42553 ZIP Code — Science Hill, KY

Pulaski County, Kentucky

ZIP code 42553 is located in Science Hill, Kentucky, within Pulaski County. It covers approximately 65.71 square miles and serves a population of 6,249 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 606.

About ZIP code 42553

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $130,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $44,078. Poverty affects 20% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 18% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 32% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 22 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 (27%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 42553 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

6,249

population

65.71

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

42553 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 42553

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 42553. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Science Hill	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

42567 Eubank (7.8 mi) 42533 Ferguson (8.9 mi) 42544 Nancy (9.3 mi) 42503 Somerset (10.3 mi) 42565 Windsor (12.2 mi) 40442 Kings Mountain (13 mi) 40489 Waynesburg (13.7 mi) 42541 Middleburg (16.1 mi) 42501 Somerset (16.1 mi) 42539 Liberty (17.1 mi) 42518 Bronston (18 mi) 42642 Russell Springs (18.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	6,249
Population density	95 / sq mi
State FIPS	21
County FIPS	199

Geography
Land area	65.71 sq mi
Water area	0.78 sq mi
Latitude	37.1690
Longitude	-84.6934
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	60.1%	57.0%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	26.1%	27.5%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	13.2%	13.1%	17.6%
Over $200k	0.6%	2.3%	4.2%

Demographics & statistics

6,249

Population

People per sq mi

34.3

Median age

$44,078

Median household income

$22,946

Per capita income

$130,600

Median home value

$805

Median monthly rent

80.1%

Home ownership

19.7%

Poverty rate

6.3%

Unemployment

2,058

Housing units

9.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

306

Under 5

296

231

5–9

223

190

10–14

184

170

15–19

164

251

20–24

242

473

25–34

458

324

35–44

314

295

45–54

285

247

55–59

238

193

60–64

187

316

65–74

306

125

75–84

121

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,648	26.4%
18 and over	4,601	73.6%
65 and over	978	15.7%
Median age	34.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 96.1%

Two or more races 2.7%

Hispanic or Latino 1.1%

Group	Count	%
White	6,077	96.1%
Two or more races	170	2.7%
Hispanic or Latino	72	1.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	60.1%	57.0%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	26.1%	27.5%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	13.2%	13.1%	17.6%
Over $200k	0.6%	2.3%	4.2%

Under $10k 13.4%

$10k–$15k 11.7%

$15k–$25k 5.4%

$25k–$35k 11.9%

$35k–$50k 11.3%

$50k–$75k 16.5%

$75k–$100k 12.1%

$100k–$150k 14.4%

$150k–$200k 2.5%

$200k+ 0.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	13.4%
$10k–$15k	11.7%
$15k–$25k	5.4%
$25k–$35k	11.9%
$35k–$50k	11.3%
$50k–$75k	16.5%
$75k–$100k	12.1%
$100k–$150k	14.4%
$150k–$200k	2.5%
$200k+	0.8%
Median income	$44,078

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 17.1%

$50k–$100k 24.5%

$100k–$150k 21.0%

$150k–$200k 15.8%

$200k–$300k 12.7%

$300k–$500k 7.8%

$500k–$1M 0.8%

$1M+ 0.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$130,600
Median rent / month	$805
Owner occupied	80.1%
Renter occupied	19.9%
Vacant	9.5%
Single-family detached	73.5%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	23.1%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.73

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	11.8%
2000–2009	19.1%
1990–1999	13.1%
1980–1989	13.9%
1970–1979	23.7%
1960–1969	4.3%
1950–1959	4.9%
1940–1949	3.5%
1939 or earlier	5.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.4%
1 bedroom	5.9%
2 bedrooms	14.5%
3 bedrooms	57.6%
4 bedrooms	17.5%
5+ bedrooms	4.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.6%
1 vehicle	27.9%
2 vehicles	39.7%
3 or more	25.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	0.4%
Electricity	91.6%
Propane / LP gas	2.2%
Fuel oil	2.7%
Wood	2.8%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,046	46.1%
Cohabiting couple	175	7.7%
Male householder, no spouse	606	26.7%
Female householder, no spouse	444	19.6%
Households with children under 18	802	35.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	690	30.4%
Average household size	2.75

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.9%	32.4%
Married	44.3%	47.4%
Separated	1.8%	0.7%
Widowed	4.8%	9.7%
Divorced	21.2%	9.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.7%

Some HS, no diploma 10.8%

HS graduate 47.5%

Some college, no degree 14.8%

Associate's degree 11.2%

Bachelor's degree 6.8%

Graduate / professional 3.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	83.4%
Bachelor's or higher	9.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	101	8.1%
Kindergarten	57	4.6%
Elementary school	676	54.4%
High school	246	19.8%
College / grad school	163	13.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 29.4%

Manufacturing 14.9%

Retail trade 9.8%

Transportation & utilities 9.5%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.6%

Other services 5.3%

Wholesale trade 5.1%

Construction 5.0%

Professional & management 4.4%

Public administration 2.9%

Agriculture & mining 2.1%

Finance & real estate 2.1%

Information 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	25.2%
Service	17.3%
Sales & office	25.9%
Natural resources & construction	12.9%
Production & transportation	18.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	76.9%
Government	14.6%
Self-employed	8.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.7%
Carpool	13.0%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.0%
Work from home	2.3%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.9

Poverty

All people 19.7%

Under 18 years 17.4%

18 and over 20.5%

Married-couple families 6.6%

Female-led households 32.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	32.2%
Retirement income	18.0%
Supplemental Security	9.5%
Cash public assistance	1.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	17.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	41.7%
High blood pressure	42.0%
High cholesterol	37.5%
Diabetes	12.8%
Heart disease	8.3%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	12.1%
Arthritis	32.9%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	12.4%
Cancer	6.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	27.2%
Binge drinking	15.1%
No physical activity	36.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	41.0%
Depression	26.8%
Fair or poor health	23.6%
Poor mental health	19.3%
Poor physical health	16.2%
No health insurance	11.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.0%
Visited dentist	50.0%
Cholesterol screening	88.4%
Teeth loss	24.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	479	10.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.6%
Under 18	6.9%
18–64 years	13.2%
65 and over	45.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	55.8%
Public insurance	47.9%
No insurance	7.2%
Uninsured under 19	2.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	5,647	90.4%
Spanish	32	0.6%
Other Indo-European	32	0.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	6,175	98.8%
Born in same state	6,156	98.5%
Born in different state	4,586	73.4%
Foreign born	19	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	74	1.2%
Not a US citizen	21	28.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	864	13.8%
Arab	744	11.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	606	9.7%
English	50	0.8%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.3%
Internet access	85.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 42553

What city is ZIP code 42553 in?

ZIP code 42553 is primarily assigned to Science Hill, Kentucky.

What county is ZIP code 42553 in?

ZIP code 42553 falls within Pulaski County, Kentucky.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 42553?

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

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 42553?

20% of residents in ZIP code 42553 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 42553 mostly owner-occupied?

80% of occupied units in ZIP code 42553 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 42553?

The median home value in ZIP code 42553 is $130,600.

What timezone is ZIP code 42553 in?

ZIP code 42553 observes the EST timezone.