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Place dossier plate
SheetKY-GLASGOW-KY · Glasgow, KY 15,141 pop · income 10th pct · 13 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Glasgow
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Glasgow on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Lebanon · lowest
42,157
Lebanon · lowest
42,157 median HH income
42.5% of the leader · rank #1
Lanett · near
42,415
Lanett · near
42,415 median HH income
42.8% of the leader · rank #2
Glasgow · this city
42,417
Glasgow · this city
42,417 median HH income
42.8% of the leader · rank #3
Parkersburg · near
42,417
Parkersburg · near
42,417 median HH income
42.8% of the leader · rank #4
Quaker City · near
42,417
Quaker City · near
42,417 median HH income
42.8% of the leader · rank #5
Grundy · near
42,417
Grundy · near
42,417 median HH income
42.8% of the leader · rank #6
Vincent · highest
99,157
Vincent · highest
99,157 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Glasgow on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 15,141.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Glasgow - the verdict
Glasgow ranks in the 10th percentile for household income and the 27th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
10th
percentile, household income
26th
percentile, home value
10th
percentile, median rent
27th
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: Glasgow, KY
Kentucky's Glasgow is a small town, with 15,141 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Households in Glasgow report a median income of $42,417 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 19.5%. Typical homes in Glasgow are valued around $147,700, and the median resident age is 40.0 years. Educational attainment runs 23.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 47.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 54 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 116% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 2277.3 incidents per 100,000 residents, near the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Glasgow's yearly average temperature at 59.5°F with 54.9 inches of precipitation per year and 5.7 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in Kentucky run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Kentucky scores 90.2 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $984 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Kentucky's average monthly utility costs around $225 (state average). Workers in Glasgow report an average commute of 18.8 minutes, with 75.5% driving alone and 4.7% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 44.2 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Glasgow's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to work and mobility to within-city variation to reported crime to schools and households to comparison shortlist to population change to climate and hazard context; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Glasgow, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, within-city Census tract profiles, matched public-school count, annual population history.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Glasgow?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 19.5%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
What does the journey to work look like in Glasgow?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 75.5%. The reported mean trip to work is 18.8 minutes.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
PlainCities matches 13 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
Which cities make useful reference points for Glasgow?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Kentucky, the closest population matches are Shively (15,556 residents, $46,522 income); Berea (15,557 residents, $56,484 income); Shepherdsville (14,351 residents, $71,250 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Belmont, NC (15,140 residents); Vincent, CA (15,151 residents); Johnson City, NY (15,130 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Glasgow?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2277.3 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, near the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 0% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
2277.3
Violent rate
168.7
Property rate
2108.6
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 15 public schools within the city match. 23.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Poverty estimate
19.5%
Bachelor's degree+
23.0%
Matched public schools
15
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +275 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +1.8% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 54 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
2020 estimate
15,027
2025 estimate
15,302
Period change
+1.8%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 59.5°F, with 54.9 inches of precipitation and 5.7 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Kentucky is 44.2 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
FEMA risk index (state avg)
44.2
Annual precipitation
54.9 in
Mean temperature
59.5°F
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living A
90.2 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Violent crime C-
169 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share D
23.0%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate F
19.5%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income F
$42,417
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Glasgow profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 85/100 (A) · 90.2 index
Violent crime: 54/100 (C-) · 169 /100k
Bachelor's+ share: 43/100 (D) · 23.0%
Poverty rate: 14/100 (F) · 19.5%
Household income: 10/100 (F) · $42,417
Where Glasgow sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Glasgow's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Glasgow highlighted among 11 peers.Read the chart values
Glasgow, KY (this city): home $147,700, crime 2,277/100k
Belmont, NC : home $349,700, crime 3,216/100k
Mineral Wells, TX : home $146,100, crime 3,019/100k
Front Royal, VA : home $284,900, crime 1,868/100k
Lebanon, MO : home $152,200, crime 2,473/100k
Shively, KY : home $139,200, crime 3,586/100k
Berea, KY : home $178,000, crime 936/100k
Shepherdsville, KY : home $202,300, crime 1,927/100k
Newport, KY : home $221,100, crime 4,167/100k
Bardstown, KY : home $190,800, crime 1,559/100k
Danville, KY : home $202,200, crime 1,155/100k
How does Glasgow compare to other US cities?
Where Glasgow sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income10% higher than other cities
Home value26% pricier than other cities
Median rent10% pricier than other cities
Safety27% 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: Glasgow ranks #162 of 181 Kentucky cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Glasgow against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Kentucky only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Kentucky-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Glasgow near the bottom of Kentucky's cities
Among the 520 Kentucky cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Glasgow ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Glasgow only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#356 of 485
27th percentile in Kentucky
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 520
0th percentile in Kentucky
Median Home Value
#242 of 484
50th percentile in Kentucky
Poverty Rate
#150 of 519
71st percentile in Kentucky
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#203 of 520
61st percentile in Kentucky
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Kentucky only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
10th percentile nationally for median household income · 27th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Glasgow's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Glasgow'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 Glasgow's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$147,700Among the most affordablemore affordable than 74% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Glasgow's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.5×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#8,900 of 15,516
More affordable than 43% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,477 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 3.5×, Glasgow sits in the moderate band:
national rank #8,900 of 15,516 and #1,477 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$42,417Glasgow, KY median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Glasgow, KY median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Glasgow, KY.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)23.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)19.5%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)47.5%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
15,141
Median Income
$42,417
Median Home Value
$147,700
Median Age
40.0
Poverty Rate
19.5%
Labor force participation
47.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
23.0%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2277.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
168.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2108.6
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
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
59.5°F
Annual Precipitation
54.9"
Annual Snowfall
5.7"
Schools
Total Schools
15
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Glasgow's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
15,027 residents
2021
15,112 residents
2022
15,243 residents
2023
15,291 residents
2024
15,339 residents
2025
15,302 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
54
housing units authorized
Single-Family
18
detached homes
Multifamily
36
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.6
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
25
14
11
$2.6M
2020
134
122
12
$22.4M
2021
161
149
12
$40.0M
2022
64
62
2
$17.9M
2023
28
16
12
$10.4M
2024
54
18
36
$10.2M
Permit volume increased 116% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
18.8 minutes
Drive Alone
75.5%
Carpool
17.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.5%
Work from Home
4.7%
Other
0.6%
Based on 5,628 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Kentucky statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $225
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Kentucky at $225 (electricity about $115 , water and sewer about $40 ).
These are Kentucky statewide averages, not a meter reading for Glasgow. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Kentucky's BEA cost-of-living index is 90.2 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Glasgow is $984/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Kentucky statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 44.2 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Kentucky statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Glasgow sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Glasgow compares to similar-size Kentucky cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
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.