The Bourbon Trail, Mammoth Cave National Park, and the Kentucky Derby are just a few of the state’s many attractions. Still, not every city in the Bluegrass State has anything to offer. In a recent research, the website RoadSnacks, which rates locations based on a number of factors, determined that Monticello is the worst city in Kentucky to live in.
Monticello
RoadSnacks ranked the cities in Kentucky based on crime, poverty, unemployment, schooling, and income, among other things. They used data from the U.S. Census, the FBI, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other sources. Each city was given a score between 1 and 10 for each factor, with 10 being the worst. The website then took the average of all the numbers to come up with the final rank.
When it comes to crime, Monticello got a 9.5 out of 10, which means it has one of the better rates in the state. Also, the city got a 9.5 for poverty, which means that more than a third of its people live below the poverty line. This town also got an 8.5 for unemployment, a 7.5 for schooling, and a 6.5 for income. At 8.3, the city got the worst score for places to live in Kentucky.
What Are The Issues That Monticello Is Having
About 6,000 people live in the small city of Monticello, which is in Wayne County. The city is near Lake Cumberland, which is a famous place for tourists to visit. There aren’t many business chances, fun things to do, or cultural things to see in the city itself, though.
There are not enough jobs in Monticello, which is one of its main problems. The jobless rate in the city is 9.1%, which is higher than the 4.5% rate in the state. A family in Monticello makes about $24,000 a year, which is less than half of the average of $52,000 in the state. Because people don’t make much money, the poverty rate is very high—36.6%, which is more than double the state average of 16.3%.
People in Monticello also have to deal with a lot of crime. There are more than four times as many serious crimes in the city as there are in the whole state (232 per 100,000 people). The rate of property crime in the city is 5,878 per 100,000 people, which is more than three times the rate in the state, which is 1,781 per 100,000 people. Monticello is a dangerous place to live and work because of its high crime rate.
A third problem for Monticello is that not many people there have much schooling. The rate of high school graduates in the city is 77%, which is lower than the 90% rate across the state. Also, only 11% of people in the city finish college, which is less than the 24% average for the state. The low level of schooling makes it harder for people to get jobs and learn new skills, which lowers their quality of life.
How Can Monticello Be Made Better:
The city of Monticello needs immediate attention and action. The absence of social services, economic development, and community involvement are some of the core causes of the city’s issues that must be addressed. Among the potential fixes are:
- Bringing in new companies and sectors to the city, particularly those that can take advantage of the region’s natural resources and tourism potential. This might lead to a rise in income, more jobs, and a decrease in poverty.
- Putting money into police enforcement and public safety, particularly in places where crime and violence are common. This might lower the crime rate, raise people’s feeling of security, and enhance the city’s standing.
- Enhancing the educational system and offering additional chances for instruction and training, particularly for adults and young people who lack fundamental skills. This has the potential to raise living standards, develop human capital, and raise educational attainment.
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Conclusion
In Kentucky, Monticello is the worst place to live, per a new RoadSnacks survey. The city is plagued by high rates of poverty, unemployment, violence, and poor income and education levels. To turn things around and give its citizens a better future, the city must act. Monticello can improve, but doing so will require the assistance and collaboration of all parties involved, including the public and commercial sectors as well as civil society.