ZIP 42273 vs ZIP 42320

This side-by-side compares ZIP 42273 (Rochester, KY) and ZIP 42320 (Beaver Dam, KY) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 42273 has a population of 443 at 9 people per square mile, while ZIP 42320 has 8,205 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 42273 reports a median household income of $59,745 against $54,730 in ZIP 42320, with per-capita income of $40,194 vs $29,177. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 11.7% in 42273 and 14.0% in 42320. Poverty rate reads 4.0% vs 14.4%, and unemployment 3.9% vs 8.2% — 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 — in 42273 versus $150,200 in 42320, with median rent of $943 and $745 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 96.7% vs 72.7%. 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.