Is Lexington Safe? Crime Rates & Safety Report

Saddle up your horse and grab your bourbon glass, we’re going to the “Horse Capital of the World” in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Southern flavor of this community makes it endearing and unforgettable.

The location is ideal with Cincinnati, Louisville, and Daniel Boone National Forest all just 90 minutes away.

This is Kentucky life at its finest.

Lexington has managed to grow in population while still holding onto that small-town feel.

The business growth hasn’t impeded on the picturesque horse farms and rolling hills of Kentucky Blue Grass.

The music scene here is amazing too, with live music streaming out of bars and on street corners.

You’ll be tapping your foot and falling in love with Blue Grass music before you leave.

The Festival of the Bluegrass is the oldest of its kind in the state and kicks off summer with the signature sound of Kentucky.

You’re also in the heart of Kentucky history in Lexington, with those stately homes reminiscent of Gone With the Wind.

Even downtown has been revitalized without losing that classic Southern charm.

NOTE:

Blue Grass/Bluegrass is spelled in different ways depending on the attraction or location.

Search engines should accommodate this discrepancy, but there doesn’t seem to be a universal agreement on which is correct.

Warnings & Dangers in Lexington

Safest Places to Visit in Lexington

Visitlex.com is the official tourism website for the city.

It’s smart to use this as a starting point so you don’t end up on a third-party tourism site that could put viruses on your computer or hack information.

The attractions in Lexington revolve around horses, history, and bourbon.

The Distillery District downtown is on the 25 acres of an abandoned distillery.

Now it’s filled with distilleries, restaurants, and events that bring crowds of all ages to enjoy this resurrected district.

The American Saddlebred Museum is a must-see to learn about the history of horses in Kentucky.

You’ll find artwork and artifacts here, but no live horses.

Visiting here first will help you when you do visit a horse ranch, which starts another big tourist challenge – there are 450 horse farms in this area.

You can schedule through a tour company and the tourism department recommends these options:

• Horse Country Inc. – (866)466-1509
• Horse Farm Tours – (800)976-1034
• Thoroughbred Heritage Horse Farm Tours – (859) 260-8687
• Unique Horse Farm Tours – (859) 213-6653

Another great equestrian stop is Thoroughbred Park.

While the park is less than three acres large, the real Insta-moment is the bronze life-sized racehorses.

Historic home tours here are really quite incredible.

I will give a trigger warning – there will be some talk of slavery, whether directly or indirectly.

Some sites actually offer slavery tours.

The Henry Clay Estate offers tours of the statesman’s home in the 19th century with real family artifacts.

Gratz Park is lined with grand oaks and colorful homes in one of the oldest residential sections of town.

This would make a great morning stroll with your cup of coffee.

Hopemont is reflective of the community when it was the epitome of culture.

There’s a Civil War museum inside and a beautiful garden.

The Mary Todd Lincoln House is the childhood home of President Lincoln’s wife.

It’s also among the oldest structures in the city.

Live like a Lincoln and take a tour of this grand home.

Get outside at Boone Creek Outdoors, where you can get courageous and ride a zip line 1400 feet in the air or just meander and listen to the history lessons of the Kentucky Palisades.

Ropes courses, bridges, and lots of stairs also fill this space.

Bring comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots.

The Lexington Farmer’s Market isn’t limited to one place on one day like many other cities choose to do.

There are four locations throughout the city and Monday is the only day off for the vendors.

Places to Avoid in Lexington

Lexington has that “If you don’t go looking for trouble, you won’t find it” vibe.

While there are some lower-income neighborhoods or streets with higher crime rates, there are also complaints that tourists bring in crime and drug activity when staying in the Airbnb section of town.

I love researching new areas to see the variety of comments.

As much as one person thinks a city is safe, another person would walk along in the middle of the night with their newborn.

One constant with Lexington through – Nicholasville Road traffic can be a nightmare, especially during rush hours.

If you’re looking for a less crowded Lexington, you should check the events schedule to make sure your trip doesn’t overlap with a horse race or big annual festival.

If you are coming for one of these events, be sure to reserve far in advance as prices will go up while hotels max out reservations.

Safety Tips for Traveling to Lexington

So... How Safe Is Lexington Really?

While Lexington is an overall safe city, that’s not to say it doesn’t have crime.

You’ll find crimes of all kinds in the city, including the month of May 2022 when 11 homicides happened.

There are also an average of four cars stolen each day.

As for thefts, 32% are related to car break-ins, so always lock your car doors and roll up the windows.

Leave nothing in plain sight and remove the rental car paperwork from the glove compartment.

Store it in a safe place.

If you are staying at an Airbnb, lock all the doors and windows when you go to sleep.

Use a deadbolt when available.

For hotels, try to park under a street light or within sight of a security camera.

2021 saw crime rates go down in many key categories, but in 2022 the pace is trending for an increase in crime – some categories as high as 30% in a month compared to the same month in 2021.

The risk during your visit to Lexington will largely depend on how attuned you are to your personal and property safety.

Always keep an eye on the weather because you don’t want to be caught outdoors when a storm is bearing down.

How Does Lexington Compare?

City	Safety Index
Lexington	78
Deadwood	80
Sturgis	80
Pierre	81
Spearfish	80
Hill City	83
Sevierville	73
Temuco (Chile)	31
Puno (Peru)	45
Nara (Japan)	88
Kanazawa (Japan)	83
Hammamet (Tunisia)	78
Sidi Bou Said (Tunisia)	42

Useful Information

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Lexington Weather Averages (Temperatures)

Average High/Low Temperature

Kentucky - Safety by City

City	Safety Index
Ashland	78
Bardstown	89
Berea	82
Bowling Green	76
Cave City	84
Corbin	85
Covington	47
Cumberland Falls	83
Elizabethtown	87
Erlanger	84
Georgetown	74
Harlan Tri-Cities	89
Hazard	78
Hodgenville	86
Hopkinsville	74
Jeffersontown	82
La Grange	87
Lexington	78
Louisville	65
Madisonville	82
Maysville	85
Midway	86
Morehead	86
Murray	83
Nicholasville	78
Owensboro	78
Paducah	56
Perryville	88
Pikeville	88
Radcliff	88
Rosine	90
Shelbyville	86
Slade	68
Somerset	86
St. Matthews	82
Stearns	86