Princeton Downtown Commercial District is a historic district in downtown Princeton, Kentucky centered on the 1940s art deco courthouse. The district includes 44 contributing resources: 42 buildings, Big Spring Park, and the Confederate Soldier Monument.

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7 on the National Register · #69 in KYHistoric places →

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The town at a glance, and the guide to how things work

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About Princeton

City in Kentucky, United States

1820Established

6,270Population

9 sq miArea

482 ftElevation

Princeton is a home rule-class city in Caldwell County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. As of the 2020 census, Princeton had a population of 6,270. Princeton is home to several notable attractions such as Adsmore Museum, Champion-Shepherdson House (home of the Princeton Art Guild), University of Kentucky Research and Education Center Botanical Garden, and the Annual Black Patch Festival.

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From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Princeton ranks

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#1Lowest property tax in KY #4Most affordable in KY #9Highest graduation rate in KY All KY rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code42445

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Living in Princeton

Housing in Princeton

$144K▼ 6.5% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Princeton home is worth about $144,000, down 6.5% in a year, 38% below the Kentucky typical home.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Princeton

B⁻

Safety Grade B-

Princeton reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 54% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Princeton 1.1

Kentucky 2.1

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Princeton 20.4

Kentucky 12.8

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Princeton

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40% of Princeton’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Hopkinsville (6%), Paducah (3%) and Eddyville (3%). Half commute less than 13 miles.

Hopkinsville

Paducah

Eddyville

Madisonville

40%Work in townlive and work in Princeton 13 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 4,064Jobs based herea job hub

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Princeton →

Health in Princeton

Compared with Kentucky

1worse than KY

of 5 measures CDC estimates. The other 4 are too close to call.

Conditions 1▼ 0 close Habits all close Care all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

23.5%More older adults who have lost all their teethKY 18.9% · worse

Care nearby

Caldwell Medical CenterPrinceton · 2.6 mi · ER · rural critical access

Community Medical Clinic, PrincetonPrinceton · 0.9 mi · sliding-scale fees

2 health centers in Princeton →

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Princeton · CMS · HRSAHealth in Princeton →

Natural hazards in Princeton

High

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 76% of U.S. communities.

🏚️ Earthquakes🌊 Inland flooding🌪️ Tornadoes

9Does Princeton flood?paid flood claims since 1998 4Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Princeton

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Princeton →

Climate in Princeton

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Princeton has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

47° / 29°Winter

69° / 47°Spring

87° / 67°Summer

70° / 48°Fall

How much snow does Princeton get?About 9 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 24, with the last in spring around Apr 11.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+0.7° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Princeton →

Schools in Princeton

All Princeton schools →

B⁺

School Grade B+

The public schools Princeton’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 70% of Kentucky’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

#63Best public schoolsof 126 in KY

DistrictCaldwell CountySchools3

Caldwell County Primary SchoolElementary · Grades PK–2 · 532 students Caldwell County High School BHigh · Grades 9–12 · 561 students Caldwell County Area Technology CenterHigh · Grades 8–12

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within KY. Ratings are from neighbors.