ZIP 42726 vs ZIP 42712

This side-by-side compares ZIP 42726 (Clarkson, KY) and ZIP 42712 (Big Clifty, KY) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 42726 has a population of 4,667 at 18 people per square mile, while ZIP 42712 has 1,855 at 14 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 42726 reports a median household income of $60,078 against $45,870 in ZIP 42712, with per-capita income of $34,355 vs $26,721. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 14.5% in 42726 and 14.9% in 42712. Poverty rate reads 15.1% vs 17.6%, and unemployment 2.2% vs 5.9% — 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 $204,200 in 42726 versus $147,400 in 42712, with median rent of $903 and $587 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 75.6% vs 87.4%. 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.