Danville is a wonderful place to visit, live and work. But you don’t have to take our word for it! Our city has won so many awards recently, we’re nearly blushing.
Quality of life in Danville is second to none. City events get a lot of attention—our Kentucky State BBQ Festival, for instance, was named a “Top 20 Event in the Southeastern United States” in 2013 by the Southeast Tourism Society—but everyday life is pretty sweet too! Recognitions like these attest to that:
“South’s Best College Towns,” Southern Living, 2016
“Twelve Small Towns with Big Southern Charm,” WhereTraveler.com, 2016
“Best Places in Kentucky to Raise a Family,” Southern Business Development, 2015
“Top 20 Small Cities in the USA,” CityDescribed.com, 2014
“Top 10 Small Towns in the US,” Livability.com, 2012
“Ten Best Small Towns in America,” Business Insider, 2012
Business development in Danville is also going strong, boosted by civic and commerce groups city- and county-wide. In 2017, SITE Selection rated Danville-Boyle County #10 out of 536 micro-communities in the US, and #2 in Kentucky, for new and expanding business projects. This capped off a stunning run for the city in SITE Selection rankings in the past decade.
And Southern Business & Development has honored Danville repeatedly in individual categories in the past several years, naming us as one of its “Best Places in Central Kentucky for Parts Suppliers,” as one of “Ten Exceptional Southern Markets to Locate Your Re-Shored Traditional Industry” and as one of “101 Great Locations in the South for Aviation and Aerospace.” Downtown Danville was also honored by SB&D as one of the “Top Ten Wonderful Small Town Central Business Districts in the South.”
One reason for Danville’s thriving economic sector is the love and respect its citizens have for historic preservation. The city received a coveted Great American Main Street Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2001, and that was only the beginning of a run of recognition for our historic community. The Preservation Network ranked us #9 in their “Top 10 Cities for Historic Preservation in the United States” in 2012. And OnlyInYourState.com named us as one of eleven “Perfectly Picturesque Small Towns in Kentucky” in 2016.
OnlyInYourState also named Perryville as one of eleven “Historic Villages in Kentucky That Will Transport You Into a Different Time,” and Perryville was similarly honored by the Southeast Tourism Society in 2013 when the Battle of Perryville Commemoration was named a “Top 20 Event in the Southeastern United States.”
Another reason for Danville’s exceptional economy is its strong workforce. The Kentucky Workforce Investment Board recently named Boyle County as a “Work Ready Community” based on our high school graduation rate, postsecondary educational attainment, digital literacy, community commitment to workforce development, National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) implementation and soft/professional skills development programs.
Danville-Boyle County’s educational excellence begins with its public schools. In the 2016 U.S. News & World Report rankings, Boyle County High School ranked #22 among all Kentucky public high schools and was among only 34 Kentucky public high schools to receive a national ranking. Boyle County is Kentucky’s only county school district to earn District of Distinction status in K-PREP state accountability testing results.
The Danville Independent School District is also excellent. It’s one of only seven school districts in Kentucky to be selected as a District of Innovation by the state board of education, recognizing the system’s implementation of student-directed, project-based learning models and strategies. Danville’s innovation programs have been grant funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and were featured on PBS NewsHour in its recent report on exceptionally innovative schools.
And, of course, Danville boasts Centre College. Centre has consistently been ranked in the top 50 on the benchmark U.S. News & World Report liberal arts colleges list. Centre has also been ranked exceptionally well by Forbes, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and the Princeton Review, and the Institute for International Education ranked it number one in the nation for study abroad participation.
With such educational opportunities, Danville turns out exceptional young people, ready to serve their community and country with pride.
But Danville’s a great place to live for people of every age. For instance, it’s a favorite retirement destination for people from Kentucky and beyond. Where to Retire named Danville among “America’s 100 Best Places to Retire” in its 2013 edition, CNN/Money ranked us among the “25 Best Places to Retire” in 2011 and 2012, and Best Boomer Towns continues to rank Danville among the “Best 21 U.S. Places for Retirement.”
Whether you’re just visiting or you want to settle in, whether you’re founding a business or relocating one, whether you’re starting a family or starting your retirement years, Danville is the perfect place for you. Visit or contact us to learn more about the city we love.