Salem, KY · standard
ZIP Code 42078
Livingston County, Kentucky - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,852
- 8/sq mi
- $56,397
- Median income
- $85,300
- Median home value
- 14.1%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Salem pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 23rd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 6th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 8
- people per sq mi
- 90%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 42078 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 42078 covers 223.1 square miles in Salem, Livingston County, Kentucky (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,852 residents on file, a density of 8 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 42078 reports a modest median household income of $56,397 (5% below the average Kentucky ZIP), while per-capita income is $29,613. The poverty rate is 17.6%, with unemployment at 1.7%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $85,300 (46% below the average Kentucky ZIP), and median rent is $669; owner occupancy is 89.5%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 14.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 47.1, and the average commute is 29 minutes. The page also surfaces 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Livingston County, so 42078 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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 →
Top industries in ZIP 42078
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Salem, KY
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 42078.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
7 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
6 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
6 establishments
- Construction
Construction
4 establishments
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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 42078, Salem, 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
1,852
Population
223.1
Area (sq mi)
8
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 42078?
47.1
Median Age
46.6%
Male
53.4%
Female
0.1%
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?
$56,397
Median Household Income
-5% vs state ZIP avg
$29,613
Per Capita Income
17.6%
Poverty Rate
1.7%
Unemployment Rate
29.3 min
Mean Commute Time
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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
902housing units
902
Total Housing Units
685
Occupied Units
217
Vacant Units
2.37
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$85,300
Median Home Value
-46% vs state ZIP avg
$669
Median Rent
1976
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 32 business establishments in ZIP 42078, employing approximately 637 people with a combined annual payroll of $39,531,000.
32
Businesses
637
Employees
$39.5M
Annual Payroll
4
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 7 | 21.9% |
| Health care and social assistance | 6 | 18.8% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 6 | 18.8% |
| Construction | 4 | 12.5% |
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 42078 vs 42028 →
ZIP 42078 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 42081
Smithland (42081)
2,203 residents
- 42078
Salem (42078)
1,852 residents
- 62982
Rosiclare (62982)
1,328 residents
- 42028 635
Burna (42028)
635 residents
- 42083 446
Tiline (42083)
446 residents
- 42047 192
Hampton (42047)
192 residents
- 42037 29
Dycusburg (42037)
29 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 42078 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 42078 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 42081
Smithland (42081)
$92,868 median income
- 42078
Salem (42078)
$56,397 median income
- 42083
Tiline (42083)
$53,864 median income
- 42028
Burna (42028)
$51,250 median income
- 62982
Rosiclare (62982)
$43,750 median income
- 42047 $2,499
Hampton (42047)
$2,499 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 42078 ranks #2 of 6 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 42078, both outside KY so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,852 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.