CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

39.02° N · 84.43° W · GEOID 2116372

Cold Spring

Campbell County, Kentucky · part of the Cincinnati, OH metro

KentuckyCold Spring, KYCold SpringCold Spring

The short answer

Cold Spring is home to 6,341 people. Median household income is $75,000 a year and median rent is $1,191 a month, 19.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $253,600, about 3.4x annual median household income.

Cold Spring is defined by its growth. Household income growth is -0.7% a year, against 6.1% a year in its closest peers. Also notable: Housing became less affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 15.9% to 19.1% of income.

80OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

Cold Spring scores better than 80% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 20th of 85 in Kentucky.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%62
Economy 20%57
Safety 20%55
Amenities 15%73
Education 10%69
Commute 10%72
Growth 5%32
Median gross rent
$1,191
13% below the median place
Median household income
$75,000
7% below the median place
Median home value
$253,600
21% below the median place
Unemployment
4.0%
19% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

01

Moving to Cold Spring

Campbell County loses about 0.6 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in4,978
Moved out5,023
Net−45

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Kenton County, KY1,3521,451−99
Pendleton County, KY142203−61

Within Kentucky, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within KentuckyOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$63K
Leavers$68K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Campbell County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
7.1% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 4.4% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Campbell County report $62,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $67,600, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$47,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,191 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,465 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $253,600.
Getting to work
22 minutes each way on average; 22.9% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Maryville, IL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
7.1%
24% above the median place
Moved from another state1
4.4%
122% above the median place
Income of households moving in8
$62,702
11% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureCold SpringAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year17.1%24% above
Moved from another state1County figure4.4%122% above
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-0.60% above
Income of households moving in8County figure$62,70211% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$67,5524% below
02

What it costs to live here

Homeownership is 89.0%, 34% above the median place.

Cold Spring19.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$47,640
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
19.1%
6% below the median place
Home price to income
3.4x
11% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
19%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$62,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Cold Spring, $1,191 a month, and local prices for everything else (97.0 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Cold Spring, but easier on the budget

Places that match Cold Spring on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Maryville, IL9813.6% vs 19.1%$25,700Compare
Lake Norman of Catawba, NC9414.0% vs 19.1%$39,900Compare
Lake Wisconsin, WI9314.6% vs 19.1%$46,900Compare
Hampstead, MD8616.0% vs 19.1%$18,200Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Cold Spring.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Cold Spring? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
89.0%
34% above the median place
Renters paying 30%+1
64.3%
27% above the median place
Median year built1
1999
1% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureCold SpringAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,19113% below
Rent to income119.1%6% below
Property tax rate10.9%2% above
Home price to income13.4x11% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure95.45% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,44211% below
HUD area median income4County figure$109,9002% above
Property tax paid (median)1$2,36927% below
Median home value1$253,60021% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure4.2%30% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure54.3%5% above
Homeownership189.0%34% above
Renters paying 30%+164.3%27% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,46522% below
Vacant homes1County figure6.7%5% below
Median year built119991% above
03

Work and pay

OpenStreetMap shows 6.7 bus and rail stops per square mile, more than in 90% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

Works from home1
22.9%
84% above the median place
Income per person1
$53,092
32% above the median place
Mean commute1
22 min
13% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureCold SpringAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$75,0007% below
Income per person1$53,09232% above
Unemployment1County figure4.0%19% below
Average annual pay6County figure$58,13012% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure1.3%65% below
Jobs6County figure32,03779% below
Poverty rate19.9%8% below
Mean commute122 min13% below
Works from home122.9%84% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.8%6% below
04

Who lives here

The median resident is 52 years old, older than in 94% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 85 Kentucky places we track.

Median age1
52.0
33% above the median place
Household size1
2.1
16% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
96.4%
4% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance3.8% −41%
Born abroad3.5% −60%
High school or higher95.8% +4%
Bachelor's or higher42.6% +33%
All 9 people measures
MeasureCold SpringAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population16,3415742nd largest
Population change since 202076.3%above (median 1.1%)
Median age152.033% above
Bachelor's or higher142.6%33% above
High school or higher195.8%4% above
Household size12.116% below
Born abroad13.5%60% below
No health insurance13.8%41% below
Homes with broadband196.4%4% above
05

Life in Cold Spring

OpenStreetMap shows 7.9 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, more than in 93% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.

