ZIP 42361 vs ZIP 42349

This side-by-side compares ZIP 42361 (Olaton, KY) and ZIP 42349 (Horse Branch, KY) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 42361 has a population of 492 at 5 people per square mile, while ZIP 42349 has 1,503 at 9 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 42361 reports a median household income of $43,750 against $58,601 in ZIP 42349, with per-capita income of $19,128 vs $19,532. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 10.1% in 42361 and 3.7% in 42349. Poverty rate reads 29.2% vs 11.4%, and unemployment 0.0% vs 5.3% — 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 $89,100 in 42361 versus $88,900 in 42349, with median rent of — and $1,099 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 91.4% vs 85.5%. 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.