Benefits of Living in Louisville

Known as “The Gateway to the South,” Louisville is a famously friendly city. Its welcoming spirit helps new arrivals quickly settle into their new community. But friendly neighbors are only one of the reasons people are excited about moving here. Jobs, food, and housing play a major role as well, not to mention the extensive parkland and captivating nightlife. If you’ve never considered living in Louisville, here are a few advantages to life in the River City.

Affordable Housing

Kentucky has low taxes and consumer prices. While Louisvillians pay a bit more than the rest of the state, its cost-of-living is still six percent below the average in the U.S. Gas, groceries, transportation ‒ practically everything costs less in Louisville, especially housing. The average home sells for 33 percent below the national average ($240,000 vs. $360,000 in 2024), while a typical one-bedroom apartment rents for $450 less than it does in most major cities ($1,300 vs. 1,700).

Colorful Neighborhoods

While some cities are filled with cookie-cutter communities, the ones in Louisville each have a distinctive character. So whether you’re looking for the perfect hangout or a quiet area with good schools, you’re certain of finding a neighborhood that matches your personality. Check out:

• Highlands. Highlands is famous for its Victorian mansions, craftsman bungalows, and shotgun houses dating back to the 19th and early 20th centuries. Its bohemian nightlife is centered on Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue, where you'll find bars, clubs, and bands playing until the early hours of the morning.
• Nulu (New Louisville). A growing hotspot for food, art, and culture, Nulu is the place to go for farm-to-table restaurants, artisanal coffee shops, and craft breweries. Its focus on innovative and sustainable business practices have made it especially popular with artists and young professionals.
• St. Matthews. A diverse community near downtown, St. Matthews offers a healthy mix of parks, homes, schools, and shopping centers. Its blend of urban convenience and suburban comfort has drawn a lot of families and college graduates.
• Crescent Hill. One of the oldest parts of Louisville, Crescent Hill is full of beautiful architecture and tree-lined streets. Though it’s located close to the city center, its locally owned shops and cafes give it a small town vibe.
• Germantown. An affordable, up-and-coming neighborhood that attracts a lot of first-time homebuyers. New restaurants, breweries, and attractions seem to pop up every year, giving residents plenty to do after work and on the weekends.

Louisville's diverse communities make it easy to form friendships and build connections that align with your values and interests. Best of all, they're located close to jobs, parks, schools, shopping, dining, and cultural activities, making it easy to branch out and experience everything the city has to offer.

Powerful Economy

Living in Louisville gives you access to a growing job market. Businesses are constantly adding new positions and salaries have increased steadily over the past few years. Most of the economy is centered around logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare. The city is home to University of Louisville Health System and Norton Healthcare. Besides providing basic and advanced medical services, they also conduct clinical trials designed to advance treatment for a number of chronic and acute conditions, driving up demand not only for doctors and nurses, but researchers as well.

Thanks to its strategic position on the Ohio River, Louisville is a major trade and transportation hub. In addition to 80,000 workers employed by local trucking and shipping companies, there are another 20,000 working for UPS. Around 7,500 run UPS Worldport (one of the largest air carriers on Earth) at Louisville International Airport, while the rest handle ground deliveries for customers in the rest of the country.

Manufacturing giants GE and Ford Motor Company also have major plants in the area, turning out cars and home appliances. Louisville Slugger produces 1.8 million bats a year for Major League baseball, as well as hundreds of schools and organizations around the country.

Louisville has also begun to attract technology companies. Initiatives like Amplify Louisville provide resources for startups and entrepreneurs, which has helped expand opportunities for programmers and engineers by almost 10 percent since 2010.

But while the city’s tech growth has been impressive (over 2,000 software and IT companies), bourbon remains its largest industry. Around 95 percent of the world’s bourbon comes from Louisville. The city’s home to nearly 100 different bourbon and whiskey brands, mostly small, urban distilleries. However, the largest, Brown-Forman and Sazerac Company, produce thousands of barrels a day, including Jack Daniels, Southern Comfort, and Buffalo Trace.

Incredible Public Parks

Founded by Frederick Law Olmsted, the architect who designed Central Park, the Parkway System of Louisville is dedicated to “bringing nature to neighborhoods.” It manages over 120 playgrounds, picnic spots, and nature preserves across the city. Cherokee Park is the most famous. Designed by Olmsted himself, it features pastoral meadows, rocky streams, and nature trails that guide you through the charming woodlands of Beargrass Creek Valley.

