45638 ZIP Code — Ironton, OH

Lawrence County, Ohio

ZIP code 45638 is located in Ironton, Ohio, within Lawrence County. It covers approximately 76.90 square miles and serves a population of 20,594 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 740.

About ZIP code 45638

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $114,000. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 68%.

Median household income is $47,762. Poverty affects 20% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 25% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 38% 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 22 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 18% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (27%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 23%.

Overall, ZIP code 45638 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.

20,594

population

76.90

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

45638 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 45638

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 45638. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Ironton	Acceptable
Ironton	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

41183 Worthington (2.4 mi) 41169 Russell (3 mi) 41139 Flatwoods (3.9 mi) 41139 Flatwoods (3.9 mi) 41101 Ashland (5.3 mi) 41114 Ashland (6 mi) 45629 Franklin Furnace (8.2 mi) 45645 Kitts Hill (8.5 mi) 45659 Pedro (9 mi) 41102 Ashland (9.1 mi) 45680 South Point (10 mi) 41121 Argillite (10.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	20,594
Population density	268 / sq mi
State FIPS	39
County FIPS	087

Geography
Land area	76.90 sq mi
Water area	1.19 sq mi
Latitude	38.5545
Longitude	-82.6900
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	740

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.1%	53.2%	43.3%
$50k – $100k	29.5%	32.9%	31.4%
$100k – $200k	11.7%	11.9%	20.0%
Over $200k	1.7%	1.9%	5.2%

Demographics & statistics

20,594

Population

268

People per sq mi

39.9

Median age

$47,762

Median household income

$26,358

Per capita income

$114,000

Median home value

$773

Median monthly rent

68.0%

Home ownership

20.3%

Poverty rate

5.4%

Unemployment

6,602

Housing units

18.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

723

Under 5

736

668

5–9

680

459

10–14

467

749

15–19

764

705

20–24

718

1,228

25–34

1,251

1,183

35–44

1,205

1,333

45–54

1,359

781

55–59

797

547

60–64

557

1,056

65–74

1,076

567

75–84

577

202

85+

206

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,747	23.1%
18 and over	15,847	76.9%
65 and over	3,684	17.9%
Median age	39.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 93.9%

Two or more races 3.2%

Hispanic or Latino 1.2%

Black or African American 1%

Other race 0.6%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	19,577	93.9%
Two or more races	665	3.2%
Hispanic or Latino	246	1.2%
Black or African American	212	1%
Other race	120	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	20	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	57.1%	53.2%	43.3%
$50k – $100k	29.5%	32.9%	31.4%
$100k – $200k	11.7%	11.9%	20.0%
Over $200k	1.7%	1.9%	5.2%

Under $10k 5.5%

$10k–$15k 8.8%

$15k–$25k 10.5%

$25k–$35k 11.4%

$35k–$50k 15.7%

$50k–$75k 17.3%

$75k–$100k 14.3%

$100k–$150k 9.6%

$150k–$200k 3.9%

$200k+ 3.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.5%
$10k–$15k	8.8%
$15k–$25k	10.5%
$25k–$35k	11.4%
$35k–$50k	15.7%
$50k–$75k	17.3%
$75k–$100k	14.3%
$100k–$150k	9.6%
$150k–$200k	3.9%
$200k+	3.0%
Median income	$47,762

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 13.8%

$50k–$100k 29.2%

$100k–$150k 25.3%

$150k–$200k 14.2%

$200k–$300k 12.7%

$300k–$500k 4.3%

$500k–$1M 0.3%

$1M+ 0.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$114,000
Median rent / month	$773
Owner occupied	68.0%
Renter occupied	32.0%
Vacant	13.9%
Single-family detached	77.3%
Large apartment buildings	3.4%
Mobile homes	8.9%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.68

