State profile · KY
Kentucky ZIP Codes
Demographics, income, and housing across every ZIP code in Kentucky, benchmarked against all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico.
- 767
- ZIP codes
- 4,345,124
- Population
- $59,649
- Avg ZIP income
- 120
- Counties
The verdict
Texas leads ZIP coverage at 1,935 ZCTAs (#1 of 52). That is not the income board: New Jersey's unweighted average ZIP household income is $121,992 (#1 of 52) on 595 ZCTAs. Kentucky sits #16 of 52 by ZIP count at income #47.
- Texas
- ZIP-count #1 (1,935)
- New Jersey
- income #1 ($121,992)
- #16
- of 52 by ZIP count
- #47
- of 52 by avg income
ZIP-count and income are separate boards among 52 reporting states and territories. Income is the unweighted mean of each ZIP's ACS 2019–2023 median household income, so a rural code counts the same as a dense metro.
Lower ZIP-income footing ($59,649 · 17% below the national ZIP median) across 767 delivery areas and 120 counties. Home values average $158,977. Housing and income fields still vary sharply inside the state; begin with the largest city and its densest ZIP rather than treating the state mean as a uniform cost of living.
The largest city, Louisville (736,284), holds a moderate share (~17%) of state ZIP population. Expect a primary metro plus a long tail of mid-size markets: the top-cities chart and county RankBars both matter, and a two-ZIP compare inside vs outside Louisville usually beats reading the state average alone.
A mid-breadth ZIP set is small enough that city pages and the top-12 ZIP RankBars cover most contrast. Use county drill-downs when two metros sit in different economic zones; otherwise jump straight from this profile to a ZIP compare.
Largest cities in Kentucky
Top 10 cities by population in Kentucky
Total resident population aggregated from every ZIP code the Census assigns to each city.
- Louisville
Louisville, KY
736,284 residents
- Lexington
Lexington, KY
296,965 residents
- Bowling Green 104,282
Bowling Green, KY
104,282 residents
- Owensboro 81,349
Owensboro, KY
81,349 residents
- Paducah 57,643
Paducah, KY
57,643 residents
- Richmond 55,803
Richmond, KY
55,803 residents
- Frankfort 50,028
Frankfort, KY
50,028 residents
- Florence 49,968
Florence, KY
49,968 residents
- Elizabethtown 48,194
Elizabethtown, KY
48,194 residents
- Hopkinsville 42,479
Hopkinsville, KY
42,479 residents
What this shows Louisville leads, but several peers sit close enough that this top-10 chart is a shortlist, not a single-city story – compare two of those metros before trusting the state mean.
Counties in Kentucky
Which cities have the most ZIPs in Kentucky?
Side-by-side: Compare 40475 vs 42101 →
ZIP Codes in Kentucky
More KY ZIP codes
Official Data Resources for Kentucky
Cost-of-living reads should start with Census ACS household fields, then FBI UCR county context when safety inputs sit next to income in Kentucky.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I navigate Kentucky's mid-breadth ZIP map?
With 767 ZIPs across 120 counties (population 4,345,124), city pages plus the top ZIP RankBars cover most contrast. Jump to a two-ZIP compare when two metros sit in different labor markets rather than scrolling the full list.
What does Kentucky's lower ZIP-income footing change about this profile?
Household income across ZIPs averages $59,649 (17% below the national ZIP median). Housing and income still vary sharply inside the state – begin with the largest city and its densest ZIP rather than treating the state mean as a uniform cost of living.
Which Kentucky cities should I open first?
Start with Louisville (736,284, ~17% of ZIP population), then one mid-size market from the largest-cities chart. A two-ZIP compare inside vs outside Louisville usually beats reading the state average alone. Other large markets include Lexington, Bowling Green, Owensboro.
Take this with you
What to do with Kentucky's numbers, next.
- See how Kentucky compares to a neighboring state on the same Census fields Compare states
- Check where Kentucky's ZIP codes rank nationally on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save a ZIP code to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
Figures describe 2019–2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates aggregated from ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs), Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes, not any single address.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023); USPS ZIP Code Tabulation Areas via the HUD USPS Crosswalk.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.