Then there's Louisville Waterfront Park, a popular location downtown. During summer, you’ll find it packed with joggers, bicyclists, and sunbathers. It’s also where most of the city’s biggest outdoor concerts and festivals are held.

At Iroquois Park, visitors can hike through forested hillsides and enjoy amazing views from the North Overlook, which provides an all-at-once vista of the city. Down at Parklands of Floyds Fork, residents can explore a massive 4,000 acre wilderness full of creeks, lakes, grasslands, and old-growth forests.

But if you’re tired of hanging around the city, just outside Louisville you'll find miles of rolling hills, steep bluffs, and sprawling farmland. Residents can hike through the rugged Cumberland Plateau or venture down into Mammoth Caves, the world’s largest cave system, or kayak along the Ohio River and its offshoots. Experience a piece of American history at Lincoln’s birthplace or take a long drive down to Fort Donelson, just across the border with Tennessee, and tour one of the earliest battlefields of the Civil War. With so many opportunities for outdoor recreation, it’s no wonder nature lovers flock to Louisville.

Mouth-Watering Food

In 2022, Louisville was named the number one foodie city in America. At the time, it had more restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the country and has continued to expand its offerings ever since. The city is the epicenter of “New Southern Cuisine” and innovative farm-to-table dining.

Diners enjoy country-fried mushrooms, sesame scallion pancakes, butternut squash and goat cheese agnolotti, New York strip served with crab legs and shrimp, and spicy fried oysters served over Weisenberger grits with country ham. Desserts are even more decadent. Imagine taking a bite of:

• Mocha Dacquoise. One of the signature dishes at Buck’s Restaurant in old Louisville, the dacquoise is made from three layers of toasted almond meringue, topped with mocha buttercream, rum Chantilly, powdered sugar, and chocolate drizzle.
• Kentucky Stack Cake. Served at Proof on Main inside the 21C Museum Hotel, this rich pastry is crafted with almonds, buttermilk whip, and lemon buttercream.
• Derby Pie. An open-faced, custard pie made from premium chocolate and choice walnuts folded into a delicious filling. Created in 1954 at the Melrose Inn in Prospect, Kentucky, it’s now served at restaurants all over the city, especially on the first Saturday in May (Derby Day).

For one of the city’s most unique creations, order the Hot Brown at the Lobby Bar & Grill in the Brown Hotel, a Louisville landmark. Originally served in 1926, this open-faced sandwich is made from thick-sliced bread (similar to Texas Toast), roast turkey, bacon, tomatoes, Mornay sauce, and melted cheese. The region has dozens of other specialties as well: burgoo, beer cheese, bain sauce, bourbon balls, and, of course, fried chicken ‒ so many in fact that residents can eat out every day of the year and never have the same meal twice.

Sports and Nightlife

Sports fans have a great time living in Louisville. It’s home to the Kentucky Derby, one of the largest horse races in the world. Thousands of people flock to the city to witness “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.” Besides cheering on their favorite thoroughbred, it’s a chance for fans to show off their finest suits, dresses, and hats.

But the Derby is far from the only major event held in Louisville. It’s also hosted PGA Championships, the Ryder Cup, and the NCAA Field Hockey National Championship. And while it doesn’t have any major league organizations, its college football and basketball teams draw thousands of people every year. The rivalry between the Louisville Cardinals and the Kentucky Wildcats (official teams of the University of Louisville and University of Kentucky, respectively) is one of the fiercest in the country. The Louisville Bats, an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, provide plenty of action at Slugger Field, while Racing Louisville FC and Louisville City FC, the city’s two professional soccer clubs, dominate the competition from March-November.

At night, most residents head downtown to unwind. The Bourbon District takes you on a self-guided tour of the city’s finest distilleries ‒ a great opportunity to expand your palate and live it up at some of the hottest bars in town. Fourth Street Live has some of Louisville's best music and funniest stand-up acts. Fight fans won’t want to miss the watch parties at the Sports and Social Club. For something a little less rowdy, the Louisville Orchestra stages classical and contemporary concerts regularly throughout the year.

Moving to Louisville

No matter where you’re heading, trust Allied to keep your move running smoothly. We’ve been helping Americans relocate for over 95 years. Our full service moving teams are here for you, no matter what you need. From planning to packing to shipping, storage, and final delivery ‒ we’re ready to lend a hand every step of the way. Start your move on the right foot. Contact us today for a free quote!