ZIP 42028 vs ZIP 42081

This side-by-side compares ZIP 42028 (Burna, KY) and ZIP 42081 (Smithland, KY) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 42028 has a population of 635 at 9 people per square mile, while ZIP 42081 has 2,203 at 7 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 42028 reports a median household income of $51,250 against $92,868 in ZIP 42081, with per-capita income of $31,810 vs $36,307. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 8.5% in 42028 and 16.8% in 42081. Poverty rate reads 10.7% vs 10.1%, and unemployment 11.3% vs 1.1% — 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 $82,100 in 42028 versus $167,300 in 42081, with median rent of — and $850 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 100.0% vs 85.0%. 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.