Richmond, KY — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Kentucky·Richmond

Madison County · Richmond-Berea · population 39,581

First-time buyersGrowing fast
Richmond, KY
Image: Wikipedia · Richmond, Kentucky
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
73
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Richmond stands

At or near all-time high. population growing 3.4% per year.

Median home $297,439
1-year +1.8%
5-yr CAGR +5.4%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +3.4%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$297k$152k$204k$257k$309k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
88/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,108/mo$755$965$1,174202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent130138100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 22.4
Lean rent

At a 22.4 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Richmond. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
59 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
67 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
90 · w16%
Rent YoY
66 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
69 · w10%
Long thesis

Richmond has been growing population at 3.4% per year while home values compounded +5.4% annually. Demand-driven appreciation — the kind that persists as long as people keep showing up, which they currently are.

Short thesis

Richmond's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Richmond

Richmond is a city in Madison County, Kentucky, with an estimated population of 39,581. It anchors the Richmond-Berea metro area. The population has grown 3.4% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in Richmond is $297,439 as of 2026-04, up 1.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.4% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Richmond average $1,108 per month, up 3.2% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 73 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●People are voting with their feet: population growing 3.4% per year since 2020 — that’s faster than ~80% of US cities.
●Healthy 5-year run: +5.4% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Richmond (Wikipedia)

Richmond is a city in Madison County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 34,585 as of the 2020 census, making it the state's seventh-largest city. It is the principal city of the Richmond–Berea micropolitan area, which includes all of Madison and Rockcastle counties and had 123,000 residents in 2020.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Madison County right now.

NWS active alerts (KY)Kentucky Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Madison County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Richmond

Bowling Green, KY69 · RisingIndependence, KY72 · RisingBerea, KY71 · RisingShepherdsville, KY69 · Rising

Run the numbers for Richmond

ToolCan I afford Richmond?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Richmond rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Richmond to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolRichmond cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
42° / 26°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
86° / 66°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
188
~52% of year
Annual precip
50″ rain
12″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Moderate
Flood
High

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Richmond listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Richmond-Berea area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
70%
Humid climate
Median household income
$60,200
Kentucky state median
Top industries (state-level)
Manufacturing (auto)HealthcareLogistics (UPS)

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

Cities similar to Richmond

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