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	3.4%
2000–2009	2.4%
1990–1999	8.8%
1980–1989	9.4%
1970–1979	17.7%
1960–1969	9.7%
1950–1959	12.4%
1940–1949	6.7%
1939 or earlier	29.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.2%
1 bedroom	7.8%
2 bedrooms	32.8%
3 bedrooms	43.3%
4 bedrooms	11.2%
5+ bedrooms	3.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.3%
1 vehicle	32.3%
2 vehicles	34.5%
3 or more	25.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	57.1%
Electricity	31.6%
Propane / LP gas	9.2%
Fuel oil	0.2%
Wood	1.3%
No fuel used	0.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,248	41.4%
Cohabiting couple	893	11.4%
Male householder, no spouse	1,506	19.2%
Female householder, no spouse	2,203	28.1%
Households with children under 18	2,511	32.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,655	33.8%
Average household size	2.57

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	38.5%	29.3%
Married	41.5%	38.9%
Separated	2.8%	3.9%
Widowed	6.7%	13.5%
Divorced	10.6%	14.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.9%

Some HS, no diploma 7.6%

HS graduate 44.5%

Some college, no degree 17.2%

Associate's degree 9.6%

Bachelor's degree 12.0%

Graduate / professional 6.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.6%
Bachelor's or higher	18.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	315	7.0%
Kindergarten	296	6.5%
Elementary school	1,716	37.9%
High school	1,411	31.1%
College / grad school	792	17.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 31.9%

Retail trade 13.2%

Manufacturing 10.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.5%

Construction 7.2%

Transportation & utilities 6.6%

Professional & management 6.2%

Other services 4.7%

Public administration 4.6%

Finance & real estate 3.1%

Wholesale trade 2.1%

Information 0.7%

Agriculture & mining 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	30.1%
Service	22.4%
Sales & office	22.9%
Natural resources & construction	7.1%
Production & transportation	17.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.8%
Government	16.7%
Self-employed	2.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	88.9%
Carpool	5.8%
Public transit	0.2%
Walk	1.4%
Work from home	2.2%
Other means	1.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.7

Poverty

All people 20.3%

Under 18 years 27.7%

18 and over 18.1%

Married-couple families 6.9%

Female-led households 40.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.9%
Retirement income	25.7%
Supplemental Security	11.9%
Cash public assistance	2.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	25.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	41.1%
High blood pressure	40.6%
High cholesterol	35.4%
Diabetes	13.2%
Heart disease	8.9%
Stroke	4.3%
Asthma	11.6%
Arthritis	33.2%
Kidney disease	3.7%
Pulmonary disease	12.3%
Cancer	7.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	27.4%
Binge drinking	15.3%
No physical activity	35.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.5%
Depression	27.2%
Fair or poor health	20.9%
Poor mental health	18.4%
Poor physical health	13.8%
No health insurance	14.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.0%
Visited dentist	54.8%
Cholesterol screening	86.7%
Teeth loss	20.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,217	7.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	23.4%
Under 18	8.2%
18–64 years	24.8%
65 and over	39.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	52.1%
Public insurance	56.4%
No insurance	6.6%
Uninsured under 19	2.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	19,135	92.9%
Spanish	45	0.2%
Other Indo-European	36	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	9	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	20,551	99.8%
Born in same state	20,497	99.5%
Born in different state	11,097	53.9%
Foreign born	54	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	43	0.2%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,990	14.5%
French	2,093	10.2%
Arab	2,066	10%
English	294	1.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	45	0.2%
Dutch	32	0.2%
Polish	28	0.1%
German	1	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.1%
Internet access	87.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 45638

What city is ZIP code 45638 in?

ZIP code 45638 is primarily assigned to Ironton, Ohio.

What county is ZIP code 45638 in?

ZIP code 45638 falls within Lawrence County, Ohio.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 45638?

20% of residents in ZIP code 45638 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 45638 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 45638 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 45638?

The median home value in ZIP code 45638 is $114,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 45638?

ZIP code 45638 has an estimated population of 20,594 residents, with a density of 268 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 45638 in?

ZIP code 45638 observes the EST timezone.