Finding the Best Places to Retire Since 2006!
Elizabethtown, Kentucky
A Friendly Town in North Central Kentucky, Elizabethtown is Close to Fort Knox and Popular with Military Families
Friendly and well-maintained, Elizabethtown, or E-town as it is called locally, got its start in 1793 and sits along the old North Dixie Highway (Highway 31W) and Interstate 65 in rural north central Kentucky. It is about 12 miles south of Fort Knox, a military base and the home of the U.S. Bullion Depository.
Thanks to this locale, many military personnel live in Elizabethtown. Established neighborhoods are leafy with modest wood frame ranch ramblers, while newer areas have larger brick homes on larger lots. The historic town core is simple but attractive with shops and boutiques, cafes, government offices, museums, eateries and more. The town is proud of its heritage and has numerous Civil War and military sites, including The (George) Patton Museum, Confederate Cemetery Hill and Abraham Lincoln-related sites. Residents and visitors also enjoy historic house walking tours, a community theater, touring shows at the performing arts center and a quilt trail. Fun events include ghost walks, Light Up Downtown and the BBQ, Blues and Bikes Festival.
Walking trails meander around town, and Freeman Lake Park has fishing and picnic areas. There is also a farmers' market. Some very good locally owned restaurants mingle with national chains.
Six shopping centers and a mall line Highway 31W, which is full of stop lights and often congested. Elizabethtown Community and Technical College has classes for all ages.
Population: 32,000 (city proper)
Age 45 or Better: 37%
Cost of Living: 17% below the national average
Median Home Price: $305,000
Climate: Summer temperatures are in the 80s and 90s. Winter temperatures are in the 20s, 30s and 40s. On average, the area receives 50 inches of rain and three inches of snow per year.
At Least One Hospital Accepts Medicare Patients? Yes
At Least One Hospital Accredited By Joint Commission? Yes
Public Transit: The county has an on-demand van service. People age 60 or better ride for free (donation requested).
Crime Rate: Meets the national average
Public Library: Yes
Political Leanings: Very conservative
College Educated: 28%
Is Kentucky Considered Tax Friendly for Retirement? Yes
Cons: The tornado risk is 127% higher than the national average.
Notes: E-town has grown 10% in the last decade and has a reputation as a quiet, pleasant place. It is in a "moist" county, meaning that only packaged liquor is available. Louisville is 65 miles to the north via I-65. Home prices have increased 1% since the last year.
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.
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