Water Valley, KY · standard
ZIP Code 42085
Graves County, Kentucky - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 918
- 12/sq mi Low-density area
- $57,679
- Median income Below-median income area
- $106,000
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 3.5%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Water Valley pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 25th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 12th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 12
- people per sq mi
- 70%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 42085 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 42085 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Water Valley, Graves County, Kentucky, home to just 918 residents across 74.0 square miles, a density of 12 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 42085 reports a modest median household income of $57,679 (3% below the average Kentucky ZIP), while per-capita income is $20,036. The poverty rate is 27.9%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $106,000 (33% below the average Kentucky ZIP), and median rent is $746; owner occupancy is 70.0%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 3.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 35.4, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Graves County, so 42085 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 →
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 42085, Water Valley, 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
918
Population
74.0
Area (sq mi)
12
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 42085?
35.4
Median Age
40.9%
Male
59.1%
Female
3.8%
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?
$57,679
Median Household Income
-3% vs state ZIP avg
$20,036
Per Capita Income
27.9%
Poverty Rate
1.5%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 42085 ranks among Kentucky ZIPs
Water Valley, KY household income vs. every Kentucky ZIP code
Median household income among 646 reporting Kentucky ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$57,679 Top 49% higher than 51% of 646 Kentucky ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Kentucky 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
333housing units
333
Total Housing Units
303
Occupied Units
30
Vacant Units
3.02
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$106,000
Median Home Value
-33% vs state ZIP avg
$746
Median Rent
1974
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 9 business establishments in ZIP 42085, employing approximately 35 people with a combined annual payroll of $929,000.
9
Businesses
35
Employees
$929K
Annual Payroll
1
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Other services (except public administration) | 3 | 33.3% |
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 42085 vs 42041 →
ZIP 42085 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 42041
Fulton (42041)
4,627 residents
- 38257
South Fulton (38257)
4,397 residents
- 42088
Wingo (42088)
2,656 residents
- 42085 918
Water Valley (42085)
918 residents
- 38226 345
Dukedom (38226)
345 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 42085 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 42085 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 38257
South Fulton (38257)
$58,849 median income
- 42085
Water Valley (42085)
$57,679 median income
- 42088
Wingo (42088)
$52,745 median income
- 42041
Fulton (42041)
$36,045 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 42085 ranks #2 of 4 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 42085, both outside KY so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Graves County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 42085 in?
ZIP code 42085 (Water Valley) is located in Graves County, Kentucky. Graves County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/graves-ky.
What is the population of ZIP code 42085?
ZIP code 42085 in Water Valley, KY has a population of 918 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 42085?
The median household income in ZIP 42085 is $57,679, which is 24% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 42085?
The median home value in ZIP 42085 is $106,000, which is 62% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 42085?
The largest racial group in ZIP 42085 is White at 87.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 6.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 42085?
ZIP code 42085 has 9 business establishments employing approximately 35 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 42085?
In ZIP code 42085, 60.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 3.5% 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 42085?
In ZIP code 42085, approximately 70.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 30.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 42085?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 42085 is 27.9% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 42085's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 42085 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Water Valley, KY ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.