Richmond and Berea receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Richmond
Berea
Opportunity
44 · Bottom 25%
vs45 · Bottom 27%
Growth
67 · Top 21%
vs64 · Top 27%
Climate
74 · Top 30%
vs77 · Top 24%
Physical resilience
77 · Top 29%
vs76 · Top 29%
Housing affordability
78 · Bottom 46%
vs96 · Top 17%
Schools
54 · Top 47%
vs51 · Top 50%
Access
47 · Bottom 3%
vs41 · Bottom 2%
Economic stability
49 · Bottom 31%
vs38 · Bottom 14%
Measured values
| Metric | Richmond | Berea | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,111 | 15,786 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $50,870 | $59,495 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,276 | $25,877 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,690/sq mi | 956/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $214,900 | $199,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $917 | $835 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 38.3% | 58.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 6.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34.9% | 27.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.5% | 17.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 235 | 120 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.3 | 7.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -7.5% | -22.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 87°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 25°F | 29°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 84 mi | 88 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.4 min | 24.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 28.4 | 33.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 11 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.42 | 15.42 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 29.9% | 29.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 49.2% | 46.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 54.6% | 55.2% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: Richmond, KY · Berea, KY · How this is calculated: methodology