Fort Knox ??? (Lexington, Louisville, Bowling Green: housing, rent, income)

[MovingMan]

Looks like Fort Knox is my future…so I’m looking for information about the area. Looking for the nearest nicest place to live and raise kids? Low crime, good schools, and a short commute to Fort Knox…know of a place?

Any info on Insulated concrete form houses in the Fort Knox area?
Like the idea of saving money on utilities while having some peace and quiet.

Thanks!

[rppipa01]

Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown, Kentucky. It holds the U.S. Army Armor Center, the U.S. Army Armor School and the U.S. Army Recruiting Command. It is also the site of the U.S. Bullion Depository and the Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor (established 1949), both located on the army post.



Now, the neartest place to live would be Radcliff, KY (literally right next to the installation). Radcliff is a city in Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 21,961 at the 2000 census. Its economy is largely dominated by the adjacent Fort Knox Army base and the county seat of Hardin County, Elizabethtown. The median income for a household in the city was $35,763, and the median income for a family was $41,260. Radcliff has one school North Hardin High School, but some children go to John Hardin High School.

North Hardin High School was founded in the year 1962. As of 2005-2006, 2,200 students attended the school. The athletics teams are known as the Trojans. A member of the Southern Association and rated as a comprehensive high school by the Kentucky Department of Education, North Hardin offers over 100 subject offerings, 26 clubs, and 29 athletic or competitive teams. In addition, students may choose from 11 areas at the KY Technical School as well as the Hardin County Schools TV production classes. North has an award-winning JROTC program and a band that is recognized nationally. North is known for its "ghetto" ingenuity as well as being a "melting pot" of students. In addition the schools band is one of the top high school programs in the country. The Trojan Marching Band is a 5 time Kentucky state champion, a Bands of America regional champion, and a Grand National Finalist, placing as high as 4th in the United States. Besides the marching band, the North Hardin Wind Symphony is widely regarded as the top high school concert band in the state of Kentucky. In 2005 the Wind Symphony was one of only 2 high school bands in the world to receive the prestigious Sudler Flag of Honor for musical excellence. It is the only Kentucky band to receive a Distinguished rating at the Kentucky Music Educators Association’s State Concert Band Festival since its inception. In addition to this the Wind Symphony is the only Kentucky band to ever be invited to perform at the Bands of America national concert band festival, they have performed at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago twice (the only Kentucky band to ever do so) and in March 2006 the Wind Symphony became the first Kentucky concert band to perform in Carnegie Hall in New York City. The band is under the direction of Charles Campbell and Brian Froedge.

http://www.hardin.k12.ky.us/

Don't know much about the area personally, but most small towns in Kentucky are great for raising a family (low pollution, crime, etc).

Elizabethtown is another possiblity. Elizabethtown is a city in Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 22,542 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hardin County. Today Elizabethtown is still a growing community. With a population of over 20,000 persons, the community has a growing industrial and commercial economy. There are also many cultural and recreational opportunities in the area, including the summer concert series at Freeman Lake Park, organized sports, and the Heartland Festival. The town is regionally referred to as "E-town." It is notable as one of two larger towns (the other being Bowling Green) along I-65 between Louisville and Nashville. The median income for a household in the city was $35,823, and the median income for a family was $45,399. Overall, the Elizabethtown Independent School district ranks 15th in the state. The district is state renowned for excellent academics. E.I.S is also a member of the KY High Performing Districts' Alliance Project.

Elizabethtown Independent Schools

Elizabethtown High School
Talton K. Stone Middle School
Morningside Elementary School
Helmwood Heights Elementary School
Valley View Educational Center

Hardin County Schools

The Hardin County Schools are another district that encompasses some of the city limits.

John Hardin High School
Bluegrass Middle School
G.C. Burkhead Elementary School
Lincoln Trail Elementary School
New Highland Elementary School
Meadowview Elementary School

Saint James Roman Catholic School
The parochial school attached to Saint James Parish.

I myself have never been to E-town but from what I have heard, it is a very beautiful place to live and has a good school system. E-town is about 14-20 miles outside Fort Knox.

[rppipa01]

There are a lot of other areas to look into (Vine grove, Shepardsville, etc...), but if it were up to me, I'd recommend Etown first, and then Radcliff (simply because it is right next to the fort). Etown has a good community, good schools, friendly atmosphere, and would be great to raise your family. One other bonus is that Louisville (state's largest city at 550K official, 700K unofficial and 1.2 million metro) is about 40-45 miles away. While you get small town life (and price), you still have access to a large city for entertainment (zoo, plays, festivals, Thunder, Kentucky Derby, U of L athletics, etc...). Hope this helps and good luck to you.

Go to a Louisville Bats game (triple AAA Red's affliate) sometime. They are a lot of fun (especially if you have a kid) and are pretty cheap.

[bosberg]

Hello
I used to live at Ft Knox then later, Etown. Etown has grown very big since I lived there, but in my opionion, would be better then Radcliff. If you have a hankering for more country living vs city and don't mind a drive, I'd look toward the Vine Grove area.
But if you are going to be on base at Ft. Knox and housed in the housing area, then why not send the kids to the on base school? In my opinion the DOD school is the best of all in the area, I graduated from there many years ago, lots of opportunity.

[LifeLongLearner]

Hello,
I was raised on Ft. Knox. My parents later retired to Radcliff. All of my children were born in Elizabethtown. I also lived in Vine Grove for a good amount of time. I graduated from high school in Radcliff.
Insulated concrete form houses are something new to me, I am not sure what to tell you there.
On saving utilites, go outside as much as you can, enjoy the area that you are in if you are living off of post. My parents bought an acre and use some of it for gardening, and grill out often.
I will be honest with you about the schools, I prefered my schools on Ft. Knox. My brother is a graduate *many moons ago* of Ft. Knox high school, and when we compare things, we both agree that he probably benifted more from his classes.
I hope that you will enjoy the state of KY, there are many things to go and do.

[zilanay]

PLease let me know the most recent status of this search.

[RainingPhotos]

My cousin is a homebuilder/remodeler in the Louisville/Lexington areas. I don't know if you were intending to build or to buy an existing home, but here is his webpage link for ICFC. Hope this is helpful.

http://designerbuildersky.com/insulated.htm