42101 ZIP Code — Bowling Green, KY

Warren County, Kentucky

ZIP code 42101 is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, within Warren County. It covers approximately 281.03 square miles and serves a population of 62,041 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 270/364.

About ZIP code 42101

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $170,300. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 46%.

Median household income is $47,003. Poverty affects 25% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 19% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 20% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

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

Overall, ZIP code 42101 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

62,041

population

281.03

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

42101 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 42101

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 42101. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Bowling Green	Acceptable
Bowling Green	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

42103 Bowling Green (8.7 mi) 42274 Rockfield (9.3 mi) 42104 Bowling Green (9.5 mi) 42159 Oakland (11.5 mi) 42122 Alvaton (12.7 mi) 42170 Woodburn (13.8 mi) 42252 Jetson (14.8 mi) 42171 Smiths Grove (16.3 mi) 42206 Auburn (17.2 mi) 42261 Morgantown (17.8 mi) 42210 Brownsville (18.4 mi) 42285 Sweeden (18.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	62,041
Population density	221 / sq mi
State FIPS	21
County FIPS	227

Geography
Land area	281.03 sq mi
Water area	3.29 sq mi
Latitude	37.0182
Longitude	-86.4630
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	270/364

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.9%	46.4%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	31.7%	31.8%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	10.2%	17.3%	17.6%
Over $200k	1.2%	4.5%	4.2%

Demographics & statistics

62,041

Population

221

People per sq mi

28.1

Median age

$47,003

Median household income

$22,885

Per capita income

$170,300

Median home value

$894

Median monthly rent

46.4%

Home ownership

25.4%

Poverty rate

5.4%

Unemployment

13,145

Housing units

19.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

2,175

Under 5

2,258

1,983

5–9

2,059

1,767

10–14

1,834

3,313

15–19

3,441

4,425

20–24

4,594

4,469

25–34

4,641

3,501

35–44

3,636

3,049

45–54

3,166

1,265

55–59

1,313

1,413

60–64

1,468

2,038

65–74

2,117

811

75–84

843

227

85+

235

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	14,264	23.0%
18 and over	47,777	77.0%
65 and over	6,271	10.1%
Median age	28.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 69.7%

Black or African American 12.7%

Two or more races 5.7%

Hispanic or Latino 4.5%

Asian 3.6%

Other race 3.1%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	45,285	69.7%
Black or African American	8,281	12.7%
Two or more races	3,682	5.7%
Hispanic or Latino	2,949	4.5%
Asian	2,318	3.6%
Other race	2,043	3.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	354	0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	78	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.9%	46.4%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	31.7%	31.8%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	10.2%	17.3%	17.6%
Over $200k	1.2%	4.5%	4.2%

Under $10k 8.1%

$10k–$15k 6.2%

$15k–$25k 11.4%

$25k–$35k 12.3%

$35k–$50k 14.6%

$50k–$75k 18.6%

$75k–$100k 11.9%

$100k–$150k 12.6%

$150k–$200k 2.1%

$200k+ 2.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	8.1%
$10k–$15k	6.2%
$15k–$25k	11.4%
$25k–$35k	12.3%
$35k–$50k	14.6%
$50k–$75k	18.6%
$75k–$100k	11.9%
$100k–$150k	12.6%
$150k–$200k	2.1%
$200k+	2.2%
Median income	$47,003

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.6%

$50k–$100k 12.8%

$100k–$150k 15.9%

$150k–$200k 26.6%

$200k–$300k 26.7%

$300k–$500k 6.7%

$500k–$1M 2.2%

$1M+ 0.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$170,300
Median rent / month	$894
Owner occupied	46.4%
Renter occupied	53.6%
Vacant	10.3%
Single-family detached	55.7%
Large apartment buildings	3.8%
Mobile homes	9.1%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.68

