42003 ZIP Code — Paducah, KY

Mccracken County, Kentucky

ZIP code 42003 is located in Paducah, Kentucky, within Mccracken County. It covers approximately 69.03 square miles and serves a population of 29,313 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 270/364.

About ZIP code 42003

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $153,900. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 67%.

The gap between median ($52,342) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 39% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 16 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 23% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

29,313

population

69.03

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

42003 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 42003

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 42003. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Paducah	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

42058 Ledbetter (7.1 mi) 42001 Paducah (7.2 mi) 42082 Symsonia (8 mi) 42027 Boaz (8.2 mi) 62910 Brookport (8.4 mi) 42029 Calvert City (10.5 mi) 42069 Melber (12 mi) 42051 Hickory (12.2 mi) 42086 West Paducah (12.8 mi) 62960 Metropolis (16.8 mi) 42045 Grand Rivers (16.9 mi) 42044 Gilbertsville (17.5 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	29,313
Population density	425 / sq mi
State FIPS	21
County FIPS	145

Geography
Land area	69.03 sq mi
Water area	1.96 sq mi
Latitude	37.0184
Longitude	-88.5806
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	270/364

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	58.1%	52.0%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	24.4%	27.5%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	14.8%	16.7%	17.6%
Over $200k	2.6%	3.8%	4.2%

Demographics & statistics

29,313

Population

425

People per sq mi

41.3

Median age

$52,342

Median household income

$32,053

Per capita income

$153,900

Median home value

$730

Median monthly rent

67.4%

Home ownership

17.1%

Poverty rate

5.5%

Unemployment

10,195

Housing units

22.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

888

Under 5

941

858

5–9

910

884

10–14

937

894

15–19

948

808

20–24

857

1,581

25–34

1,677

1,907

35–44

2,022

1,708

45–54

1,812

848

55–59

899

1,057

60–64

1,121

1,640

65–74

1,739

753

75–84

798

401

85+

425

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	6,570	22.4%
18 and over	22,743	77.6%
65 and over	5,756	19.6%
Median age	41.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 82.5%

Black or African American 10.1%

Two or more races 4%

Hispanic or Latino 2.1%

Other race 0.7%

Asian 0.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	24,707	82.5%
Black or African American	3,028	10.1%
Two or more races	1,195	4%
Hispanic or Latino	625	2.1%
Other race	201	0.7%
Asian	141	0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	41	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	58.1%	52.0%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	24.4%	27.5%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	14.8%	16.7%	17.6%
Over $200k	2.6%	3.8%	4.2%

Under $10k 4.6%

$10k–$15k 6.0%

$15k–$25k 12.0%

$25k–$35k 12.5%

$35k–$50k 13.2%

$50k–$75k 16.1%

$75k–$100k 11.7%

$100k–$150k 12.9%

$150k–$200k 5.3%

$200k+ 5.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.6%
$10k–$15k	6.0%
$15k–$25k	12.0%
$25k–$35k	12.5%
$35k–$50k	13.2%
$50k–$75k	16.1%
$75k–$100k	11.7%
$100k–$150k	12.9%
$150k–$200k	5.3%
$200k+	5.7%
Median income	$52,342

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 14.6%

$50k–$100k 20.6%

$100k–$150k 13.3%

$150k–$200k 18.7%

$200k–$300k 19.2%

$300k–$500k 9.6%

$500k–$1M 3.7%

$1M+ 0.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$153,900
Median rent / month	$730
Owner occupied	67.4%
Renter occupied	32.6%
Vacant	18.5%
Single-family detached	68.6%
Large apartment buildings	7.1%
Mobile homes	12.1%
Median rooms	5.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.69

