Western Kentucky Surprises: Two Small Cities Near Owensboro Among Kentucky’s Safest in 2025

Safety headlines don’t usually start in Ohio County, but in 2025, they should. Just outside Owensboro, two local cities have earned spots in Kentucky’s top five safest, putting this familiar corner of the state in the spotlight. It's a big deal for a county that many people pass right by without a second thought!

Paintsville, Kentucky - Safest City in the Commonwealth

According to SafeWise’s State of Safety survey, Kentucky continues to rank high nationally for violent crime and gun violence. Because of that, many Kentuckians say they don’t always feel as safe as they’d like in their own communities.

But that’s not the whole story. Paintsville, Kentucky’s safest city in 2025, reported a 58% drop in violent crime from the year before, and it’s far from alone. Several cities on this year’s list are seeing declines in crime that are worth paying attention to. Especially, in Ohio County!

Crime Concerns in Kentucky

Crime continues to shape how Kentuckians feel about safety in their communities, with violent crime and gun violence remaining top concerns statewide. While property crime is still less worrisome than violent crime, concern about it is growing. The percentage of Kentuckians worried about property crime jumped from 48% to 58% year over year, outpacing the national average. More residents are also experiencing it firsthand, with reported property crime increasing from 25% to 28%.

Package theft ranks lowest among crime concerns in Kentucky, yet it still affects nearly one-third of residents and worries Kentuckians more than the average American. In response, many are taking extra steps to protect their homes. Forty percent of respondents increased their security measures in the past eight months, often turning to security cameras, guard dogs, or firearms.

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Good News for Our Neighbors in Ohio County

Paintsville may be Kentucky’s safest city in 2025, but for folks around Owensboro, the standout news hits a little closer to home. Ohio County placed two cities in the state’s top five safest this year, with Hartford coming in at No. 2 and Beaver Dam right behind at No. 4. That’s no small thing for communities many of us know well. In a year when safety concerns are on the rise across the state, Hartford and Beaver Dam are showing that steady progress and safe neighborhoods are still very much possible, and sometimes they’re happening right in our own backyard.

At the end of the day, rankings and statistics only tell part of the story. Anyone who’s spent time in Hartford or Beaver Dam knows these are places where neighbors look out for one another, where people still wave, lend a hand, and would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it!

Western Kentucky's safest cities

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Kentucky's top 10 safest cities 2025