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	14.3%
2000–2009	17.3%
1990–1999	14.8%
1980–1989	11.1%
1970–1979	15.8%
1960–1969	9.4%
1950–1959	7.3%
1940–1949	2.0%
1939 or earlier	7.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.8%
1 bedroom	11.5%
2 bedrooms	25.1%
3 bedrooms	50.0%
4 bedrooms	9.7%
5+ bedrooms	1.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	8.9%
1 vehicle	35.2%
2 vehicles	35.4%
3 or more	20.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	34.0%
Electricity	59.1%
Propane / LP gas	5.1%
Fuel oil	0.3%
Wood	1.1%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	8,358	36.8%
Cohabiting couple	2,462	10.8%
Male householder, no spouse	5,276	23.2%
Female householder, no spouse	6,603	29.1%
Households with children under 18	7,807	34.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,807	21.2%
Average household size	2.49

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	46.5%	44.6%
Married	38.3%	34.2%
Separated	1.9%	2.5%
Widowed	2.9%	5.7%
Divorced	10.3%	12.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 8.0%

Some HS, no diploma 8.9%

HS graduate 32.8%

Some college, no degree 22.0%

Associate's degree 8.6%

Bachelor's degree 12.5%

Graduate / professional 7.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	83.1%
Bachelor's or higher	19.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	718	3.7%
Kindergarten	933	4.8%
Elementary school	5,297	27.2%
High school	2,888	14.9%
College / grad school	9,609	49.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.1%

Manufacturing 14.5%

Retail trade 13.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 13.2%

Professional & management 9.4%

Transportation & utilities 7.8%

Construction 7.1%

Other services 4.9%

Wholesale trade 2.4%

Finance & real estate 2.2%

Public administration 2.0%

Agriculture & mining 1.0%

Information 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	24.3%
Service	21.4%
Sales & office	22.5%
Natural resources & construction	9.5%
Production & transportation	22.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.8%
Government	12.3%
Self-employed	3.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	74.7%
Carpool	13.3%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	5.2%
Work from home	3.9%
Other means	2.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.4

Poverty

All people 25.4%

Under 18 years 32.7%

18 and over 23.1%

Married-couple families 11.2%

Female-led households 46.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	27.3%
Retirement income	16.3%
Supplemental Security	7.5%
Cash public assistance	3.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	19.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.7%
High blood pressure	34.5%
High cholesterol	30.2%
Diabetes	10.0%
Heart disease	5.8%
Stroke	3.0%
Asthma	12.4%
Arthritis	24.2%
Kidney disease	2.7%
Pulmonary disease	9.0%
Cancer	4.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.0%
Binge drinking	16.7%
No physical activity	32.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	39.0%
Depression	27.9%
Fair or poor health	20.6%
Poor mental health	20.8%
Poor physical health	13.5%
No health insurance	12.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.8%
Visited dentist	48.9%
Cholesterol screening	84.5%
Teeth loss	22.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,877	6.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.7%
Under 18	8.1%
18–64 years	16.4%
65 and over	38.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	55.2%
Public insurance	45.9%
No insurance	8.7%
Uninsured under 19	3.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	57,608	92.9%
Spanish	4,473	7.8%
Other Indo-European	1,589	2.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	502	0.9%
Other languages	1,280	2.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	56,311	90.8%
Born in same state	55,614	89.6%
Born in different state	38,326	61.8%
Foreign born	697	1.1%
Naturalized citizen	5,730	9.2%
Not a US citizen	1,651	28.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	6,452	10.4%
French	5,823	9.4%
Italian	5,234	8.4%
English	285	0.5%
Dutch	141	0.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	131	0.2%
Polish	127	0.2%
Irish	9	0%
Norwegian	8	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.6%
Internet access	94.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 42101

What part of Bowling Green is ZIP code 42101?

ZIP code 42101 covers a portion of Bowling Green, Kentucky, within Warren County.

What county is ZIP code 42101 in?

ZIP code 42101 falls within Warren County, Kentucky.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 42101?

25% of residents in ZIP code 42101 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 42101?

The median home value in ZIP code 42101 is $170,300.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 42101?

The median household income in ZIP code 42101 is $47,003, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 42101?

ZIP code 42101 has an estimated population of 62,041 residents, with a density of 221 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 42101 in?

ZIP code 42101 observes the CST timezone.