40831 ZIP Code — Harlan, KY

Harlan County, Kentucky

ZIP code 40831 is located in Harlan, Kentucky, within Harlan County. It covers approximately 67.33 square miles and serves a population of 5,100 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 606.

About ZIP code 40831

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 $112,900. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 52%.

Median household income is $29,746. Poverty affects 39% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 40% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 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 18 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 15% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (45%), diabetes (17%), smoking (30%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 25%.

Overall, ZIP code 40831 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

5,100

population

67.33

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

40831 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 40831

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 40831. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Harlan	Acceptable
Harlan	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

40873 Wallins Creek (3.9 mi) 40863 Pathfork (4.9 mi) 40815 Cawood (6.3 mi) 40819 Coldiron (7.1 mi) 40806 Baxter (8.4 mi) 24281 Rose Hill (8.6 mi) 40810 Bledsoe (9.2 mi) 40820 Cranks (10 mi) 40856 Miracle (10.3 mi) 24263 Jonesville (11.6 mi) 40840 Helton (11.8 mi) 40865 Putney (11.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	5,100
Population density	76 / sq mi
State FIPS	21
County FIPS	095

Geography
Land area	67.33 sq mi
Water area	0.63 sq mi
Latitude	36.7696
Longitude	-83.3536
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	606

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	73.2%	70.4%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	17.8%	23.0%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	8.2%	5.5%	17.6%
Over $200k	0.9%	1.1%	4.2%

Demographics & statistics

5,100

Population

People per sq mi

41.1

Median age

$29,746

Median household income

$19,657

Per capita income

$112,900

Median home value

$509

Median monthly rent

52.4%

Home ownership

39.0%

Poverty rate

9.3%

Unemployment

1,495

Housing units

15.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

137

Under 5

165

5–9

109

217

10–14

262

158

15–19

190

125

20–24

152

261

25–34

316

319

35–44

385

275

45–54

333

113

55–59

137

182

60–64

221

252

65–74

304

105

75–84

128

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,240	24.3%
18 and over	3,860	75.7%
65 and over	952	18.7%
Median age	41.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 93.2%

Black or African American 3%

Two or more races 2%

Asian 1%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%

Hispanic or Latino 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	4,766	93.2%
Black or African American	154	3%
Two or more races	104	2%
Asian	52	1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	24	0.5%
Hispanic or Latino	12	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	73.2%	70.4%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	17.8%	23.0%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	8.2%	5.5%	17.6%
Over $200k	0.9%	1.1%	4.2%

Under $10k 13.6%

$10k–$15k 16.7%

$15k–$25k 11.3%

$25k–$35k 12.6%

$35k–$50k 10.1%

$50k–$75k 14.4%

$75k–$100k 7.5%

$100k–$150k 10.6%

$150k–$200k 1.8%

$200k+ 1.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	13.6%
$10k–$15k	16.7%
$15k–$25k	11.3%
$25k–$35k	12.6%
$35k–$50k	10.1%
$50k–$75k	14.4%
$75k–$100k	7.5%
$100k–$150k	10.6%
$150k–$200k	1.8%
$200k+	1.6%
Median income	$29,746

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 20.7%

$50k–$100k 26.2%

$100k–$150k 11.5%

$150k–$200k 21.5%

$200k–$300k 13.6%

$300k–$500k 2.6%

$500k–$1M 3.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$112,900
Median rent / month	$509
Owner occupied	52.4%
Renter occupied	47.6%
Vacant	16.9%
Single-family detached	58.3%
Large apartment buildings	3.9%
Mobile homes	11.1%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.62

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	6.4%
2000–2009	11.4%
1990–1999	5.7%
1980–1989	19.5%
1970–1979	21.4%
1960–1969	9.2%
1950–1959	9.0%
1940–1949	3.9%
1939 or earlier	13.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	9.2%
1 bedroom	9.9%
2 bedrooms	20.8%
3 bedrooms	39.4%
4 bedrooms	15.5%
5+ bedrooms	5.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	10.3%
1 vehicle	38.2%
2 vehicles	32.6%
3 or more	19.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	4.8%
Electricity	88.4%
Propane / LP gas	1.8%
Fuel oil	0.2%
Wood	2.5%
No fuel used	1.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	891	43.4%
Cohabiting couple	92	4.5%
Male householder, no spouse	282	13.7%
Female householder, no spouse	790	38.4%
Households with children under 18	666	32.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	655	31.9%
Average household size	2.40

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.3%	22.1%
Married	54.0%	38.4%
Separated	1.0%	7.6%
Widowed	4.6%	16.0%
Divorced	10.1%	15.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 8.2%

Some HS, no diploma 12.5%

HS graduate 36.3%

Some college, no degree 17.8%

Associate's degree 9.9%

Bachelor's degree 6.6%

Graduate / professional 8.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	79.3%
Bachelor's or higher	15.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	78	6.9%
Kindergarten	41	3.6%
Elementary school	514	45.3%
High school	347	30.6%
College / grad school	154	13.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 34.7%

Retail trade 18.7%

Professional & management 7.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.0%

Manufacturing 5.8%

Other services 4.9%

Finance & real estate 4.2%

Wholesale trade 3.8%

Construction 3.5%

Public administration 3.5%

Transportation & utilities 3.2%

Agriculture & mining 2.9%

Information 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	37.9%
Service	17.2%
Sales & office	30.6%
Natural resources & construction	4.3%
Production & transportation	9.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.0%
Government	17.1%
Self-employed	3.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	75.0%
Carpool	15.4%
Public transit	0.5%
Walk	2.0%
Work from home	6.1%
Other means	1.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.9

Poverty

All people 39.0%

Under 18 years 47.3%

18 and over 36.4%

Married-couple families 23.0%

Female-led households 73.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	44.2%
Retirement income	22.4%
Supplemental Security	14.6%
Cash public assistance	10.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	40.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	45.0%
High blood pressure	49.3%
High cholesterol	40.8%
Diabetes	16.8%
Heart disease	10.8%
Stroke	5.6%
Asthma	13.0%
Arthritis	38.6%
Kidney disease	4.6%
Pulmonary disease	16.7%
Cancer	7.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	30.3%
Binge drinking	13.1%
No physical activity	41.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	39.7%
Depression	28.7%
Fair or poor health	31.1%
Poor mental health	20.8%
Poor physical health	20.3%
No health insurance	13.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.9%
Visited dentist	42.9%
Cholesterol screening	87.9%
Teeth loss	30.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	272	7.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	25.0%
Under 18	5.9%
18–64 years	24.4%
65 and over	55.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	33.5%
Public insurance	72.7%
No insurance	5.9%
Uninsured under 19	7.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,798	94.1%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	5,075	99.5%
Born in same state	5,064	99.3%
Born in different state	4,073	79.9%
Foreign born	11	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	25	0.5%
Not a US citizen	25	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	666	13.1%
Arab	658	12.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	253	5%
English	18	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.3%
Internet access	86.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 40831

What city is ZIP code 40831 in?

ZIP code 40831 is primarily assigned to Harlan, Kentucky.

What county is ZIP code 40831 in?

ZIP code 40831 falls within Harlan County, Kentucky.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 40831?

39% of residents in ZIP code 40831 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 40831 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 40831 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 40831?

Health data for ZIP code 40831 shows elevated rates of obesity (45%) and diabetes (17%) and smoking (30%) compared to national benchmarks.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 40831?

The median home value in ZIP code 40831 is $112,900.

What timezone is ZIP code 40831 in?

ZIP code 40831 observes the EST timezone.