42259 ZIP Code — Mammoth Cave, KY

Edmonson County, Kentucky

ZIP code 42259 is located in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, within Edmonson County. It covers approximately 72.77 square miles and serves a population of 1,179 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 270/364.

About ZIP code 42259

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $121,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 87%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $47,813. Poverty affects 25% of residents, above the national average. 57% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 31 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 10% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 14% of civilians, above the national average of 7%; and disability rates above the national average at 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 42259 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,179

population

72.77

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

42259 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 42259

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 42259. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Mammoth Cave	Acceptable
Mammoth Cave	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

42729 Cub Run (5.4 mi) 42210 Brownsville (5.8 mi) 42207 Bee Spring (8 mi) 42285 Sweeden (8.6 mi) 42163 Rocky Hill (10.5 mi) 42160 Park City (12.2 mi) 42171 Smiths Grove (13.2 mi) 42726 Clarkson (14.5 mi) 42765 Munfordville (14.6 mi) 42127 Cave City (15.4 mi) 42159 Oakland (16.5 mi) 42749 Horse Cave (16.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,179
Population density	16 / sq mi
State FIPS	21
County FIPS	061

Geography
Land area	72.77 sq mi
Water area	1.79 sq mi
Latitude	37.2276
Longitude	-86.1562
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	52.7%	58.6%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	32.3%	28.9%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	13.8%	12.2%	17.6%
Over $200k	1.2%	0.3%	4.2%

Demographics & statistics

1,179

Population

People per sq mi

55.4

Median age

$47,813

Median household income

$26,485

Per capita income

$121,900

Median home value

$886

Median monthly rent

86.9%

Home ownership

25.0%

Poverty rate

15.5%

Unemployment

1,025

Housing units

9.8%

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	113	9.6%
18 and over	1,066	90.4%
65 and over	355	30.1%
Median age	55.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89.7%

Black or African American 5.9%

Two or more races 3.3%

Hispanic or Latino 1.2%

Group	Count	%
White	1,070	89.7%
Black or African American	70	5.9%
Two or more races	39	3.3%
Hispanic or Latino	14	1.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	52.7%	58.6%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	32.3%	28.9%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	13.8%	12.2%	17.6%
Over $200k	1.2%	0.3%	4.2%

Under $10k 2.2%

$10k–$15k 11.7%

$15k–$25k 5.6%

$25k–$35k 17.7%

$35k–$50k 18.0%

$50k–$75k 17.5%

$75k–$100k 13.3%

$100k–$150k 9.0%

$150k–$200k 2.7%

$200k+ 2.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.2%
$10k–$15k	11.7%
$15k–$25k	5.6%
$25k–$35k	17.7%
$35k–$50k	18.0%
$50k–$75k	17.5%
$75k–$100k	13.3%
$100k–$150k	9.0%
$150k–$200k	2.7%
$200k+	2.4%
Median income	$47,813

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 17.3%

$50k–$100k 26.8%

$100k–$150k 14.5%

$150k–$200k 4.7%

$200k–$300k 26.0%

$300k–$500k 5.6%

$500k–$1M 5.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$121,900
Median rent / month	$886
Owner occupied	86.9%
Renter occupied	13.1%
Vacant	61.8%
Single-family detached	49.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	50.0%
Median rooms	4.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.48

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.4%
2010–2019	7.3%
2000–2009	16.6%
1990–1999	27.0%
1980–1989	4.4%
1970–1979	21.8%
1960–1969	16.9%
1950–1959	4.6%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	0.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.3%
1 bedroom	9.7%
2 bedrooms	43.5%
3 bedrooms	29.0%
4 bedrooms	11.4%
5+ bedrooms	3.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.6%
1 vehicle	29.4%
2 vehicles	27.7%
3 or more	38.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Electricity	73.1%
Propane / LP gas	13.8%
Wood	11.9%
No fuel used	1.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	205	49.8%
Cohabiting couple	8	1.9%
Male householder, no spouse	105	25.5%
Female householder, no spouse	94	22.8%
Households with children under 18	50	12.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	175	42.5%
Average household size	2.50

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	33.5%	12.4%
Married	42.9%	58.8%
Separated	7.7%	6.9%
Widowed	8.0%	9.9%
Divorced	7.9%	12.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 10.4%

Some HS, no diploma 4.7%

HS graduate 46.4%

Some college, no degree 20.1%

Associate's degree 8.6%

Bachelor's degree 6.3%

Graduate / professional 3.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.0%
Bachelor's or higher	9.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	10	5.6%
Elementary school	31	17.2%
High school	112	62.2%
College / grad school	27	15.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.4%

Agriculture & mining 16.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 13.5%

Retail trade 10.1%

Other services 8.7%

Professional & management 7.0%

Manufacturing 6.5%

Transportation & utilities 5.2%

Construction 4.9%

Finance & real estate 3.4%

Wholesale trade 2.2%

Public administration 1.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	20.6%
Service	28.3%
Sales & office	17.9%
Natural resources & construction	19.5%
Production & transportation	13.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	58.5%
Government	34.5%
Self-employed	7.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	63.1%
Carpool	2.3%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	27.1%
Work from home	7.6%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	31.2

Poverty

All people 25.0%

Under 18 years 52.2%

18 and over 22.1%

Married-couple families 9.3%

Female-led households 47.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	57.0%
Retirement income	37.4%
Supplemental Security	7.8%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.4%
High blood pressure	39.4%
High cholesterol	35.1%
Diabetes	11.3%
Heart disease	7.7%
Stroke	3.4%
Asthma	11.4%
Arthritis	29.9%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	10.5%
Cancer	6.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.8%
Binge drinking	15.8%
No physical activity	32.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.1%
Depression	25.5%
Fair or poor health	20.7%
Poor mental health	18.5%
Poor physical health	13.8%
No health insurance	12.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.6%
Visited dentist	53.4%
Cholesterol screening	87.6%
Teeth loss	20.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	145	13.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	32.5%
Under 18	10.6%
18–64 years	24.3%
65 and over	55.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	57.3%
Public insurance	69.9%
No insurance	3.5%
Uninsured under 19	7.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,175	99.7%
Spanish	3	0.3%
Other Indo-European	3	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,169	99.2%
Born in same state	1,163	98.6%
Born in different state	882	74.8%
Foreign born	6	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	10	0.8%
Not a US citizen	7	70.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	263	22.3%
Arab	185	15.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	75	6.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	34.9%
Internet access	85.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 42259

What city is ZIP code 42259 in?

ZIP code 42259 is primarily assigned to Mammoth Cave, Kentucky.

What county is ZIP code 42259 in?

ZIP code 42259 falls within Edmonson County, Kentucky.

Does ZIP code 42259 have a large retiree population?

57% of households in ZIP code 42259 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 42259 have an older population?

30% of residents in ZIP code 42259 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 42259?

25% of residents in ZIP code 42259 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 42259?

10% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What timezone is ZIP code 42259 in?

ZIP code 42259 observes the CST timezone.