CitytisticsShortlist

Louisville/Jefferson County, KY vs Sierra Vista, AZ

Louisville/Jefferson County

Kentucky

vs

Sierra Vista

Arizona

Across 38 directional measures we can compare, Louisville/Jefferson County leads on 13 and Sierra Vista on 25. Counting measures is not an overall verdict: their importance depends on your priorities. Median rent is 3% higher in Sierra Vista, and so is median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,120$1,150
Louisville/Jefferson County is 3% lower
Median household income
$66,849$70,291
Louisville/Jefferson County is 5% lower
Median home value
$233,900$254,200
Louisville/Jefferson County is 8% lower

The Citytistics read

  • After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household has about $55,600 a year left in Louisville/Jefferson County and $59,600 in Sierra Vista. Money goes further in Sierra Vista, by about $4,000 a year.
  • A household earning Louisville/Jefferson County's median of $66,849 would need about $66,500 in Sierra Vista to keep the same money after rent and local prices.
  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent outran pay by 1.2 points a year in Louisville/Jefferson County, and rent outran pay by 0.8 points a year in Sierra Vista.

How these are calculated

ArizonaKentuckySierra Vista, AZLouisville/Jefferson County, KYLouisville/Jefferson CountySierra VistaLouisville/Jefferson CountySierra Vista

Which fits you?

Both start on the Citytistics Index (CTX). Move the sliders to weigh what matters to you and the score becomes your own mix.

Your weights

Top 2 of 2 matching places. Places in the top 1% show their national rank.

#PlaceCTXAffordabilityEconomyEducationSafetyCommuteAmenitiesGrowth
01Sierra Vista, AZComposite 53.1 / 100
59
56465645915615
02Louisville/Jefferson County, KYComposite 47.6 / 100
44
563653n/a663648

CTX is the Citytistics Index: better than that share of the places we rate. It tops out at 99, so the top 1% show their national rank (#1 is best). Change any weight to rank on your own mix. How the CTX is built

Every measure

The dots show where each place sits among the 6,645 places we track. The bar is the median. A small dot after a value marks the better one.

MeasureLouisville/Jefferson CountySierra VistaAmong all places
Cost of living
Median gross rent1$1,120$1,150
Rent to income120.1%19.6%
Property tax rate10.8%0.6%
Home price to income13.5x3.6x
Prices vs US average293.189.2
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3$1,276$1,153
HUD area median income4$99,000$78,500
Housing
Property tax paid (median)1$1,989$1,437
Median home value1$233,900$254,200
Home prices, 1-year change54.0%3.1%
Home prices, 5-year change543.3%54.9%
Homeownership160.7%62.0%
Renters paying 30%+147.8%46.8%
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,555$1,459
Vacant homes18.5%8.7%
Median year built119711990
Jobs and income
Median household income1$66,849$70,291
Income per person1$39,683$37,821
Unemployment15.5%4.8%
Average annual pay6$74,424$61,035
Pay growth, 1 year64.4%1.9%
Jobs6480,01334,618
Poverty rate115.8%12.0%
Mean commute123 min18 min
Works from home113.3%12.3%
Commutes by transit11.8%n/a
People
Population1631,81845,155
Population change since 202071.6%-0.9%
Median age137.737.9
Bachelor's or higher133.8%35.0%
High school or higher190.3%94.0%
Household size12.32.3
Born abroad110.4%10.4%
No health insurance16.0%7.3%
Homes with broadband190.5%92.2%
Moving
Moved here in the past year14.9%11.7%
Moved from another state12.4%8.2%
Net movers per 1,000 people8-6.62.6
Income of households moving in8$60,469$57,484
Income of households moving out8$74,732$56,630
Local life
Restaurants and bars per 10k922.217.4
Shops per 10k932.429.1
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k94.63.2
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k925.814.3
Child care centers per 10k92.62.2
Parks per 10k102.612.6
Playgrounds per 10k103.814.2
Grocery stores per 10k101.12.2
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k104.013.9
Libraries per 10k100.10.7
Named paths and bike trails10162.915.6
Transit stops per sq mi101.50.2
Nearest National Park Service site1138.215.1
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1114
National Register listings125335
Founded or incorporated13n/a1956
Safety
Violent crime per 100k14n/a191
Property crime per 100k14n/a1,466
Schools
Public schools1517420
Public school students1595,5796,467
Students per teacher1515.416.0
Climate
July average high1687°F92°F
January average low1625°F31°F
Average temperature1657°F62°F
Annual precipitation1650.1 in14.0 in
Hazards and air
Natural hazard risk1798.392.8
Hurricane risk1735.834.2
Tornado risk1799.810.4
Wildfire risk1756.199.2
Heat wave risk1796.999.1
Median air quality index184945
Good air days1851.5%69.9%

Data bundle checked 2026-11-14; individual source vintages vary. Rent needed at the 30% line: Louisville/Jefferson County $44,800, Sierra Vista $46,000 a year.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. 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. Wikidata · Wikimedia Foundation (CC0) · Retrieved 2026-11
  14. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  15. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  16. 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
  17. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  18. 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).

Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology.

Keep comparing

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