why are people not moving into kentucky? (Lexington, Louisville: fit in, hotel)

[tomocox]

Can't believe all advertising. Now can you? Kentucky's growth is steady. Our infrastructure may have a few short comings in spots, but our roads are good, some of our schools are outstanding, most are good, and a few can't teach a young dog new tricks, but that is the way most states really are. Kentucky is a generally a great place to raise a kid or spend the golden years with four true seasons. It's never too hot, seldom too cold, and typically just right even though there's a saying in Kentucky that if you don't like the weather, just wait 15 minutes.

[stx12499]

Yes, I just hope the growth stays steady, and a sprawl boom doesn't occur. With the growing national buzz on Louisville for its merger and smart growth, plus its fast growing downtown, things are changing. People at least regionally (think Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, some of the cities Louisville gains the most in migration from) are discovering the gem we have here. Places like Oldham County have the potential to grow too fast, and I sure hope they don't, because that is part of their charm. Still, I could easily see La Grange being what Franklin is to Nashville or what Cary is to Raleigh in 10 years--that is quaint towns turned into boomtowns with upscale neighborhoods, lifestyle center shopping, and outstanding schools and value. Most the elements are already there, it is just not seeing the explosive population growth.

http://www.kentuckianaworks.org/PDFs...0Sept%2005.pdf

[msina]

I'm a backwoods kind of person and if I were to live anywhere other than Maine, I'd like it to be in Kentucky. I love the Appalachian area and I am the type that could live in a rural area happily. Kentucky people are real, you get what you see and if you don't like it, don't look. I have to say you are lucky to have some of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.

[K. Dunn]

Hi A Johnson,

Another CA resident thinking of moving to KY! Join the club! You will read about a few of us CA here on this forum. I ran into a Kentuckian up in Northern Kentucky by Union who when he found out I was from CA he said "Oh another Californian eh?" He explained to me that he now knows of about 6 neighbors in his area that are from CA. We originally heard about KY [would never have thought of going that far east ourselves] after being disappointed with a scouting mission into Colorado and telling some friends about it who had similar reactions to scouting Austin, TX.

So they went out to visit some friends in Lexington and came back blown away, and telling us about it. So that started us on more research into the area, including Tennessee, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, ect. All of the "find your spot" or "best places to live" ect., type web sites wouldn't even mention Kentucky [shows that the states or cities do have some influence on how they pop up on those selections]! But we kept coming back to it for multiple reasons, don't want to go too far south for hot temperature reasons, as well as too far north for cold reasons, along with terrain, home values, people, schools, demographics, economics, ect., ect.

We like Floridahater [find that funny!] were originally looking at Northern Kentucky, especially Boone County with Union, Florence, and Burlington areas. It matched all of our required criteria [which of course is different for everyone for lots of reasons] so we went out about a month ago to see it up close and personal. Well, we LOVED the rolling hill terrain [and of course all the green which is everywhere in KY], LOVED the style of homes being built old and new, LOVED some of the communities being built in south Union or western Florence area's [and by the way Floridahater, I might be able to save you some time house hunting depending on your price range, we were looking in the $200K-$300K zone, and made a huge detailed map to cross out or circle the good and bad area's] and did find some gorgeous area's that I especially loved, but what the whole area lacked was any real towns to speak of.

You have to look at all these areas as basically out suburbs of Cincinnati which is where you will be going for any casual dining/shopping/culture unless you want to go to a strip mall. Lots of those. Now they do have the indoor Florence Mall, but it isn't pretty my any means, and neither is the surrounding areas of car dealers and misc. stores and you guessed it, more strip malls. Now I did find Newport up on the river very cool, and had a beautiful view of Cincinnati [which looked beautiful by the way] while we ate at a cool Irish Pub right on the river, but I wouldn’t want to live there, cool to visit and go to the aquarium!

Now we are heavily researching the Louisville suburbs areas, especially Oldham County and south and east Jefferson County. From what I have found out, this has everything I liked about N.KY, and everything it was missing, like lots of cool suburb towns around the big city. Check TOMOCOX or STX for info in that area, they are superb and have a wealth of info. I am now very excited to go back again in two weeks to check out that area in person. I will post my findings for those also like us.

KY seems to offer something for everyone, N.KY offers a lot of job opportunities and great Home Values, Lexington is super clean and has more acreage available in general, and Louisville offers that Big City with a small town feel along with lots of cool towns and suburbs to check out around it. Those friends that I mentioned who originally got us thinking about KY, at first, while they were impressed with LEX, it wasn't for them, since they are a bit more liberal Democrat types than us and like being "in" the city, or at least really close to it, but now after the info I found out about Louisville, and especially the Highlands area, they are excited, feeling they might have found there perfect fit, while we on the other hand are looking for a bit more rural [like 20 minutes out from the Big City] with more space, yet we still like a mix of old and new when it comes to modern shopping and conveniences, so where looking at Prospect, River Bluff, Goshen, and La Grange in Oldham County.

