Bowling Green, Kentucky

The university adds a youthful flavor and enriches the community through its symphony orchestra, opera theatre, lectures, non-credit workshops, athletic events and more. GM has been assembling Corvettes in Bowling Green since 1981, providing steady employment for the last 42 years. The annual National Corvette Homecoming highlights the car's importance to Bowling Green and brings in Corvette owners from around the country. The city's downtown section called Fountain Square is lined with historic, awning-draped brick and stone buildings. Newer development projects include the Chamber of Commerce building, a riverwalk at Mitch McConnell Park and the beautiful Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center (SKyPAC), which hosts music acts and theater events.

Neighborhoods are shaded, and established areas have brick ranch ramblers on large lots. Newer sections have sleek Craftsmans, foursquares and transistionals (open floor plans) on smaller lots.

Population:  75,000 (city proper)

Age 45 or Better:  24% 

Cost of Living:  20% below the national average

Median Home Price: $300,000

Climate:    Summer temperatures are in the 80s, and 90s, and winter temperatures are in the 20s, 30s and 40s.  The area, on average, receives 45 inches of rain and 10 inches of snow per year.

At Least One Hospital Accepts Medicare Patients?   Yes

At Least One Hospital Accredited by Joint Commission?  Yes

Public Transit:   Yes

Crime Rate:   Meets the national average

Public Library:    Yes 

Political Leanings:   Very conservative

College Educated:   31%

Is Kentucky Considered Tax Friendly for Retirement?    Yes

Cons:   The poverty rate is well above the national average, but much of this is attributed to the large student population.  Demographic maps show that the city is segregated.   The tornado risk is 130% above the national average, and a large tornado struck the city in 2021, destroying several hundred homes.

Notes:    People seem to like Bowling Green quite a bit or not much at all. The population has grown 15% during the last decade, and home prices have increased 12% since a year ago.

Recommended as a Retirement Spot?    Yes

Kentucky:

Kentucky became the 15th state to enter the Union on June 1, 1792. Early settlers noticed a dark grass growing from the rich limestone soil and gave the area its nickname - the Bluegrass State. Daniel Boone blazed a trail through the state's Cumberland Gap which many followed.

Bounded by the Ohio River and the Appalachian Mountains, the state has five divergent geographic regions. Rolling meadows, plateaus, mountains, flat lands, valleys, and coal fields are all possible within state borders. Because of its diverse geography, Kentucky has four different and distinct seasons with considerable fluctuations in summer and winter temperatures.

Although the Bluegrass State is noted for its Bourbon Whiskey, racehorses, coal, and tobacco, it is gaining a reputation for health services, auto manufacturing, transportation logistics, and biotechnology. Eight well-endowed public universities keep pulling the quality of life forward.

Fort Knox holds almost 150 million ounces of gold for the U.S. Government. Other items it's held include the Magna Carta and the crown of St. Stephen.