When it comes to finding your next home, there’s more to consider than just the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Location is key, which is why we’ve compiled a list of 12 Louisville neighborhoods for you to check out.
From the trendy Highlands to the historic Crescent Hill, there’s a neighborhood to suit every personality and lifestyle. Plus, living in Louisville is a slice of upper southern charm mixed with bustling city life.
You’ll never run out of things to do, with events like the Kentucky Derby, bourbon tastings, and art shows happening year-round. In addition, the food scene is unmatched, with classic southern staples like hot chicken and BBQ spots on every corner.
Looking for your dream home in Kentucky? We’ve rounded up the top 12 neighborhoods that are sure to tickle your fancy.
Cherokee Seneca
Population: 689
Median Income: $146,907
Median Home Price: $536K
The Cherokee Seneca neighborhood in Louisville contains two large parks, Seneca Park and Cherokee Park. Located to the east of the city center, south of Frankfort Avenue, this neighborhood is close to the North Women’s and Children’s Hospital for any emergencies. Plus, it borders the Bowman Field airport and Route 264 for easy transportation.
Cherokee Seneca’s main features are the wilderness loop trails, Louisville Seminary school, Caldwell Chapel church, and ample green space due to the proximity to Cherokee Park and Seneca Park. The two parks feature walking trails, bike paths, and picnic areas.
We recommend this neighborhood for those who want to walk anywhere, soak in historical buildings, and utilize large yards and green space. Cherokee Seneca is smart for families who want to use the public school system, young professionals who want to mingle with other same-aged people, and families embracing homeownership in a beautiful neighborhood..
The real estate market here features a $536K home value and $906 average monthly rent. The majority of residents here (79%) own their homes. The housing market has had an 11.7% decrease since last year, with 3.8% of homes selling for under the list price. The market is competitive, meaning that some homes for sale in Cherokee Seneca get multiple offers.
Cherokee Gardens
Population: 754
Median Income: $175,156
Median Home Price: $615.9K
Cherokee Gardens is a neighborhood in eastern Louisville, south of Frankfort Avenue, featuring the Seneca Golf Course, Cherokee Park, and Cave Hill Cemetery. This neighborhood is located near Seneca Gardens, Norbourne Estates, and The Highlands.
Cherokee Gardens offers a suburban vibe that features tons of cultural attractions, bars, art galleries and other entertainment options, and nightlife spots for the younger demographics, and restaurants with fantastic food, green spaces, and major parks for the active families.
This scenic neighborhood is good for young families or homeowners who want to enjoy plenty of neighborhood services and send their children to above-average public schools.
The real estate market here is competitive and features a median home value of $615,900 and a median rent of $881 per month. Most residents here own their homes (97%). The median price for homes for sale in Cherokee Gardens experienced a 35.4% increase since last year.
Crescent Hill
Population: 8,588
Median Income: $81,958
Median Home Price: $345.6K
Crescent Hill is a quiet, tri-lined neighborhood ranked among the top communities for those moving to Louisville, Kentucky, due to its suburban feel, restaurants, parks, coffee shops, family vibe, and diversity. This neighborhood is traversed by Frankfort Avenue and features:
- Crescent Hill Golf Course
- Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
- Sacred Heart Schools.
We recommend looking in this neighborhood if you are a young professional or small family looking for a family-oriented area with plenty of neighborhood services, green spaces, easy commute, and exciting nightlife.
The real estate market here features a median home value of $345.6K and a $951 monthly rent, with 60% of residents owning their homes. Homes for sale here have experienced a 4.2% price increase since last year in Crescent Hill, with the market being somewhat competitive and average homes selling for 1% below the list price.
Rock Creek Lexington Road
Population: 4,396
Median Income: $131,591
Median Home Price: $371.6K
Rock Creek Lexington Road is a suburban, scenic neighborhood that mainly features young professionals, older retirees, and families settled in beautiful homes. The main features of this neighborhood are:
- Seneca Park
- Seneca Park Flag Football / Soccer Field
- Big Spring Country Club
- Christian Academy
- Ample bars, restaurants, and cafes.
Rock Creek Lexington Road is home to numerous restaurants on Frankfort Avenue, such as Diamond Pub, The Fishery, and Molly Malone’s. Residents of Rock Creek Lexington Road enjoy the nightlife, family-oriented vibe, job market, and outdoor activities.
The real estate market in Rockcreek is competitive and features an average home price between $371K and $552K, with the sale upwards of $225 per square foot. 2.3% sell for under the list price, and most homes spend 43 days on the market before sale.
