Louisville Apartments and Rentals

Cradling the roaring Ohio River, Louisville was created to be a city centered around commerce and business and still is considered by many to be the "Gateway to the South." With many businesses, cultural hubs, colleges and universities making their home in the Derby City, it is no wonder many are looking at Louisville apartments for rent.

One of the oldest cities in the country, Louisville was founded in 1778 during the famous George Lewis Clark expedition and was named after the famous French monarch King Louis XVI. France's older influence can be seen in the design of several buildings in Old Louisville, and the Fleur de Lis still remains the city's charter symbol.

Originally an antebellum city for steamboats carrying goods from the Midwest to larger cities along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, Louisville became a boomtown largely due to its desirable geographical placement alone, and not much has changed since. Even today, many people make their home here due to a centralized location in the country for both work and play. Modern Louisville is a corporate production hub for companies like Papa John's, Humana and Yum! Brands, a conglomerate of fast food giants like KFC and Taco Bell.

Home to the first city-funded institution in the country, the University of Louisville continues to be one of the best universities in the South for medical studies. The university's hospital is renowned for research and has won awards for cervical cancer prevention. Nearby Jewish Hospital has made waves in the medical world by being the first hospital to successfully complete a hand replacement surgery.

With a cost of living index falling at 89.5, Louisville's cost of living is 15 points below the national average, making it a very affordable place to work, play and raise a family. Taking southern hospitality seriously, it is also known as one of the friendliest cities in the United States. Young professionals and college students tend to find rental in Louisville in The Highlands, a bohemian neighborhood near downtown and the university, while many families head out to the suburbs on the East and South sides.

According to the United States 2010 Census, Louisville's population is a little over 740,000, making it one of the larger cities in the Midwest/South (most people put Louisville in both categories, because it has cultural elements of both).

With 120 parks covering 14,000 acres of land, Louisville calls itself a "city of parks," for a good reason. Louisvillians take full advantage of the green space all over the city, from the fountains of Waterfront Park to the rolling hills next to the Iroquois Amphitheater, people here like to be outside. There is a history of appreciating parks here, since the many of the open areas and parkways were designed more than 100 years ago by Frederick Law Olmsted, the famous land architect of New York City's Central Park.

The state motto is "Unbridled Spirit," because Louisville and the rest of Kentucky is known for the finest horse racing in the world. The first Saturday every May, the world turns its eyes to the city for the "fastest two minutes in sports," the Kentucky Derby at the historic Churchill Downs racetrack. Other popular destinations include the Louisville Slugger Museum, famous for the construction of Major League Baseball's favorite bat.

To find a Louisville apartment or rental, check out our apartment listings. Rent.com® is happy to help you find your next home.