ZIP 42003 vs ZIP 42027

This side-by-side compares ZIP 42003 (Paducah, KY) and ZIP 42027 (Boaz, KY) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 42003 has a population of 29,683 at 165 people per square mile, while ZIP 42027 has 2,291 at 20 per square mile. That difference in population size and density alone reshapes how every other metric should be interpreted — a higher-income ZIP with 1,200 residents behaves very differently from one with 45,000.

On income and education, ZIP 42003 reports a median household income of $55,791 against $58,056 in ZIP 42027, with per-capita income of $33,441 vs $22,957. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 24.1% in 42003 and 16.9% in 42027. Poverty rate reads 17.3% vs 21.1%, and unemployment 3.8% vs 4.7% — these four fields alone drive most of the difference in the scorecard grades you will see for each ZIP.

Housing separates these two ZIPs further: median home value sits at $167,000 in 42003 versus $194,200 in 42027, with median rent of $740 and — per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 70.8% vs 91.1%. When reading the comparison table below, focus on paired metrics rather than single winners — a ZIP with lower home values and lower income is not strictly "worse" if rent-to-income ratios and commute times land in the same zone. Every value is pulled from the exact same ACS table so the two columns are genuinely comparable.