The Highlands
Population: 1,582
Median Income: $60,569
Median Home Price: $235.5K
The Highlands is a sought-after neighborhood in East Louisville, approximately six miles of downtown. It features:
- The Kindred Hospital Louisville
- Jefferson County Middle School
- Multiple bars, restaurants and cafes along Bardstown Road
- Children’s playgrounds
- Morton Avenue dog park
- Nearby urban parks
Many young people live in the Highlands along with young families who send their children to above-average public schools. Residents here enjoy the public school system, housing, family-centered vibe, the nightlife options, fitness opportunities, and outdoor activities.
The real estate market in The Highlands has experienced a 25% decrease in the median sale price since last year, with most homes for sale changing hands after 27 days. The housing market here is competitive, meaning that most properties get multiple offers.
Harrods Glen
Population: 46 Homes
Median Income: Unknown
Median Home Price: $525.9K
Looking to move a little farther from Downtown Louisville? Harrods Glen is a pristine neighborhood in Prospect, KY, conveniently located off Route 265. This area is 13 miles from downtown.
This tiny and elite neighborhood is within a short car drive away from Green Spring, Harrods Creek, and Prospect. It is also just a stone’s throw away from GlenOaks Country Club, Sleepy Hollow Golf Course, and the stretch of businesses across Brownsboro Road
The nearby neighborhoods feature tons of seafood restaurants, bars, yacht clubs (due to the proximity of the Ohio River), parks, grocery stores, and shopping centers.
The Harrods Glenn real estate market shows that the home prices have increased steadily over the years, starting at just under $500K, topping at over $550K in 2020, and now steadying at $525K.
Downtown Louisville
Population: 630,260
Median Income: $58,358
Median Home Price: $174.4K
Louisville is ranked #123 out of the “Best Cities to Live in America’ according to Niche due to its high ratings for:
- Public schools
- Housing
- Family life
- Nightlife,
- Population diversity
- Job market
- Commuting possibilities
- Health and fitness options
- Weather
- Outdoor activities.
Louisville is in Jefferson County, on the banks of the Ohio River, and just a few steps from Indiana. It has numerous restaurants, parks, cafes, and public schools. Most residents here own their homes. The highest-rated schools in downtown Louisville include DuPont Manual High School, J. Graham Brown School, and Kentucky Country Day School.
Popular activities include in Downtown Louisville include the Waterfront Park, Louisville Slugger Field, the Kentucky Science Center, Frazier History Museum, Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, Old Forester Distilling Co. (and several other bourbon distilleries), Big Four Bridge, The Muhammad Ali Center, and much more.
The Downtown Louisville real estate market shows an increase in the median sale price, number of homes sold, and number of days on the market. Downtown Louisville is a seller’s market since the median sales price has increased over 3% since last year.
Most homes in Downtown Louisville receive two offers on average, with hot homes for sale closing for about 2% below the list price.
Hawthorne
Population: 1,703
Median Income: $8,0333
Median Home Price: $238.5K
Hawthorne is a scenic neighborhood by Route 150 and Route 155 close to Seneca Park Cherokee Park, and the Bowman Field Airport. Hawthorne contains numerous cafes, grocery stores, and restaurants, such as the Farmington Historic Home Museum, dive bars on the main street, and clinics/medical practices.
Current residents in Hawthrone state the neighborhood is dog-friendly, well-maintained, walkable to restaurants, and features easy parking for residents and visitors. The neighborhood features Hawthorne Elementary School, Highland Middle School, and Atherton High School. Hawthorne ranks highly in terms of the public school system, nightlife, diversity, family-friendly atmosphere, crime and safety, housing, job availability, weather, cost of living, and outdoor activities.
Spring Farm Lake
Population: Unknown
Median Income: Unknown
Median Home Price: $899.9
Spring Farm Lake is a small, scenic neighborhood around 15 miles east from Downtown Louisville, with spacious properties, trees, green spaces, and convenience in the local area. This neighborhood is close to the Paddock Shops, interstate, Holly Manor shopping, Nortons Commons, and Norton’s Hospital in just minutes.
Spring Farm Lake is near Green Spring, Route 265, Prospect, and Harrods Creek. Homeowners here can easily access the Ohio River in just minutes, or access the local shopping centers. They are also close to major parks, hike points, greens spaces, and golf courses.
There are plenty of spacious, suburban homes for sale in Spring Farm Lake and the surrounding Prospect neighborhood in a variety of prices and architectural styles including Victorian homes and Shotgun-style homes.
St. Matthews
Population: 17,588
Median Income: $72,910
Median Home Price: $268.4K
St. Matthews is an aesthetic neighborhood that has local shops, cute stores, shopping centers, welcoming subdivisions, and various restaurants serving fantastic food. This neighborhood has high rankings for nightlife, diversity, housing, a family-friendly atmosphere, health and fitness opportunities, commuting possibilities, and outdoor activities.
