Mammoth Cave, KY · standard
ZIP Code 42259
Edmonson County, Kentucky - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,281
- 15/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $33,566
- Median income Below-median income area
- $148,100
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 5.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Mammoth Cave pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 3rd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 25th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 15
- people per sq mi
- 91%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 42259 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 42259 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Mammoth Cave, Edmonson County, Kentucky, home to just 1,281 residents across 84.8 square miles, a density of 15 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 42259 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $33,566 (44% below the average Kentucky ZIP), while per-capita income is $27,538. Economic pressure is pronounced: 22.8% of residents are below the poverty line and unemployment is 12.7%. Median home value is $148,100 (7% below the average Kentucky ZIP) and median rent is $1,048; 91.0% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 5.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 62, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 4 more in Edmonson County, so 42259 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 42259, Mammoth Cave, 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
1,281
Population
84.8
Area (sq mi)
15
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 42259?
62.0
Median Age
54.1%
Male
45.9%
Female
0.8%
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?
$33,566
Median Household Income
-44% vs state ZIP avg
$27,538
Per Capita Income
22.8%
Poverty Rate
12.7%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 42259 ranks among Kentucky ZIPs
Mammoth Cave, 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)
$33,566 9th percentile higher than 9% 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
1,075housing units
1,075
Total Housing Units
509
Occupied Units
566
Vacant Units
1.94
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$148,100
Median Home Value
-7% vs state ZIP avg
$1,048
Median Rent
1990
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 42259, employing approximately 70 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,019,000.
9
Businesses
70
Employees
$2.0M
Annual Payroll
2
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 3 | 33.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 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 42259 vs 42729 →
ZIP 42259 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 42210
Brownsville (42210)
4,236 residents
- 42729 1,617
Cub Run (42729)
1,617 residents
- 42259 1,281
Mammoth Cave (42259)
1,281 residents
- 42207 1,207
Bee Spring (42207)
1,207 residents
- 42285 375
Sweeden (42285)
375 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 42259 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 42259 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 42729
Cub Run (42729)
$54,706 median income
- 42285
Sweeden (42285)
$53,500 median income
- 42210
Brownsville (42210)
$48,333 median income
- 42207
Bee Spring (42207)
$45,463 median income
- 42259
Mammoth Cave (42259)
$33,566 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 42259 ranks #5 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 42259, 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 (1,281 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Edmonson County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 42259 in?
ZIP code 42259 (Mammoth Cave) is located in Edmonson County, Kentucky. Edmonson County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/edmonson-ky.
What is the population of ZIP code 42259?
ZIP code 42259 in Mammoth Cave, KY has a population of 1,281 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 42259?
The median household income in ZIP 42259 is $33,566, which is 56% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 42259?
The median home value in ZIP 42259 is $148,100, which is 47% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 42259?
The largest racial group in ZIP 42259 is White at 95.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 42259?
ZIP code 42259 has 9 business establishments employing approximately 70 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 42259?
In ZIP code 42259, 50.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 5.0% 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 42259?
In ZIP code 42259, approximately 91.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 9.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 42259?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 42259 is 22.8% 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 42259's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 42259 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Mammoth Cave, 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.