City profile · Kentucky · Census ACS 2023

Bowling Green, KY

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Bowling Green - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

73,638
Residents
$48,419
Median income
$232,100
Median home
$1,153
Median rent (state)

Bowling Green - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Bowling Green lands in the 17th percentile for household income and the 14th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

17th
percentile, household income
51st
percentile, home value
33rd
percentile, median rent
14th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Bowling Green, KY

73,638 people live in Bowling Green, Kentucky - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $48,419 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 17.2%. Typical homes in Bowling Green are valued around $232,100, and the median resident age is 27.9 years. Educational attainment runs 32.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 63.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 701 residential building permits were authorized in Bowling Green (Building Boom), up 138% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Bowling Green's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 3153.4 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Bowling Green's yearly average temperature at 57.5°F with 53.0 inches of precipitation per year.

Living costs in Kentucky run below the national norm: the state registers 90.2 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,153 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Kentucky's average monthly utility costs around $225 (state average). Workers in Bowling Green report an average commute of 17.9 minutes, with 74.5% driving alone and 5.2% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 88.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

73,638 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Kentucky

Median Household Income

$48,419 /yr

Poverty 17.2%

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.2 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Kentucky average

How does Bowling Green compare to other US cities?

Bowling Green measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 17% higher than other cities
Home value 51% pricier than other cities
Median rent 33% pricier than other cities
Safety 14% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Kentucky and the picture shifts: Bowling Green ranks #173 of 181 Kentucky cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Bowling Green's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Kentucky, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

17thIncome percentile
14thSafety percentile

17th percentile nationally for median household income · 14th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Bowling Green's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Bowling Green's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 30 Avg. percentile National median
Bowling Green's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Bowling Green's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$232,100 49th percentile more affordable than 49% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). This entry sits in this band. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Bowling Green $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Bowling Green, KY Bowling Green, KY's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Bowling Green, KY-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Bowling Green, KY median $48,419/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Bowling Green, KY's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Bowling Green, KY. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 32.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 17.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 63.2%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
73,638
Median Income
$48,419
Median Home Value
$232,100
Median Age
27.9
Poverty Rate
17.2%
Labor force participation
63.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
32.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
3153.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
224.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2928.9
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
57.5°F
Annual Precipitation
53.0"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
36
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
70,000 residents72,000 residents74,000 residents76,000 residents78,000 residents80,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 72,473 residents 78,505 residents ▲ +8.3%
Bowling Green's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
701
housing units authorized
Single-Family
136
detached homes
Multifamily
565
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
9.5
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 295
2020 425
2021 1,362
2022 949
2023 788
2024 701

Permit volume increased 138% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
17.9 minutes
Drive Alone
74.5%
Carpool
13.6%
Public Transit
0.3%
Walk
4.7%
Work from Home
5.2%
Other
1.7%

Based on 35,546 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Kentucky - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$70
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$40
avg/month
Total Utilities
$225
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Kentucky state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Kentucky state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Bowling Green sits in

Cost of Living Index
90.2
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,153/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
88.5 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Kentucky

Owensboro
60,112 people
Covington
40,902 people
Georgetown
38,206 people
Richmond
35,498 people
Florence
32,334 people
Elizabethtown
31,870 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Bowling Green's 73,638 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Ellicott, MD
73,737 people
Jacksonville, NC
73,507 people
Bolingbrook, IL
73,813 people
Lauderhill, FL
73,961 people
New Britain, CT
73,301 people
Kalamazoo, MI
73,132 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Bowling Green's $48,419 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Clear Creek, CA
$48,417 median income
Oak Ridge town (Cooke County), TX
$48,417 median income
Cleveland, FL
$48,422 median income
Newark, NJ
$48,416 median income
Wakefield, MI
$48,413 median income
King City, MO
$48,409 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Bowling Green, KY Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Bowling Green, KY - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 67.4% 12.9% 7.3% 6.9% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 10.7% White 67.4% Black or African American 12.9% Asian 7.3% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.9% Some other race 4.4% Two or more races 6.9% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Bowling Green compares to nearby Kentucky cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Bowling Green (this city) 73,638 $48,419
Owensboro 60,112 $53,295
Covington 40,902 $58,814
Georgetown 38,206 $78,373
Census ACS 5-year FIPS KY FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Bowling Green, KY?

What is the population of Bowling Green, KY? +

Bowling Green, KY has a population of 73,638 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Bowling Green, KY? +

The median household income in Bowling Green is $48,419 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Bowling Green? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Bowling Green; the closest available measure is the Kentucky state average, a cost of living index of 90.2 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Kentucky vary by metro area.

Is Bowling Green, KY safe? +

Bowling Green has a total crime rate of 3153.4 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Bowling Green, KY? +

A typical home in Bowling Green is worth $232,100, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Bowling Green? +

Climate normals put Bowling Green's yearly average temperature at 57.5°F, 53.0 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.