PlainZIP

Whitley City, KY · standard

ZIP Code 42653

McCreary County, Kentucky - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

4,619
23/sq mi
$42,656
Median income
$109,200
Median home value
7.4%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Whitley City pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

7th pct
household income, US ZIPs
13th pct
home value, US ZIPs
23
people per sq mi
74%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 42653 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 42653 covers 205.3 square miles in Whitley City, McCreary County, Kentucky (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 4,619 residents on file, a density of 23 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 42653 reports a modest median household income of $42,656 (28% below the Kentucky average), while per-capita income is $16,787. Local economic indicators show a 38.7% poverty rate alongside 2.2% unemployment. On housing, the median home value is $109,200 (31% below the state average) with median rent at $645 per month, and 73.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 7.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.2, and the average commute is 38 minutes. Beyond these figures, 4 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing McCreary County, letting you compare 42653 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 →

Top industries in ZIP 42653

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Whitley City, KY

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 42653.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 42653, Whitley City, 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

4,619

Population

205.3

Area (sq mi)

23

People / sq mi

New York

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 42653?

36.2

Median Age

51.7%

Male

48.3%

Female

0.9%

Foreign-Born

White 93.0%
African American 1.3%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.2%
Hispanic or Latino 0.8%

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?

$42,656

Median Household Income

-28% vs state

$16,787

Per Capita Income

38.7%

Poverty Rate

2.2%

Unemployment Rate

38.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 42653 ranks nationally

Whitley City, KY household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$42,656 7th percentile higher than 7% 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 45.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 7.4%

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

What does housing look like?

1,649

Total Housing Units

1,287

Occupied Units

362

Vacant Units

3.26

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 73.9%
Renter 26.1%

$109,200

Median Home Value

-31% vs state

$645

Median Rent

1986

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 91 business establishments in ZIP 42653, employing approximately 835 people with a combined annual payroll of $24,884,000.

91

Businesses

835

Employees

$24.9M

Annual Payroll

8

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 26 28.6%
Health care and social assistance 16 17.6%
Accommodation and food services 12 13.2%
Finance and insurance 8 8.8%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 6 6.6%
Other services (except public administration) 5 5.5%
Real estate and rental and leasing 4 4.4%
Wholesale trade 3 3.3%

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 42653 vs 42631 →

ZIP 42653 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 42653 ranks #2 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 42653 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 42653 ranks the highest 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
42631 Marshes Siding, KY 134 2.9 mi
42638 Revelo, KY 207 7.2 mi
42634 Parkers Lake, KY 1,565 7.3 mi
42635 Pine Knot, KY 5,103 7.5 mi

More ZIP Codes in McCreary County

42635 standard
Pine Knot, KY
Pop: 5,103
42647 standard
Stearns, KY
Pop: 4,086
42649 standard
Strunk, KY
Pop: 2,326
42634 standard
Parkers Lake, KY
Pop: 1,565
42638 standard
Revelo, KY
Pop: 207
42631 standard
Marshes Siding, KY
Pop: 134

Related Areas

McCreary County Whitley City, KY Kentucky

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 42653 in? ▼
ZIP code 42653 (Whitley City) is located in McCreary County, Kentucky. McCreary County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/mccreary-ky.
What is the population of ZIP code 42653? ▼
ZIP code 42653 in Whitley City, KY has a population of 4,619 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 42653? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 42653 is $42,656, which is 44% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 42653? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 42653 is $109,200, which is 61% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 42653? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 42653 is White at 93.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 42653? ▼
ZIP code 42653 has 91 business establishments employing approximately 835 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 42653? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 42653 are: Retail trade (26), Health care and social assistance (16), Accommodation and food services (12). There are 8 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 42653? ▼
In ZIP code 42653, 45.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 7.4% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 42653? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 42653 is 38.0 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 42653? ▼
In ZIP code 42653, approximately 73.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 26.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 42653? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 42653 is 38.7% 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.