Southland
View homesListing data updated August 7, 2026
About the Neighborhood
Living in Southern Heights
Southern Heights is a small, tree-lined neighborhood about three miles south of downtown and a mile below the University of Kentucky — roughly 792 residents, sidewalks under mature canopy, and a housing mix that runs from the 1920s through the 1950s. It is one of the quieter pockets inside the 40503 zip code, which is otherwise some of the busiest real estate in Lexington.
The location is the real story. You are between the University of Kentucky Arboretum and Nicholasville Road — walking distance to green space, a minute from one of the city's main commercial corridors, and close to Central Baptist Hospital, which matters enormously if you work in healthcare.
It is a neighborhood people move into and quietly stay in. The association runs block parties twice a year, which tells you most of what you need to know about how it operates.
It is a neighborhood people move into and quietly stay in. The association runs block parties twice a year, which tells you most of what you need to know about how it operates.
On the market now
Homes for Sale in Southern Heights
There aren't any active Southern Heightslistings with photos right this minute — inventory here moves. Use the form below and I'll send you matching homes the moment they hit the market.
Neighborhood guide
Inside Southern Heights
- Southern Heights sits in southwestern Lexington, about three miles south of downtown and roughly a mile south of the University of Kentucky.
The boundaries: the University of Kentucky Arboretum and Central Baptist Hospital to the north, Nicholasville Road to the west, and Edgemoor Drive and Blueberry Road to the south. That footprint puts it inside the 40503 zip code, one of the most consistently in-demand areas of the city. - Homes: about 222 — genuinely small, which is why listings are not constant.
Era: most date to the mid-1940s and after.
Average single-family home: nearly 3,000 square feet.
Median lot: around 13,503 square feet, roughly a third of an acre — substantial for a neighborhood this close in.
Population: 792 residents per US Census data.
Neighborhood-level figures below are as-published by homes.com's Lexington local guide (extracted 2026-06-01, re-verified against the vault record 2026-08-01) and describe the housing stock, not current asking prices. For what is actually for sale and what it costs today, the active count and median list price at the top of this page are pulled live from the MLS feed. - The University of Kentucky Arboretum forms part of the northern boundary, and for residents it functions as a large, free, beautifully maintained park.
It is the state botanical garden of Kentucky, with walking paths, display gardens and a substantial woodland walk. Having that on your boundary is a genuine quality-of-life asset, and it is permanently protected in a way that a private green edge never is. - The homes are single-family, built between the 1920s and the 1950s, and the styles cover a lot of ground: brick ranch, Cape Cod, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival and American Foursquare.
That variety is why the streets are interesting to walk. You are not looking at one builder's product repeated forty times — you are looking at three decades of individual houses, which is what gives an older neighborhood its texture. - US Census data puts the population at 792 residents. That is small, and it shows in how the neighborhood behaves.
The practical consequence for a buyer is inventory. A neighborhood of this size does not produce a steady stream of listings, and because the location is strong, the good ones do not sit. If Southern Heights is your target, be pre-approved and be ready. - The neighborhood association organizes block parties twice a year along with other social activities.
I mention this because buyers ask constantly whether a neighborhood is friendly, and there is usually no honest way to answer. A twice-yearly block party that has kept running is actual evidence rather than a listing adjective. - Mature trees line the sidewalks throughout, and that combination — canopy plus continuous sidewalk — is rarer in Lexington than people assume.
A lot of neighborhoods have one or the other. Newer subdivisions have sidewalks and saplings; some older areas have enormous trees and no sidewalk at all. Southern Heights has both, which is why it walks well. - Central Baptist Hospital sits on the northern boundary, and the University of Kentucky medical complex is a short distance north as well.
For physicians, nurses, residents and hospital staff this is a genuinely short commute, and that is a large part of the buyer pool here. If you work in either system, this neighborhood deserves a serious look on commute alone. - The western boundary is Nicholasville Road, one of Lexington's main commercial corridors. That cuts both ways and you should hear both halves.
The upside: groceries, restaurants, pharmacies and everyday retail are a minute away, and the corridor runs straight toward downtown. The downside: it carries heavy traffic and the noise reaches the western edge of the neighborhood. How much depends on the specific street. Interior streets are notably quieter than the edge. - For a 1920s-to-1950s house, the checklist is straightforward but non-negotiable.
Electrical service capacity and whether any knob-and-tube survives in the older end of the stock. Supply plumbing material — galvanized lines are common in this vintage and eventually need replacing. Foundation and basement moisture. HVAC age, and whether central air was original or added later. And on the Tudor and Colonial Revival houses, roof and chimney condition, which are expensive to do properly. - Southern Heights works for buyers who want an older house with character, a walkable and quiet street, and a location that puts the university, the hospitals and a major retail corridor all within a few minutes.
It works less well for buyers who need a large lot, a big garage or new construction. This is a modest-footprint neighborhood by design, and the value is in where it sits and how it feels, not in square footage.
Questions About Southern Heights?
I'd rather answer the specific question than have you guess from a page. Schools for one address, which streets stay quiet, what a place is really worth — ask me and I'll tell you straight, whether or not it helps me.
Ask Me About This NeighborhoodSchools
Schools in Southern Heights
Southern Heights is served by Fayette County Public Schools, and the school district is one of the main reasons families choose it. Assignments are made by address — before committing to a specific home, let's confirm its exact elementary, middle, and high school assignment together using the FCPS SchoolSite Locator.
Explore nearby
Neighborhoods Near Southern Heights
Questions
Southern Heights Home-Buying FAQ
Southwestern Lexington, about three miles south of downtown and roughly a mile south of the University of Kentucky. It is bounded by the UK Arboretum and Central Baptist Hospital to the north, Nicholasville Road to the west, and Edgemoor Drive and Blueberry Road to the south, inside the 40503 zip code.
Between the 1920s and the 1950s. The styles include brick ranch, Cape Cod, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival and American Foursquare, so the streets carry real variety rather than one repeated builder product.
Small — US Census data puts the population at 792 residents. That size means listings are not constant, and because the location is strong, well-priced homes tend to move quickly when they do come up.
Yes. Mature trees line continuous sidewalks throughout, which is a less common combination in Lexington than people expect — newer subdivisions have sidewalks and young trees, and some older areas have big trees but no sidewalks. The UK Arboretum on the northern boundary adds substantial walking paths.
The University of Kentucky Arboretum — the state botanical garden of Kentucky, with walking paths, display gardens and a woodland walk — and Central Baptist Hospital. The arboretum functions as a large protected park on the neighborhood's edge.
Southern Heights is in the Fayette County Public Schools district. Lexington school zones do not follow neighborhood boundaries and they get redrawn, so I verify the assignment for the specific address through the FCPS SchoolSite Locator rather than quoting a neighborhood-level answer. Send me the address you're considering and I'll pull the current zone.
It depends on the street. Nicholasville Road forms the western boundary and is a major commercial corridor, so it carries heavy traffic and the noise reaches the western edge. Interior streets are noticeably quieter. Worth visiting a specific address at different times of day before deciding.
Very much so, and that is a large part of the buyer pool. Central Baptist Hospital is on the northern boundary and the University of Kentucky medical complex is a short distance north, which makes this one of the shortest commutes available for hospital staff, residents and physicians.
Be first
Never Miss a Southern Heights Listing
Homes in This Neighborhood
Tell me what you're looking for here and I'll send matching homes the moment they hit the market — no pressure, just the right ones.
Thinking About Southern Heights?
Tell me what you're looking for, or ask me anything about the area — schools, streets, the honest tradeoffs. Call or send a note; I answer my own phone.
Call (859) 710-9033