42728 ZIP Code — Columbia, KY

Adair County, Kentucky

ZIP code 42728 is located in Columbia, Kentucky, within Adair County. It covers approximately 320.93 square miles and serves a population of 15,789 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 270/364.

About ZIP code 42728

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $128,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 75%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $49,112. Poverty affects 18% of residents, above the national average. 44% 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 25 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 (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 22%.

Overall, ZIP code 42728 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

15,789

population

320.93

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

42728 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 42728

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 42728. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Columbia	Acceptable
Columbia	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

42715 Breeding (12.9 mi) 42528 Dunnville (13.4 mi) 42629 Jamestown (14.9 mi) 42642 Russell Springs (16 mi) 42743 Greensburg (16.8 mi) 42718 Campbellsville (19.1 mi) 42565 Windsor (19.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	15,789
Population density	49 / sq mi
State FIPS	21
County FIPS	001

Geography
Land area	320.93 sq mi
Water area	5.77 sq mi
Latitude	37.1177
Longitude	-85.2643
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	57.8%	57.1%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	28.4%	29.8%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	11.8%	11.1%	17.6%
Over $200k	1.9%	2.0%	4.2%

Demographics & statistics

15,789

Population

People per sq mi

41.2

Median age

$49,112

Median household income

$26,462

Per capita income

$128,800

Median home value

$718

Median monthly rent

75.1%

Home ownership

18.0%

Poverty rate

6.5%

Unemployment

5,956

Housing units

19.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

349

Under 5

347

403

5–9

400

415

10–14

412

641

15–19

636

716

20–24

711

876

25–34

870

828

35–44

822

981

45–54

973

558

55–59

553

579

60–64

574

944

65–74

937

466

75–84

462

169

85+

167

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,892	18.3%
18 and over	12,897	81.7%
65 and over	3,145	19.9%
Median age	41.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90%

Two or more races 4.7%

Hispanic or Latino 2.5%

Black or African American 1.8%

Asian 0.5%

Other race 0.4%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	14,576	90%
Two or more races	765	4.7%
Hispanic or Latino	401	2.5%
Black or African American	288	1.8%
Asian	73	0.5%
Other race	61	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	24	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.8%	57.1%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	28.4%	29.8%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	11.8%	11.1%	17.6%
Over $200k	1.9%	2.0%	4.2%

Under $10k 5.4%

$10k–$15k 9.8%

$15k–$25k 11.8%

$25k–$35k 8.5%

$35k–$50k 15.6%

$50k–$75k 19.3%

$75k–$100k 12.0%

$100k–$150k 13.0%

$150k–$200k 2.5%

$200k+ 1.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.4%
$10k–$15k	9.8%
$15k–$25k	11.8%
$25k–$35k	8.5%
$35k–$50k	15.6%
$50k–$75k	19.3%
$75k–$100k	12.0%
$100k–$150k	13.0%
$150k–$200k	2.5%
$200k+	1.9%
Median income	$49,112

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.0%

$50k–$100k 26.5%

$100k–$150k 19.8%

$150k–$200k 15.4%

$200k–$300k 16.4%

$300k–$500k 11.0%

$500k–$1M 0.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$128,800
Median rent / month	$718
Owner occupied	75.1%
Renter occupied	24.9%
Vacant	21.0%
Single-family detached	71.1%
Large apartment buildings	1.0%
Mobile homes	19.4%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.49

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	7.2%
2000–2009	17.2%
1990–1999	14.8%
1980–1989	12.1%
1970–1979	17.6%
1960–1969	15.7%
1950–1959	5.5%
1940–1949	2.9%
1939 or earlier	6.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.8%
1 bedroom	6.1%
2 bedrooms	24.3%
3 bedrooms	53.3%
4 bedrooms	12.4%
5+ bedrooms	2.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.1%
1 vehicle	24.3%
2 vehicles	41.8%
3 or more	27.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	9.6%
Electricity	76.9%
Propane / LP gas	6.0%
Fuel oil	0.8%
Wood	6.1%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,027	51.7%
Cohabiting couple	237	4.0%
Male householder, no spouse	1,067	18.2%
Female householder, no spouse	1,525	26.0%
Households with children under 18	1,646	28.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,162	36.9%
Average household size	2.48

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.5%	30.0%
Married	50.7%	46.6%
Separated	1.4%	1.1%
Widowed	4.2%	8.7%
Divorced	13.2%	13.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 6.9%

Some HS, no diploma 7.9%

HS graduate 38.9%

Some college, no degree 16.1%

Associate's degree 10.5%

Bachelor's degree 9.4%

Graduate / professional 10.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.1%
Bachelor's or higher	19.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	114	2.8%
Kindergarten	154	3.8%
Elementary school	1,345	33.0%
High school	643	15.8%
College / grad school	1,821	44.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.5%

Retail trade 17.1%

Manufacturing 16.3%

Construction 7.0%

Transportation & utilities 7.0%

Professional & management 6.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.4%

Public administration 5.1%

Finance & real estate 2.6%

Other services 2.6%

Agriculture & mining 2.0%

Wholesale trade 1.0%

Information 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	32.3%
Service	14.6%
Sales & office	19.4%
Natural resources & construction	10.1%
Production & transportation	23.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	76.5%
Government	17.3%
Self-employed	6.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	76.8%
Carpool	9.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	2.0%
Work from home	10.7%
Other means	0.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	24.9

Poverty

All people 18.0%

Under 18 years 24.5%

18 and over 16.4%

Married-couple families 8.5%

Female-led households 47.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	44.2%
Retirement income	27.1%
Supplemental Security	10.7%
Cash public assistance	1.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	15.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.4%
High blood pressure	42.3%
High cholesterol	39.3%
Diabetes	12.7%
Heart disease	8.4%
Stroke	4.0%
Asthma	11.9%
Arthritis	32.7%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	12.1%
Cancer	6.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	25.7%
Binge drinking	15.2%
No physical activity	33.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.1%
Depression	27.0%
Fair or poor health	23.2%
Poor mental health	19.4%
Poor physical health	15.7%
No health insurance	11.7%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.5%
Visited dentist	50.2%
Cholesterol screening	87.9%
Teeth loss	22.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	832	6.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	22.4%
Under 18	5.0%
18–64 years	19.0%
65 and over	49.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	56.0%
Public insurance	51.8%
No insurance	6.6%
Uninsured under 19	2.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	15,093	95.6%
Spanish	93	0.6%
Other Indo-European	19	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	51	0.3%
Other languages	5	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	15,244	96.5%
Born in same state	15,227	96.4%
Born in different state	11,593	73.4%
Foreign born	17	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	545	3.5%
Not a US citizen	117	21.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	2,244	14.2%
Arab	1,891	12%
Italian	1,286	8.1%
English	66	0.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	32	0.2%
Polish	31	0.2%
German	27	0.2%
Dutch	16	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.1%
Internet access	89.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 42728

What city is ZIP code 42728 in?

ZIP code 42728 is primarily assigned to Columbia, Kentucky.

What county is ZIP code 42728 in?

ZIP code 42728 falls within Adair County, Kentucky.

Does ZIP code 42728 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 42728 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 42728?

18% of residents in ZIP code 42728 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 42728?

The median home value in ZIP code 42728 is $128,800.

What is the population of ZIP code 42728?

ZIP code 42728 has an estimated population of 15,789 residents, with a density of 49 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 42728 in?

ZIP code 42728 observes the CST timezone.