Just so you can see my perspective me, wife, and my friends are both in our late 30’s, early 40’s and both of us have two daughters each and are just looking for that area where we too can get a larger home that what otherwise is not feasible here in CA, in a safe place, with beautiful country. Kentucky offers all that plus way more History and is centrally located for all those short 1-2 day trips [that me and my girls like to do] to see lots more very cool stuff! My in-laws are now also thinking of following us out in just a few years later [letting us be the guinea pigs] which would make huge sense for them in their retirement years. So people are going to Kentucky, but it’s by more of word of mouth or places like this forum that the truth comes out!
So I say go for it, let us know what you decide! Best kept secret is KY, but I don't think it will be for long.

[LouisvilleJake]

One of the things that I love about Kentucky is that it isn't a boom state. Our cities are growing, but not at a breakneck pace. That helps to keep a good quality of life, in my opinion.

[Siberia]

Income taxes are high, IMHO, versus states close by and versus states of similar job opportunity and state services:

Kentucky collects income taxes from its residents at the following rates:

-- 2% on the first $3,000 of taxable income
-- 3% on taxable income between $3,001 and $4,000
-- 4% on taxable income between $4,001 and $5,000
-- 5% on taxable income between $5,001 and $8,000
-- 5.8% on taxable income between $8,001 and $75,000
-- 6% on taxable income of $75,001 and above.


5.8% on anything over $8,000...with ZERO personal exemptions....Wow, that is high compared to connected states! Kentucky is like the Fed government...crush the middle class with taxes (25% fed, 5.8% KY), and allow the super high income families above $250,000 to pay only slightly higher percentage rates (31% fed, 6.0% KY).

How does this compare? Some states don't even tax income, Tenn being one of them just South, and INdiana and Illinois are mid 3% flat income tax. Even high tax Michigan, fiscally bankrupt and all, is only 4.35%, with a huge $13,300 personal exemption for a family of four.

Basically, Kentucky seems to be shooting itself in the foot on the job growth by hitting those who work, verus those who consume. They would be better off raising the sales tax 1% and droping the income tax 2%, IMO....

And some say the property taxes in Kentucky offset the income tax, but fail to realize that Indiana is passing laws as we speak to cap property tax at Kentucky's 1% rate, along with Tenn having extremely small property tax, and every state, if you look hard enough, has counties that have similiar property taxes, along with counties in those same states that take tax their citizens up to 3-4% on home values. Property taxes can be controlled by where you live in each state, but income, and sales taxes to some extent, cannot...

[tomocox]

Thank you for that response. My immediate response was to counter your argument, but like crime, taxes everywhere are too high, and Democrats have never met a tax they didn't like. Taxes and beauracracy means more power for them. They get to take in bucks and get patted on the back for sending money back into politically important areas, while leaving lesser area's as tax-negative. If people are truly interested in saving money, whether it be property, sales, or whatever kind of tax that can be imagined, then keeping the money from the governmental power-chests is the best plan of all. The older I become the more libertarian I become, so no matter what the emotional sensationalism there is flooding our media, I hope people will see that anything whether it be personal, corporate, gaming, liquor, license fees or even state managed lotteries sending money to any goverment actually deminishes every citizen's wealth.

[KY-BOY]

I've lived in this state since 1993. It has gotten old for me. The summers are not that enjoyable as the air quality is quite poor and additionally it can be quite humid here from May through September. Winters here can be cold but there is never enough snow to enjoy outdoor sports. It's a pocketed state...upper class housing parked next to low income areas is not that uncommon at all. Culturally I can't say I'm impressed with the state at all. You do have the old money areas of lexington and Louisville with the horse country but as a general rule I find the state rather lackluster.

Not sure on the comments made about the state having people who are extra tolerant. I personally think people, for the most part, are the same wherever you live. If you are looking for a place to buy a house and just go to and from work, well it's all about the same. If you like clean air, the ability to do winter and summer outdoor sports and access to lakes (not rivers with dams), ocean or mountains...well I'm not sure KY is the place for that.

I'm currently seriously considering moving out of this part of the country altogether.

[GraniteStater]

KY-BOY,
You are right about some of the air quality issues. I have driven through areas of northern Kentucky before. Their is a lot of industry and power plants along the entire stretch of the Ohio River. That does not lead to very good air quality, especially in the summer months when air masses are stagnant.

[KY-BOY]

The real culprit is the fact that the entire area sits in a river valley...the air here just hangs in the summer months. Last time I got off the airplaine in NH I was AMAZED...I swear my head was lighter that day. Incidentally I have an interview this Thursday for a job in NH.

I'm not saying the state here is bad, I just think there are other places with a lot more to offer. More culture, scenery, things to do, etc.