St. Matthews ranks among one of the top areas to live for young professionals in the state and the best places to retire. The St. Matthews real estate market currently shows a drop in median home prices from the previous year, with the average home price falling 15% to $268K.
The housing market is currently very competitive, with most homes getting multiple offers, average homes selling for 1% below list price, and hot homes selling in just six days.
Germantown
Population: 3,501
Median Income: $91,673
Median Home Price: $183.5K
Germantown is a highly-rated neighborhood in Louisville, KY, that features a sparse suburban feel. It was named due to the large population of German immigrants that historically settled there. The main aspects of this neighborhood are the Saint Michaels Cemetery, public schools, cafes, restaurants, parks, and liberal views.
Germantown is ranked as the 5th best neighborhood for young professionals and the 14th best in terms of neighborhoods in the Louisville area. Current residents like the walkable, safe areas, dog-friendly atmosphere, bars, shops, locally-owned stores, and public school system.
The Germantown real estate market shows a range of homes for sale ranging from $179K to $550K. In the past year, the home sale prices have decreased by 3.4%, with the price per square foot coming to $191.
Deer Park
Population: 4,174
Median Income: $88,033
Median Home Price: $239.5K
Deer Park features high ratings when it comes to neighborhoods in Louisville due to the housing options, family-oriented vibe, nightlife, public schools, coffee shops, and parks. This is one of the top spots for young professionals to relocate to when moving to Louisville neighborhoods. Deer Park is considered to be the #1 neighborhood in Louisville.
The top public schools serving this neighborhood include DuPont Manual High School, J. Graham Brown School, and Louisville Male High School.
Real estate trends have shown the housing market significantly decreased by over 7% since last year, with the median price dropping to under $300K. However, despite the yearly decrease, the median listing price of homes for sale in Deer Park rose in comparison to the previous months.
Frequently Asked Questions: Louisville Neighborhoods
There are some frequently asked questions regarding the best Kentucky neighborhoods for people moving into the area or buying properties.
What kind of housing options are available in Louisville?
There are currently over 2,400 homes for sale in Louisville, ranging from one-bedroom apartments to large-family homes. People moving to town can either rent a property or buy a home in various Louisville neighborhoods.
Do I need to own a car in Louisville?
There are walkable Louisville neighborhoods that work well for people who own a bicycle or use public transportation. Some of the most walkable neighborhoods include Clifton, Highlands, Cherokee, and the Central Business District.
What are nice neighborhoods in Louisville?
The highest-ranked neighborhoods in Louisville for pricing, amenities, location, and housing includes Bonnycastle, Highlands, Old Louisville, Cherokee Triangle, Crescent Hill, Clifton, Germantown, Rock Creek Lexington Road, Harrods Glen, and Mockingbird Gardens.
What is the most walkable neighborhood in Louisville?
The most walkable neighborhood is either the Highlands, PHoenix Hill, or the Central Business District. The Central Business District is difficult for cars to drive and park, so using public transportation, biking, or walking is the most efficient way to get around.
How many parks are in Louisville, KY?
There are approximately 120 beautiful parks and six parkways in Louisville covering over 13,000 acres of land. From lush, major parks to cozy urban parks, there’s a park for every taste in the city. Louisville Parks and Recreation manage parks near Louisville neighborhoods, and some of the most popular ones are:
- Tyler Park
- Central Park
- Shelby Park
- Bingham Park
- Audubon Park
Is Louisville a cheap city to live in?
The cost of living in Louisville is lower than the U.S. national average, including homes listed below the median sale price. The lowest-priced suburbs in Louisville include Charlestown, Georgetown, Brooks, Bonnycastle, Crescent Hill, Deer Park, Beechwood Village, Kenwood Hill, The Highlands, Wilder Park (close to the Churchill Downs), Southland Park, Pleasure Ridge Park and other areas in South Louisville..
Where is Millionaires Row in Louisville?
Millionaire’s Row in Louisville is located on Third Street in Old Louisville.
Is Louisville a good place to live?
Louisville has many positives, such as good tax breaks, access to higher education, a favorable economy, a low cost of living, fun things to do in your spare time, and ample restaurants and cafes. Most Louisville neighborhoods encompass tree-lined streets and lovely homes for sale and are within walking distance of modern amenities and services.
Final Thoughts
We know that finding a new home can be stressful, especially if you are relocating out of state to the bustling and vibrant city of Louisville, KY. We’re here to help! If you’re unsure where to look, check out our properties to begin your search.
And remember that using a real estate agent is a foolproof and trustworthy way to narrow your browsing to the best Louisville neighborhoods for expats. Contact a local real estate agent today to find the perfect home for you and your family.
