West Paducah, KY · standard
ZIP Code 42086
McCracken County, Kentucky - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 4,036
- 47/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $77,591
- Median income Near-median income area
- $179,200
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 24.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
West Paducah pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 41%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 38th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 47
- people per sq mi
- 84%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 42086 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 42086 covers 86.6 square miles in West Paducah, McCracken County, Kentucky (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 4,036 residents on file, a density of 47 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 42086 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $77,591 (30% above the average Kentucky ZIP), while per-capita income is $35,260. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 7.8% and unemployment is 1.8%. Median home value is $179,200 (13% above the average Kentucky ZIP) and median rent is $1,033; 83.7% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 24.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 3 more in McCracken County, so 42086 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 42086
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in West Paducah, KY
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 42086.
- Construction
Construction
15 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
8 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
7 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing 5
Transportation and warehousing
5 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 5
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
5 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 42086, West Paducah, 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
4,036
Population
86.6
Area (sq mi)
47
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 42086?
44.0
Median Age
49.8%
Male
50.2%
Female
2.4%
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?
$77,591
Median Household Income
+30% vs state ZIP avg
$35,260
Per Capita Income
7.8%
Poverty Rate
1.8%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 42086 ranks among Kentucky ZIPs
West Paducah, 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)
$77,591 Top 16% higher than 84% 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
1,603housing units
1,603
Total Housing Units
1,373
Occupied Units
230
Vacant Units
2.75
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$179,200
Median Home Value
+13% vs state ZIP avg
$1,033
Median Rent
1989
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+0.2%
YoY Change (2024)
209
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+109%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 42086 have increased 0.2% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +109% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -4.7% | 150 |
| 2021 | +16.5% | 175 |
| 2022 | +6.8% | 187 |
| 2023 | +11.4% | 208 |
| 2024 | +0.2% | 209 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 58 business establishments in ZIP 42086, employing approximately 525 people with a combined annual payroll of $19,307,000.
58
Businesses
525
Employees
$19.3M
Annual Payroll
8
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 15 | 25.9% |
| Retail trade | 8 | 13.8% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 7 | 12.1% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 5 | 8.6% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 5 | 8.6% |
| Manufacturing | 4 | 6.9% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 4 | 6.9% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 4 | 6.9% |
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 42086 vs 42001 →
ZIP 42086 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 42001
Paducah (42001)
27,960 residents
- 62960
Metropolis (62960)
11,603 residents
- 42053 4,931
Kevil (42053)
4,931 residents
- 42086 4,036
West Paducah (42086)
4,036 residents
- 62953 360
Joppa (62953)
360 residents
- 42060 130
Lovelaceville (42060)
130 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 42086 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 42086 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 42053
Kevil (42053)
$80,765 median income
- 42086
West Paducah (42086)
$77,591 median income
- 42001
Paducah (42001)
$71,365 median income
- 62960
Metropolis (62960)
$63,102 median income
- 62953
Joppa (62953)
$41,563 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 42086 ranks #2 of 5 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 42086, 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 (4,036 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in McCracken County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 42086 in?
ZIP code 42086 (West Paducah) is located in McCracken County, Kentucky. McCracken County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/mccracken-ky.
What is the population of ZIP code 42086?
ZIP code 42086 in West Paducah, KY has a population of 4,036 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 42086?
The median household income in ZIP 42086 is $77,591, which is 2% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 42086?
The median home value in ZIP 42086 is $179,200, which is 36% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 42086?
The largest racial group in ZIP 42086 is White at 87.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 10.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 42086?
ZIP code 42086 has 58 business establishments employing approximately 525 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 42086?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 42086 are: Construction (15), Retail trade (8), Other services (except public administration) (7). There are 8 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 42086?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 42086 increased by 0.2% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 109%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 42086?
In ZIP code 42086, 52.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 24.0% 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 42086?
In ZIP code 42086, approximately 83.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 16.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 42086?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 42086 is 7.8% 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 42086's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 42086 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where West Paducah, 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.