PlainZIP

Thornton, KY · standard

ZIP Code 41855

Letcher County, Kentucky - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

696
30/sq mi
$59,132
Median income
$44,000
Median home value
6.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Thornton pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

28th pct
household income, US ZIPs
1th pct
home value, US ZIPs
30
people per sq mi
98%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 41855 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 41855 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Thornton, Letcher County, Kentucky, home to just 696 residents across 23.1 square miles, a density of 30 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 41855 reports a modest median household income of $59,132 (1% below the Kentucky average), while per-capita income is $24,930. The poverty rate stands at 0.0% and the unemployment rate at 0.0%. Housing costs here run $44,000 for a typical home value (72% below the state average), with rent averaging - a month; 98.1% of homes are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 6.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 52.7, and the average commute is -. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 41855, plus 6 more within Letcher County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 41855, Thornton, KY · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

696

Population

23.1

Area (sq mi)

30

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 41855?

52.7

Median Age

54.6%

Male

45.4%

Female

0.0%

Foreign-Born

White 96.9%
African American 0.4%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.7%
Hispanic or Latino 0.0%

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?

$59,132

Median Household Income

-1% vs state

$24,930

Per Capita Income

0.0%

Poverty Rate

0.0%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 41855 ranks nationally

Thornton, KY household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$59,132 28th percentile higher than 28% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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?

High School Graduate or Higher 41.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 6.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

396

Total Housing Units

315

Occupied Units

81

Vacant Units

2.26

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 98.1%
Renter 1.9%

$44,000

Median Home Value

-72% vs state

1977

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 41855 vs 41815 →

ZIP 41855 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 41855 ranks #6 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 41855 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 41855 ranks #2 of 7 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
41815 Ermine, KY 802 2.1 mi
41838 Millstone, KY 548 2.1 mi
41849 Seco, KY 193 3.0 mi
41840 Neon, KY 1,111 3.9 mi
41812 Deane, KY 230 4.5 mi
41824 Isom, KY 1,072 5.1 mi
41837 Mayking, KY 1,284 4.9 mi
41828 Kite, KY 808 7.2 mi
41825 Jackhorn, KY 548 5.0 mi
41810 Cromona, KY 502 6.1 mi

More ZIP Codes in Letcher County

41858 standard
Whitesburg, KY
Pop: 8,064
41537 standard
Jenkins, KY
Pop: 5,373
41837 standard
Mayking, KY
Pop: 1,284
41840 standard
Neon, KY
Pop: 1,111
41824 standard
Isom, KY
Pop: 1,072
41826 standard
Jeremiah, KY
Pop: 978

Related Areas

Letcher County Thornton, KY Kentucky

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 41855 in? ▼
ZIP code 41855 (Thornton) is located in Letcher County, Kentucky. Letcher County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/letcher-ky.
What is the population of ZIP code 41855? ▼
ZIP code 41855 in Thornton, KY has a population of 696 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 41855? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 41855 is $59,132, which is 22% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 41855? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 41855 is $44,000, which is 84% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 41855? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 41855 is White at 96.9%.
What is the education level in ZIP code 41855? ▼
In ZIP code 41855, 41.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 6.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 41855? ▼
In ZIP code 41855, approximately 98.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 1.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.