities in the US.

Alternative Cities To Live In

If you don’t want to move to Louisville anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Detroit

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Memphis

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Portland

Sources

https://louisvilleky.gov/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisville,_Kentucky

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.

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