Map the Block › Places › Kentucky › Fayette County
What are the crime rate and median income in Fayette County, Kentucky?
FBI reports put Fayette County at 2.7 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, 15% higher than the rate for Kentucky (2.3). Median household income is $69,479 and the unemployment rate was 3.6% in August 2026. About 323,725 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Fayette County?
Over 2021-2025, the county's police agencies sent the FBI reports of about 864 violent and 8,200 property crimes per year. Per 1,000 residents, the violent-crime rate works out to 2.7: 15% higher than the Kentucky rate (2.3), and 28% lower than the national rate (3.7). Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 25.2 per 1,000 residents, compared with 14.6 across Kentucky. CDC death records show about 30 homicide deaths a year in the county (9.4 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Fayette County | Per 1,000 | Kentucky per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 864 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 27 | 0.08 | 0.06 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 192 | 0.59 | 0.36 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 240 | 0.74 | 0.39 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 405 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 8,200 | 25.2 | 14.6 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 983 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 6,176 | 19.0 | 10.0 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 1,040 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (1 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Fayette County?
The median household in Fayette County earns $69,479 a year, close to the Kentucky median ($63,726). The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $293,500 by its owners; renters pay a median $1,164. 8.5% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 13.2%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.6% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 6,483 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Fayette County | Kentucky | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 323,725 | 4,534,824 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $69,479 | $63,726 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $293,500 | $205,600 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,164 | $967 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 4.9% | 4.9% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 14.9% | 16.1% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 8.5% | 13.2% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 48.3% | 27.6% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 53.8% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 35.3 | 39.1 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 92.5% | 88.6% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 7.2% | 6.0% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Fayette County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Fayette County as “Relatively Moderate”. The hazards rated highest here are tornadoes (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Fayette County, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 6 high-hazard dams in Fayette County. 1 is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 5 Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Lexington Reservoir 3 Dam (40 ft) and Lexington Reservoir No 4 (38 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
9 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 14,853 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Fayette County was covered by 3 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Severe Storm 2, Flood 1), not counting COVID-19. EPA air monitors logged 0 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 1 community water system, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 1 (highest). NHTSA counted 37 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 8 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Fayette County?
Fayette County had 2 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (0 active that day). Roads listed: KY-4. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Fayette County?
Federal school lists show 80 public and 27 private schools in the county. 12 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 26 fire or EMS stations and 7 police or sheriff stations.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in Fayette County?
1 ancient or sacred site is on the map here: Mount Horeb Earthworks Complex. Many are sacred to living communities, so visit respectfully and follow posted rules.
See them on the map: sacred sites →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Fayette County
Gun shops
17 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Fayette County (16 from the ATF licensee list, 1 from OpenStreetMap), plus 6 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 9 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: A & M Firearms (Lexington), Academy Sports + Outdoors #329 (Lexington), Bluegrass Auction, Appraisal And Realty, LLC (Lexington), Bluegrass Gun & Range LLC (Lexington), Cabela's 473 (Lexington), Cash America Pawn (Lexington), Dan's Discount Jewelry And Pawn (Lexington), First Cash Pawn (Lexington) and 8 more.
Liquor stores
52 liquor stores are on the map in Fayette County: Anniston Liquor Mart (Lexington), AP Liqour (Lexington), Big B Liquor (Lexington), Big Cat Liquor, Big Daddy Liquors, Buckhorn Liquors (Lexington), Buster's Bottle Shop (Nicholasville), Coliseum Liquors (Lexington) and 44 more. Kentucky has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
One Planned Parenthood health center is on the map in Fayette County: Planned Parenthood (Lexington).
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Fayette County?
Fayette County averaged 864 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 2.7 per 1,000 residents, 15% higher than the Kentucky rate (2.3). The property-crime rate was 25.2 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Fayette County?
$69,479 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $63,726 for Kentucky and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Fayette County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.6% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 6,483 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Fayette County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Fayette County as “Relatively Moderate”. The hazards rated highest here are tornadoes (Relatively High).
Is there road construction in Fayette County right now?
Fayette County had 2 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (0 active that day). Roads listed: KY-4.
How many nursing homes are in Fayette County?
12 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Fayette County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bourbon County | 20,240 | 1.3 | $61,354 |
| Clark County | 37,192 | 1.2 | $64,348 |
| Jessamine County | 54,588 | 1.1 | $74,576 |
| Madison County | 95,769 | 1.2 | $63,351 |
| Scott County | 59,536 | 1.2 | $85,158 |
| Woodford County | 27,279 | 0.61 | $83,788 |
Cities in Fayette County with their own page: Lexington.
More: Kentucky statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
Home · Open the map · All places · About the data · Privacy · Terms