PlainZIP

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
$57,679
Median income
$106,000
Median home value
3.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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 Kentucky average), while per-capita income is $20,036. Local economic indicators show a 27.9% poverty rate alongside 1.5% unemployment. On housing, the median home value is $106,000 (33% below the state average) with median rent at $746 per month, and 70.0% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

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 -. Beyond these figures, 4 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Graves County, letting you compare 42085 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline 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 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

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 42085?

35.4

Median Age

40.9%

Male

59.1%

Female

3.8%

Foreign-Born

White 87.5%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 11.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%

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

$20,036

Per Capita Income

27.9%

Poverty Rate

1.5%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 42085 ranks nationally

Water Valley, KY household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$57,679 25th percentile higher than 25% 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 60.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 3.5%

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

What does housing look like?

333

Total Housing Units

303

Occupied Units

30

Vacant Units

3.02

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 70.0%
Renter 30.0%

$106,000

Median Home Value

-33% vs state

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 42085 ranks #4 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 42085 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 42085 ranks #2 of 4 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
42041 Fulton, KY 4,627 4.4 mi
42088 Wingo, KY 2,656 4.3 mi
38257 South Fulton, TN 4,397 8.6 mi
38226 Dukedom, TN 345 9.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Graves County

42066 standard
Mayfield, KY
Pop: 23,182
42051 standard
Hickory, KY
Pop: 2,840
42088 standard
Wingo, KY
Pop: 2,656
42027 standard
Boaz, KY
Pop: 2,291
42082 standard
Symsonia, KY
Pop: 1,845
42039 standard
Fancy Farm, KY
Pop: 1,751

Related Areas

Graves County Water Valley, KY Kentucky

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.

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