40855 ZIP Code — Lynch, KY

Harlan County, Kentucky

ZIP code 40855 is located in Lynch, Kentucky, within Harlan County. It covers approximately 14.98 square miles and serves a population of 738 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 606.

About ZIP code 40855

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 $52,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 67%.

Median household income is $27,778. Poverty affects 34% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 21% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 55% 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. An above-average commute of 38 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 16% 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 (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 35%.

Overall, ZIP code 40855 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.

738

population

14.98

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

40855 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 40855

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 40855. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Lynch	Acceptable

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	738
Population density	49 / sq mi
State FIPS	21
County FIPS	095

Geography
Land area	14.98 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	36.9809
Longitude	-82.9159
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	69.3%	70.4%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	27.5%	23.0%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	3.2%	5.5%	17.6%
Over $200k	0.0%	1.1%	4.2%

Demographics & statistics

738

Population

People per sq mi

58.6

Median age

$27,778

Median household income

$18,278

Per capita income

$52,600

Median home value

$597

Median monthly rent

67.0%

Home ownership

33.7%

Poverty rate

5.6%

Unemployment

418

Housing units

15.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	74	10.0%
18 and over	664	90.0%
65 and over	194	26.3%
Median age	58.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 75.6%

Black or African American 16.4%

Two or more races 4.7%

Hispanic or Latino 3.3%

Group	Count	%
White	577	75.6%
Black or African American	125	16.4%
Two or more races	36	4.7%
Hispanic or Latino	25	3.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	69.3%	70.4%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	27.5%	23.0%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	3.2%	5.5%	17.6%
Over $200k	0.0%	1.1%	4.2%

Under $10k 13.7%

$10k–$15k 4.5%

$15k–$25k 24.1%

$25k–$35k 16.1%

$35k–$50k 19.0%

$50k–$75k 11.9%

$75k–$100k 8.0%

$100k–$150k 2.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	13.7%
$10k–$15k	4.5%
$15k–$25k	24.1%
$25k–$35k	16.1%
$35k–$50k	19.0%
$50k–$75k	11.9%
$75k–$100k	8.0%
$100k–$150k	2.7%
Median income	$27,778

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 43.6%

$50k–$100k 42.2%

$100k–$150k 11.1%

$200k–$300k 3.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$52,600
Median rent / month	$597
Owner occupied	67.0%
Renter occupied	33.0%
Vacant	36.5%
Single-family detached	82.0%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	5.5%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.36

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	0.0%
1990–1999	2.3%
1980–1989	6.2%
1970–1979	9.3%
1960–1969	4.0%
1950–1959	2.6%
1940–1949	1.1%
1939 or earlier	74.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.3%
1 bedroom	0.0%
2 bedrooms	26.1%
3 bedrooms	47.4%
4 bedrooms	18.0%
5+ bedrooms	7.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	9.2%
1 vehicle	30.4%
2 vehicles	41.1%
3 or more	19.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	70.2%
Propane / LP gas	9.8%
Fuel oil	5.1%
Wood	5.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	159	47.3%
Cohabiting couple	8	2.4%
Male householder, no spouse	96	28.6%
Female householder, no spouse	73	21.7%
Households with children under 18	43	12.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	125	37.2%
Average household size	2.20

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	12.1%	30.1%
Married	53.3%	50.9%
Separated	1.5%	5.7%
Widowed	8.9%	5.7%
Divorced	24.3%	7.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 10.5%

HS graduate 23.4%

Some college, no degree 34.6%

Associate's degree 15.7%

Bachelor's degree 2.8%

Graduate / professional 12.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.5%
Bachelor's or higher	15.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	44	57.9%
High school	14	18.4%
College / grad school	18	23.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 26.0%

Public administration 20.9%

Agriculture & mining 12.8%

Other services 11.5%

Retail trade 9.4%

Manufacturing 7.7%

Construction 6.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.8%

Transportation & utilities 1.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	42.1%
Service	10.2%
Sales & office	12.8%
Natural resources & construction	16.6%
Production & transportation	18.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	43.4%
Government	37.9%
Self-employed	16.2%
Unpaid family workers	2.6%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	80.4%
Carpool	12.3%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	1.3%
Other means	6.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	38.0

Poverty

All people 33.7%

Under 18 years 82.4%

18 and over 28.3%

Married-couple families 18.9%

Female-led households 23.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	54.8%
Retirement income	35.4%
Supplemental Security	14.6%
Cash public assistance	9.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	21.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	44.5%
High blood pressure	49.8%
High cholesterol	40.2%
Diabetes	16.7%
Heart disease	9.6%
Stroke	5.1%
Asthma	12.3%
Arthritis	37.3%
Kidney disease	4.2%
Pulmonary disease	12.9%
Cancer	7.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.4%
Binge drinking	13.0%
No physical activity	36.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	39.9%
Depression	25.7%
Fair or poor health	26.1%
Poor mental health	18.6%
Poor physical health	17.0%
No health insurance	11.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.8%
Visited dentist	50.2%
Cholesterol screening	91.0%
Teeth loss	24.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	33	5.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	34.7%
Under 18	8.1%
18–64 years	31.5%
65 and over	52.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	40.5%
Public insurance	77.5%
No insurance	5.6%
Uninsured under 19	3.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	726	98.4%
Spanish	11	1.5%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	11	1.5%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	738	100.0%
Born in same state	736	99.7%
Born in different state	558	75.6%
Foreign born	2	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	71	9.6%
French	43	5.8%
Irish	20	2.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	14	1.9%
Arab	5	0.7%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	45.5%
Internet access	72.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 40855

What city is ZIP code 40855 in?

ZIP code 40855 is primarily assigned to Lynch, Kentucky.

What county is ZIP code 40855 in?

ZIP code 40855 falls within Harlan County, Kentucky.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 40855?

34% of residents in ZIP code 40855 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 40855 have a large retiree population?

55% of households in ZIP code 40855 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 40855 have an older population?

26% of residents in ZIP code 40855 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 40855?

Health data for ZIP code 40855 shows elevated rates of obesity (45%) and diabetes (17%) and smoking (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 40855 in?

ZIP code 40855 observes the EST timezone.