72 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents18.9 +86%
Playgrounds per 10k45.7 4.9×
Grocery stores per 10k7.9 3.7×
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k31.5 2.8×
Libraries per 10k3.1 3.6×
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi6.7 32.0×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • William Howard Taft National Historic Site 8 miles
  • Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument 56 miles
  • Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park 57 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars26.9 +29%
Shops25.2 −17%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.0 −2%
Doctors' offices and clinics13.8 −32%
Child care centers2.8 +22%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public school students14
985
80% below the median place
Public schools14
3
67% below the median place
Nearest National Park Service site11
8.4
73% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureCold SpringAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14367% below
Public school students1498580% below
Students per teacher1415.40% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure26.929% above
Shops per 10k9County figure25.217% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure4.02% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure13.832% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.822% above
Parks per 10k1018.986% above
Playgrounds per 10k1045.7386% above
Grocery stores per 10k107.9272% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1031.5183% above
Libraries per 10k103.1262% above
Named paths and bike trails100.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi106.7above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site118.473% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles11350% above
National Register listings12County figure72above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 91, 52% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
91
52% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
1,629
34% above the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Wildfire risk16
14.4
77% below the median place
Hurricane risk16
10.6
85% below the median place
Natural hazard risk16
58.3
37% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureCold SpringAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure86°F0% below
January average low15County figure24°F6% below
Average temperature15County figure55°F0% below
Annual precipitation15County figure45.0 in3% above
Natural hazard risk16County figure58.337% below
Hurricane risk16County figure10.685% below
Tornado risk16County figure80.02% below
Wildfire risk16County figure14.477% below
Heat wave risk16County figure68.024% below
Median air quality index17County figure399% below
Good air days17County figure75.6%10% above
08

Cold Spring in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 20% of the median income in 2030, up from 19% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Cold Spring does better than 60% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 15%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,191/mo (2024)$1,520/mo$1,250 to $1,850/mo+4.1%
Median household income$75,000 (2024)$93,000$78,500 to $110,000+3.6%
Median home value$253,600 (2024)$354,000$257,000 to $488,000+5.7%
Population6,640 (2025)6,8906,600 to 7,180+0.7%

The median home would be worth 3.8 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.4 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Cold Spring

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Rockport, TX$1,212$72,174Compare
Glens Falls North, NY$1,235$77,881Compare
Bay St. Louis, MS$1,179$67,442Compare
Harahan, LA$1,082$79,516Compare
Harahan, LABay St. Louis, MSGlens Falls North, NYRockport, TXCold Spring, KYCold SpringRockportGlens Falls NorthBay St. LouisHarahanCold SpringRockportGlens Falls NorthBay St. LouisHarahan

Places built like Cold Spring

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Cold Spring performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Cold Spring, KY19.1%-0.7%/yr6.3%
Diamondhead, MS21.6%6.1%/yr-0.9%Compare
Maryville, IL13.6%4.0%/yr1.9%Compare
Bay St. Louis, MS21.0%11.2%/yr14.5%Compare
Lake Wisconsin, WI14.6%7.1%/yrn/aCompare
Orange Beach, AL19.4%3.6%/yr8.7%Compare
Lake of the Woods, VA19.4%6.3%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Cold Spring a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 80 out of 100, better than 80% of the places we rate and 20th of 85 in Kentucky. On cost, space and class size it scores 61 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Cold Spring expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 19.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $253,600.

What salary do you need to live in Cold Spring?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $47,640 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Cold Spring safe?

There were 91 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Cold Spring?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Rockport, TX, Glens Falls North, NY, Bay St. Louis, MS and Harahan, LA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Cold Spring with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Cold Spring itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/cold-spring-kentucky

Citytistics. “Cold Spring, Kentucky.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/cold-spring-kentucky/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.