ZIP 42055 vs ZIP 42045

This side-by-side compares ZIP 42055 (Kuttawa, KY) and ZIP 42045 (Grand Rivers, KY) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 42055 has a population of 2,609 at 22 people per square mile, while ZIP 42045 has 2,089 at 22 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 42055 reports a median household income of $63,456 against $50,549 in ZIP 42045, with per-capita income of $33,122 vs $32,492. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 18.3% in 42055 and 15.4% in 42045. Poverty rate reads 10.0% vs 21.3%, and unemployment 5.6% vs 2.3% — 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 $179,400 in 42055 versus $157,800 in 42045, with median rent of $684 and $844 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 83.6% vs 70.0%. 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.