Highland Heights or Fort Thomas: which Northern Kentucky suburb should you choose? It depends on what you want day to day; Fort Thomas leans toward established, walkable streetscapes, while Highland Heights offers a somewhat younger housing stock and proximity to Northern Kentucky University. Your answer comes down to lifestyle fit, not just price.
If you're weighing a move within Northern Kentucky, you've probably already narrowed your list to a handful of towns. Highland Heights and Fort Thomas show up on that list a lot, and for good reason — both sit in Campbell County, both put you within a short drive of downtown Cincinnati, and both attract people who want suburban space without giving up an easy commute.
But they're not interchangeable. I get asked to compare these two more than almost any other pairing in Northern Kentucky, usually by someone who's either downsizing out of a bigger house, moving up into more space, or just resetting after a life change. Below is how I'd actually walk you through the decision if we were sitting down together.
A quick snapshot
Here's the general shape of each town before we get into specifics.
This isn't an exhaustive list, and every block within each city varies. Think of it as a starting point, not the final word.
Commute and location
Both towns sit in Campbell County and put you within reach of downtown Cincinnati, but the routes feel different. Highland Heights connects out to I-471 and I-275, which makes sense if your commute runs toward the eastern suburbs or you're regularly hopping on the interstate. Fort Thomas sits closer to the river cities of Newport and Bellevue, so if your daily life includes those areas — or you like the idea of walking or biking somewhere with river views nearby — that proximity matters more.
Neither one is objectively closer or faster. It's really about which direction you're already pulled toward for work, family, or the things you do most often.
Housing stock and architecture
This is usually where the decision starts to clarify itself. Fort Thomas has a strong identity built around older homes, set along tree-lined streets with sidewalks and a walkable downtown strip. The median construction year in Fort Thomas is 1955, meaning the typical home is around 71 years old. About 32.1% of the housing stock was built before 1940, and another 9.2% went up between 1940 and 1949, so a large share of the city's homes predate World War II. New construction has slowed to a trickle since 2000, with just 5.2% built between 2000 and 2009, 3.3% between 2010 and 2019, and 0.1% since 2020. If you want a house with some age and character, and you don't mind the maintenance that can come with it, that's the general feel you'll find there.
Highland Heights skews somewhat newer by comparison, with a median construction year of 1985, putting the typical home at around 41 years old, with most of that housing stock going up from the 1960s through the 1990s. That timeline tracks closely with the growth of Northern Kentucky University, which moved to its Highland Heights campus in 1971 and shaped a lot of the residential growth around it. If you're hoping for updated systems or a floor plan from a somewhat later era, it's worth a closer look, though this is existing housing stock built decades ago, not an area with active new subdivisions going up today. Lot sizes, layouts, and price points shift block by block in both towns, so general impressions only take you so far — walking specific streets and specific listings is how you actually get a feel for a place.
If you want to see what's currently listed in either town, search Fort Thomas homes and search Highland Heights homes right here on the site, though nothing beats touring in person with someone who knows both markets.
Schools
Fort Thomas is served by Fort Thomas Independent Schools, a public district that's independent from Campbell County Schools, so enrollment is tied to living within Fort Thomas city limits. Highland Heights falls under Campbell County Schools, a larger public district covering more of the county, with more elementary school options spread across it. Both are public districts, and both publish current ratings on GreatSchools and Niche, which are worth checking directly for the most up-to-date scores since ratings shift year to year. If schools are a deciding factor for your move, it's worth confirming boundaries and current ratings for the specific address you're considering, since that can vary even within the same district.
Everyday life: parks, walkability, and getting around
Fort Thomas is known for Tower Park, a long-established city park with walking paths and views over the Ohio River, and for a downtown strip with local shops and restaurants within walking distance of many homes. If a walkable town center is high on your list, that's a real point in Fort Thomas's favor.
Highland Heights has its own parks and green space, and the presence of Northern Kentucky University adds public walking paths, events, and amenities that a purely residential suburb wouldn't have. It's a different kind of everyday texture — less concentrated downtown, more spread out.
Neither town is "better" here. It comes down to whether you want a compact, walkable core or a bit more room to spread out.
Which suburb fits your next move?
A few questions worth sitting with:
Are you downsizing? Fort Thomas's older housing stock often comes in smaller footprints closer to town, which can suit someone looking to simplify without leaving Northern Kentucky altogether.
Are you upsizing or want a bit more room to spread out? Highland Heights tends to offer more flexibility on lot size and floor plan.
Do you want to walk to dinner, or do you want more space between neighbors? Fort Thomas leans toward the former, Highland Heights toward the latter, though there are exceptions in both.
None of this replaces an actual conversation about your budget, timeline, and must-haves. General patterns can point you in a direction, but the right house for you is still specific to you.
For general guidance on how to weigh one community against another when you're relocating, Freddie Mac's My Home resource and the National Association of Realtors' research and consumer resources are both worth a look as you think through the bigger picture.
FAQ
Is Highland Heights or Fort Thomas closer to Cincinnati? Both are a short drive from downtown Cincinnati. Highland Heights connects more directly to I-471 and I-275, while Fort Thomas sits closer to Newport and Bellevue along the river. Which one feels "closer" really depends on where in Cincinnati you're headed.
Which town has more walkable neighborhoods? Fort Thomas has a more defined downtown core and a reputation for walkability, especially around Tower Park and the main business strip. Highland Heights is more spread out, though it has its own parks and the public spaces around Northern Kentucky University.
Should I get current listing prices before comparing these two towns? Yes. General impressions about housing stock and lifestyle are useful for narrowing your search, but pricing shifts by neighborhood and changes month to month. Pull current comps for both towns, or ask a local agent to run them for you, before you make a decision based on price alone.
Let's figure out which one fits you
If you're stuck between Highland Heights and Fort Thomas — or you haven't ruled out the rest of Northern Kentucky yet — I'd rather walk through it with you than have you guess. Reach out and let's talk through your must-haves, your timeline, and what each town actually looks like right now on the ground.
Amy Houston REALTOR | Listing Specialist Amy Houston Team | Northern Kentucky & East Cincinnati
Schedule a time to talk through your move, or ask about Highland Heights, KY and Fort Thomas, KY listings directly.
