Beech Creek, KY · standard
ZIP Code 42321
Muhlenberg County, Kentucky - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 327
- 82/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $53,750
- Median income Below-median income area
- $79,800
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 7.1%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Beech Creek pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 19th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 4th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 82
- people per sq mi
- 93%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 42321 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 42321 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Beech Creek, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, home to just 327 residents across 4.0 square miles, a density of 82 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 42321 reports a modest median household income of $53,750 (10% below the average Kentucky ZIP), while per-capita income is $27,924. The poverty rate is 12.8%, with unemployment at 5.3%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $79,800 (50% below the average Kentucky ZIP); owner occupancy is 92.5%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 7.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.1, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 9 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Muhlenberg County, so 42321 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 42321, Beech Creek, 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
327
Population
4.0
Area (sq mi)
82
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 42321?
37.1
Median Age
54.1%
Male
45.9%
Female
0.0%
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?
$53,750
Median Household Income
-10% vs state ZIP avg
$27,924
Per Capita Income
12.8%
Poverty Rate
5.3%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 42321 ranks among Kentucky ZIPs
Beech Creek, 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)
$53,750 42nd percentile higher than 42% 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
212housing units
212
Total Housing Units
212
Occupied Units
0
Vacant Units
2.61
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$79,800
Median Home Value
-50% vs state ZIP avg
1976
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 42321 vs 42323 →
ZIP 42321 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 42345
Greenville (42345)
11,747 residents
- 42330
Central City (42330)
9,386 residents
- 42337 2,026
Drakesboro (42337)
2,026 residents
- 42324 1,276
Belton (42324)
1,276 residents
- 42339 800
Dunmor (42339)
800 residents
- 42323 793
Beechmont (42323)
793 residents
- 42367 667
Powderly (42367)
667 residents
- 42326 460
Browder (42326)
460 residents
- 42321 327
Beech Creek (42321)
327 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 42321 ranks #9 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 42321 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 42324
Belton (42324)
$77,898 median income
- 42345
Greenville (42345)
$62,222 median income
- 42321
Beech Creek (42321)
$53,750 median income
- 42323
Beechmont (42323)
$53,438 median income
- 42367
Powderly (42367)
$51,397 median income
- 42330
Central City (42330)
$50,226 median income
- 42339
Dunmor (42339)
$46,667 median income
- 42326
Browder (42326)
$42,167 median income
- 42337
Drakesboro (42337)
$36,875 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 42321 ranks #3 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42323 | Beechmont, KY | 793 | 1.2 mi |
| 42324 | Belton, KY | 1,276 | 3.9 mi |
| 42326 | Browder, KY | 460 | 4.4 mi |
| 42337 | Drakesboro, KY | 2,026 | 4.6 mi |
| 42332 | Cleaton, KY | 271 | 5.7 mi |
| 42345 | Greenville, KY | 11,747 | 7.3 mi |
| 42339 | Dunmor, KY | 800 | 7.2 mi |
| 42367 | Powderly, KY | 667 | 7.4 mi |
| 42330 | Central City, KY | 9,386 | 10.9 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 42321, 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 Muhlenberg County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 42321 in?
ZIP code 42321 (Beech Creek) is located in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. Muhlenberg County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/muhlenberg-ky.
What is the population of ZIP code 42321?
ZIP code 42321 in Beech Creek, KY has a population of 327 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 42321?
The median household income in ZIP 42321 is $53,750, which is 30% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 42321?
The median home value in ZIP 42321 is $79,800, which is 71% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 42321?
The largest racial group in ZIP 42321 is White at 97.1%.
What is the education level in ZIP code 42321?
In ZIP code 42321, 45.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 7.1% 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 42321?
In ZIP code 42321, approximately 92.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 7.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 42321?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 42321 is 12.8% 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 42321's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 42321 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Beech Creek, 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.