Harlan, KY · standard
ZIP Code 40831
Harlan County, Kentucky — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 5,150
- 39/sq mi
- $35,404
- Median income
- $89,100
- Median home value
- 20.2%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Harlan pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, mixed-tenure area.
- 3th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 7th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 39
- people per sq mi
- 57%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 40831 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 40831 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 133.1 square miles in Harlan, Harlan County, Kentucky. The area is home to 5,150 residents, producing a population density of 39 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 40831 against Kentucky and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 40831 sits at $35,404 (41% below the Kentucky average), while per-capita income is $23,292. The poverty rate stands at 26.1% and the unemployment rate at 8.7%. On housing, the median home value is $89,100 (44% below the state average) with median rent at $620 per month, and 56.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 40831 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 20.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42.5, and the average commute is —. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Harlan County, so you can benchmark 40831 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Top industries in ZIP 40831
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 40831.
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 40831, Harlan, KY · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
5,150
Population
133.1
Area (sq mi)
39
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 40831?
42.5
Median Age
46.2%
Male
53.8%
Female
0.8%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$35,404
Median Household Income
-41% vs state
$23,292
Per Capita Income
26.1%
Poverty Rate
8.7%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 40831 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$35,404 3rd percentile higher than 3% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
2,431
Total Housing Units
2,167
Occupied Units
264
Vacant Units
2.05
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$89,100
Median Home Value
-44% vs state
$620
Median Rent
1978
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 186 business establishments in ZIP 40831, employing approximately 2,771 people with a combined annual payroll of $107,305,000.
186
Businesses
2,771
Employees
$107.3M
Annual Payroll
11
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 38 | 20.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 32 | 17.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 23 | 12.4% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 19 | 10.2% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 18 | 9.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 16 | 8.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 9 | 4.8% |
| Information | 8 | 4.3% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 6 | 3.2% |
| Construction | 5 | 2.7% |
| Utilities | 3 | 1.6% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 40831 vs 40830 →
ZIP 40831 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 40831
Harlan (40831)
5,150 residents
- 24281
Rose Hill (24281)
2,487 residents
- 40873
Wallins Creek (40873)
2,390 residents
- 40815 1,534
Cawood (40815)
1,534 residents
- 40854 1,213
Loyall (40854)
1,213 residents
- 40819 729
Coldiron (40819)
729 residents
- 40824 559
Dayhoit (40824)
559 residents
- 40863 502
Pathfork (40863)
502 residents
- 40830 301
Gulston (40830)
301 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 40831 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 40831 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 40815
Cawood (40815)
$68,155 median income
- 40829
Grays Knob (40829)
$56,154 median income
- 40854
Loyall (40854)
$55,250 median income
- 40824
Dayhoit (40824)
$49,667 median income
- 40863
Pathfork (40863)
$49,578 median income
- 24281
Rose Hill (24281)
$46,806 median income
- 40831
Harlan (40831)
$35,404 median income
- 40873
Wallins Creek (40873)
$33,359 median income
- 40819
Coldiron (40819)
$31,799 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 40831 ranks #7 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40830 | Gulston, KY | 301 | 1.2 mi |
| 40964 | Mary Alice, KY | 151 | 2.2 mi |
| 40829 | Grays Knob, KY | 172 | 3.7 mi |
| 40824 | Dayhoit, KY | 559 | 4.7 mi |
| 40854 | Loyall, KY | 1,213 | 6.0 mi |
| 40863 | Pathfork, KY | 502 | 5.5 mi |
| 40873 | Wallins Creek, KY | 2,390 | 5.2 mi |
| 24281 | Rose Hill, VA | 2,487 | 7.7 mi |
| 40819 | Coldiron, KY | 729 | 7.0 mi |
| 40815 | Cawood, KY | 1,534 | 7.7 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Harlan County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 40831 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 40831? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 40831? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 40831? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 40831? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 40831? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 40831? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 40831? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 40831? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 40831? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Harlan, KY
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.