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	3.0%
2000–2009	11.4%
1990–1999	12.7%
1980–1989	15.7%
1970–1979	22.2%
1960–1969	10.6%
1950–1959	11.0%
1940–1949	5.0%
1939 or earlier	8.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.1%
1 bedroom	8.7%
2 bedrooms	29.7%
3 bedrooms	42.8%
4 bedrooms	11.3%
5+ bedrooms	3.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	10.2%
1 vehicle	32.9%
2 vehicles	35.5%
3 or more	21.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	57.2%
Electricity	38.5%
Propane / LP gas	2.7%
Fuel oil	0.3%
Wood	0.3%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	5,159	45.6%
Cohabiting couple	832	7.4%
Male householder, no spouse	1,894	16.7%
Female householder, no spouse	3,427	30.3%
Households with children under 18	3,154	27.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,096	36.2%
Average household size	2.51

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	32.6%	23.2%
Married	47.0%	43.7%
Separated	2.2%	3.8%
Widowed	3.4%	13.6%
Divorced	14.8%	15.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.9%

Some HS, no diploma 5.6%

HS graduate 33.0%

Some college, no degree 25.0%

Associate's degree 10.6%

Bachelor's degree 14.9%

Graduate / professional 8.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.5%
Bachelor's or higher	22.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	579	8.9%
Kindergarten	429	6.6%
Elementary school	2,654	40.9%
High school	1,566	24.1%
College / grad school	1,257	19.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.5%

Retail trade 16.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.8%

Manufacturing 8.5%

Professional & management 8.3%

Other services 5.7%

Finance & real estate 5.3%

Construction 5.0%

Transportation & utilities 4.9%

Public administration 4.6%

Information 2.4%

Wholesale trade 1.3%

Agriculture & mining 0.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	34.6%
Service	19.6%
Sales & office	25.8%
Natural resources & construction	6.4%
Production & transportation	13.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.7%
Government	12.8%
Self-employed	4.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	85.0%
Carpool	5.7%
Public transit	0.6%
Walk	2.0%
Work from home	5.1%
Other means	1.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	16.4

Poverty

All people 17.1%

Under 18 years 26.3%

18 and over 14.5%

Married-couple families 5.2%

Female-led households 29.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.0%
Retirement income	27.0%
Supplemental Security	5.8%
Cash public assistance	2.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	11.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.8%
High blood pressure	43.4%
High cholesterol	35.5%
Diabetes	13.4%
Heart disease	8.2%
Stroke	4.1%
Asthma	11.4%
Arthritis	33.2%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	11.3%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.9%
Binge drinking	14.1%
No physical activity	32.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.9%
Depression	25.3%
Fair or poor health	22.3%
Poor mental health	17.9%
Poor physical health	15.1%
No health insurance	10.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.8%
Visited dentist	53.5%
Cholesterol screening	90.5%
Teeth loss	19.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,773	7.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.0%
Under 18	5.0%
18–64 years	15.2%
65 and over	36.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	57.7%
Public insurance	50.6%
No insurance	5.6%
Uninsured under 19	4.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	27,484	93.8%
Spanish	166	0.6%
Other Indo-European	163	0.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	3	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	28,928	98.7%
Born in same state	28,764	98.1%
Born in different state	19,060	65.0%
Foreign born	164	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	385	1.3%
Not a US citizen	285	74.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	7,341	25%
Arab	2,975	10.1%
Italian	2,384	8.1%
English	151	0.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	89	0.3%
German	55	0.2%
Irish	33	0.1%
Dutch	18	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.6%
Internet access	93.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 42003

What city is ZIP code 42003 in?

ZIP code 42003 is primarily assigned to Paducah, Kentucky.

What county is ZIP code 42003 in?

ZIP code 42003 falls within Mccracken County, Kentucky.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 42003?

17% of residents in ZIP code 42003 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 42003 have a large retiree population?

39% of households in ZIP code 42003 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 42003?

The median home value in ZIP code 42003 is $153,900.

What is the population of ZIP code 42003?

ZIP code 42003 has an estimated population of 29,313 residents, with a density of 425 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 42003 in?

ZIP code 42003 observes the CST timezone.