42749 ZIP Code — Horse Cave, KY

Hart County, Kentucky

ZIP code 42749 is located in Horse Cave, Kentucky, within Hart County. It covers approximately 91.77 square miles and serves a population of 5,095 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 270/364.

About ZIP code 42749

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1960s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $105,100. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 70%.

Median household income is $45,833. Poverty affects 25% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 23% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 31% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 22 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 16% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (15%), smoking (28%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 42749 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.

5,095

population

91.77

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

42749 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 42749

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 42749. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Horse Cave	Acceptable
Horse Cave	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

42127 Cave City (4.3 mi) 42746 Hardyville (8.4 mi) 42765 Munfordville (10.2 mi) 42722 Canmer (10.7 mi) 42214 Center (10.9 mi) 42154 Knob Lick (11.1 mi) 42713 Bonnieville (13.3 mi) 42160 Park City (14 mi) 42163 Rocky Hill (15.6 mi) 42729 Cub Run (16.4 mi) 42259 Mammoth Cave (16.7 mi) 42141 Glasgow (17 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	5,095
Population density	56 / sq mi
State FIPS	21
County FIPS	099

Geography
Land area	91.77 sq mi
Water area	1.02 sq mi
Latitude	37.1731
Longitude	-85.8603
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	62.2%	60.4%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	22.9%	26.8%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	12.1%	10.1%	17.6%
Over $200k	2.8%	2.8%	4.2%

Demographics & statistics

5,095

Population

People per sq mi

44.4

Median age

$45,833

Median household income

$27,495

Per capita income

$105,100

Median home value

$649

Median monthly rent

69.5%

Home ownership

24.9%

Poverty rate

4.2%

Unemployment

1,878

Housing units

15.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

107

Under 5

125

103

5–9

121

118

10–14

138

137

15–19

162

127

20–24

149

350

25–34

411

321

35–44

377

258

45–54

304

164

55–59

193

269

60–64

316

217

65–74

256

106

75–84

124

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	879	17.3%
18 and over	4,216	82.7%
65 and over	845	16.6%
Median age	44.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 77.5%

Black or African American 12.1%

Two or more races 5.5%

Hispanic or Latino 3.7%

Other race 0.8%

Asian 0.4%

Group	Count	%
White	4,100	77.5%
Black or African American	642	12.1%
Two or more races	291	5.5%
Hispanic or Latino	197	3.7%
Other race	43	0.8%
Asian	19	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	62.2%	60.4%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	22.9%	26.8%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	12.1%	10.1%	17.6%
Over $200k	2.8%	2.8%	4.2%

Under $10k 5.7%

$10k–$15k 7.7%

$15k–$25k 17.1%

$25k–$35k 7.7%

$35k–$50k 15.4%

$50k–$75k 13.7%

$75k–$100k 15.5%

$100k–$150k 9.3%

$150k–$200k 3.3%

$200k+ 4.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.7%
$10k–$15k	7.7%
$15k–$25k	17.1%
$25k–$35k	7.7%
$35k–$50k	15.4%
$50k–$75k	13.7%
$75k–$100k	15.5%
$100k–$150k	9.3%
$150k–$200k	3.3%
$200k+	4.5%
Median income	$45,833

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 15.0%

$50k–$100k 33.3%

$100k–$150k 16.5%

$150k–$200k 10.0%

$200k–$300k 16.6%

$300k–$500k 8.1%

$500k–$1M 0.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$105,100
Median rent / month	$649
Owner occupied	69.5%
Renter occupied	30.5%
Vacant	18.7%
Single-family detached	72.5%
Large apartment buildings	0.7%
Mobile homes	12.4%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.32

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	2.6%
2000–2009	10.5%
1990–1999	9.7%
1980–1989	11.4%
1970–1979	17.3%
1960–1969	22.3%
1950–1959	7.0%
1940–1949	1.6%
1939 or earlier	17.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.4%
1 bedroom	6.4%
2 bedrooms	27.8%
3 bedrooms	55.2%
4 bedrooms	5.7%
5+ bedrooms	3.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.3%
1 vehicle	32.2%
2 vehicles	35.7%
3 or more	24.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	40.2%
Electricity	47.0%
Propane / LP gas	9.5%
Wood	3.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	789	38.9%
Cohabiting couple	340	16.7%
Male householder, no spouse	401	19.8%
Female householder, no spouse	500	24.6%
Households with children under 18	545	26.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	593	29.2%
Average household size	2.46

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	36.7%	27.0%
Married	47.1%	36.3%
Separated	1.7%	3.2%
Widowed	1.9%	9.1%
Divorced	12.7%	24.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.9%

Some HS, no diploma 10.5%

HS graduate 45.3%

Some college, no degree 15.2%

Associate's degree 7.6%

Bachelor's degree 8.8%

Graduate / professional 6.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	83.6%
Bachelor's or higher	15.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	19	2.4%
Kindergarten	55	7.1%
Elementary school	387	49.7%
High school	201	25.8%
College / grad school	117	15.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 22.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 20.7%

Education & healthcare 18.7%

Professional & management 9.0%

Finance & real estate 6.7%

Transportation & utilities 5.6%

Retail trade 4.5%

Public administration 3.9%

Other services 3.1%

Agriculture & mining 1.8%

Construction 1.7%

Wholesale trade 1.2%

Information 0.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	36.7%
Service	22.1%
Sales & office	15.0%
Natural resources & construction	6.7%
Production & transportation	19.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.1%
Government	11.4%
Self-employed	5.3%
Unpaid family workers	2.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	89.8%
Carpool	4.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.6%
Work from home	4.3%
Other means	1.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.5

Poverty

All people 24.9%

Under 18 years 45.0%

18 and over 20.9%

Married-couple families 6.2%

Female-led households 34.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	30.8%
Retirement income	20.3%
Supplemental Security	10.3%
Cash public assistance	1.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	23.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	41.0%
High blood pressure	47.6%
High cholesterol	38.5%
Diabetes	15.4%
Heart disease	9.7%
Stroke	4.8%
Asthma	12.4%
Arthritis	35.9%
Kidney disease	4.1%
Pulmonary disease	14.0%
Cancer	7.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	27.9%
Binge drinking	13.4%
No physical activity	37.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	40.6%
Depression	26.5%
Fair or poor health	27.3%
Poor mental health	19.5%
Poor physical health	17.8%
No health insurance	13.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.9%
Visited dentist	45.9%
Cholesterol screening	88.9%
Teeth loss	25.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	212	5.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	20.8%
Under 18	2.4%
18–64 years	18.7%
65 and over	51.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	48.1%
Public insurance	48.2%
No insurance	12.3%
Uninsured under 19	11.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,863	95.4%
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)	5,037	98.9%
Born in same state	5,032	98.8%
Born in different state	3,787	74.3%
Foreign born	5	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	58	1.1%
Not a US citizen	35	60.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	857	16.8%
Arab	620	12.2%
Italian	333	6.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	27	0.5%
German	5	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.8%
Internet access	87.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 42749

What city is ZIP code 42749 in?

ZIP code 42749 is primarily assigned to Horse Cave, Kentucky.

What county is ZIP code 42749 in?

ZIP code 42749 falls within Hart County, Kentucky.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 42749?

25% of residents in ZIP code 42749 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 42749?

The median home value in ZIP code 42749 is $105,100.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 42749?

Health data for ZIP code 42749 shows elevated rates of diabetes (15%) and smoking (28%) compared to national benchmarks.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 42749?

The median household income in ZIP code 42749 is $45,833, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 42749 in?

ZIP code 42749 observes the CST timezone.