Smart Movers Club

    Moving to Paducah, KY

    Is Paducah a good place to live?

    Watch Paducah

    Paducah ranks #11 of 16 Kentucky cities with 25,000+ people on the Smart Movers livability score (42/100), which weighs home affordability, unemployment, education and population growth. Population grew 0.1% in the latest Census year.

    Median home value
    $164,600
    +7.9% vs prior year
    Median rent
    $817
    per month
    Household income
    $51,243
    median
    Unemployment
    3.5%
    lower is better

    Cost of living in Paducah

    The median home value in Paducah is $164,600 and median rent is $817 a month, against a median household income of $51,243. Homes cost about 3.2× a year of income (under 3× is considered affordable).

    Paducah crime rate

    City-level FBI figures vary by agency; across Kentucky the 2025 rate was 214 violent and 1,282 property crimes per 100,000 people — #38 highest of 50 states. The full report breaks down local trends.

    Moving to Paducah, KY

    Paducah has about 26,894 residents, 3.5% unemployment and 16% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher.

    Compare Paducah with

    Paducah vs LouisvillePaducah vs LexingtonPaducah vs Bowling GreenPaducah vs OwensboroPaducah vs CovingtonPaducah vs GeorgetownPaducah vs RichmondPaducah vs Florence

    More: Where to move in Kentucky · Best counties in Kentucky

    Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (2023, compared with 2022); FBI Crime Data Explorer.

    Home listings, local news, migration, schools, resources and the Smart Movers Grade & Verdict.

    See the full Smart Movers Club report