42501 ZIP Code — Somerset, KY

Pulaski County, Kentucky

ZIP code 42501 is located in Somerset, Kentucky, within Pulaski County. It covers approximately 199.71 square miles and serves a population of 17,080 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 606.

About ZIP code 42501

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $117,700. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 65%.

Median household income is $47,279. Poverty affects 23% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 20% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 40% 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 17% 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 42501 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.

17,080

population

199.71

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

42501 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 42501

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 42501. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Somerset	Acceptable
Somerset	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

42503 Somerset (7.5 mi) 42533 Ferguson (8.8 mi) 42519 Burnside (9.3 mi) 42634 Parkers Lake (12.3 mi) 42518 Bronston (14.8 mi) 40750 London (15.2 mi) 42553 Science Hill (16.1 mi) 40737 Keavy (16.9 mi) 42567 Eubank (17.1 mi) 40744 London (17.9 mi) 42653 Whitley City (18.5 mi) 42544 Nancy (19.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	17,080
Population density	86 / sq mi
State FIPS	21
County FIPS	199

Geography
Land area	199.71 sq mi
Water area	3.86 sq mi
Latitude	37.0554
Longitude	-84.4390
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	62.2%	57.0%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	27.1%	27.5%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	8.7%	13.1%	17.6%
Over $200k	2.0%	2.3%	4.2%

Demographics & statistics

17,080

Population

People per sq mi

40.9

Median age

$47,279

Median household income

$29,888

Per capita income

$117,700

Median home value

$757

Median monthly rent

65.3%

Home ownership

23.2%

Poverty rate

3.7%

Unemployment

5,577

Housing units

16.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

356

Under 5

381

527

5–9

564

675

10–14

723

476

15–19

510

359

20–24

384

922

25–34

987

1,216

35–44

1,302

991

45–54

1,062

573

55–59

614

669

60–64

717

849

65–74

908

396

75–84

424

239

85+

256

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,802	22.3%
18 and over	13,278	77.7%
65 and over	3,072	18.0%
Median age	40.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 94.1%

Two or more races 2.5%

Black or African American 2.1%

Asian 0.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%

Hispanic or Latino 0.3%

Other race 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	16,108	94.1%
Two or more races	430	2.5%
Black or African American	357	2.1%
Asian	95	0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	64	0.4%
Hispanic or Latino	45	0.3%
Other race	26	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	62.2%	57.0%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	27.1%	27.5%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	8.7%	13.1%	17.6%
Over $200k	2.0%	2.3%	4.2%

Under $10k 5.3%

$10k–$15k 13.0%

$15k–$25k 11.6%

$25k–$35k 10.7%

$35k–$50k 13.4%

$50k–$75k 14.0%

$75k–$100k 14.6%

$100k–$150k 11.5%

$150k–$200k 2.3%

$200k+ 3.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.3%
$10k–$15k	13.0%
$15k–$25k	11.6%
$25k–$35k	10.7%
$35k–$50k	13.4%
$50k–$75k	14.0%
$75k–$100k	14.6%
$100k–$150k	11.5%
$150k–$200k	2.3%
$200k+	3.6%
Median income	$47,279

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 21.0%

$50k–$100k 20.2%

$100k–$150k 25.2%

$150k–$200k 13.9%

$200k–$300k 9.8%

$300k–$500k 6.6%

$500k–$1M 1.8%

$1M+ 1.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$117,700
Median rent / month	$757
Owner occupied	65.3%
Renter occupied	34.7%
Vacant	16.8%
Single-family detached	64.0%
Large apartment buildings	1.6%
Mobile homes	19.2%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.48

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	5.5%
2000–2009	16.4%
1990–1999	14.6%
1980–1989	6.7%
1970–1979	25.6%
1960–1969	9.5%
1950–1959	7.1%
1940–1949	3.6%
1939 or earlier	10.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.8%
1 bedroom	4.7%
2 bedrooms	32.1%
3 bedrooms	47.1%
4 bedrooms	13.2%
5+ bedrooms	2.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.3%
1 vehicle	36.4%
2 vehicles	36.4%
3 or more	20.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	24.9%
Electricity	68.5%
Propane / LP gas	1.8%
Fuel oil	1.1%
Wood	3.0%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,088	47.3%
Cohabiting couple	454	7.0%
Male householder, no spouse	1,160	17.8%
Female householder, no spouse	1,826	28.0%
Households with children under 18	2,408	36.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,997	30.6%
Average household size	2.54

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	25.4%	20.6%
Married	51.1%	44.6%
Separated	1.1%	2.2%
Widowed	4.4%	12.4%
Divorced	18.1%	20.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 8.4%

Some HS, no diploma 9.5%

HS graduate 34.2%

Some college, no degree 22.3%

Associate's degree 9.0%

Bachelor's degree 9.7%

Graduate / professional 6.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	82.1%
Bachelor's or higher	16.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	134	3.5%
Kindergarten	157	4.1%
Elementary school	1,989	52.0%
High school	813	21.2%
College / grad school	734	19.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.9%

Retail trade 13.2%

Manufacturing 12.9%

Professional & management 9.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.6%

Construction 7.6%

Finance & real estate 5.4%

Other services 5.2%

Public administration 4.5%

Transportation & utilities 4.3%

Information 2.2%

Agriculture & mining 1.8%

Wholesale trade 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.2%
Service	18.2%
Sales & office	24.6%
Natural resources & construction	9.4%
Production & transportation	16.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.8%
Government	17.4%
Self-employed	3.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.8%
Carpool	10.7%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.3%
Work from home	2.7%
Other means	0.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.3

Poverty

All people 23.2%

Under 18 years 33.1%

18 and over 20.4%

Married-couple families 14.8%

Female-led households 53.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.2%
Retirement income	21.9%
Supplemental Security	10.9%
Cash public assistance	2.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	19.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	42.4%
High blood pressure	45.1%
High cholesterol	39.2%
Diabetes	14.5%
Heart disease	9.6%
Stroke	4.7%
Asthma	12.5%
Arthritis	36.2%
Kidney disease	4.0%
Pulmonary disease	14.0%
Cancer	7.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	27.1%
Binge drinking	13.8%
No physical activity	39.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	41.0%
Depression	26.9%
Fair or poor health	26.3%
Poor mental health	19.4%
Poor physical health	17.8%
No health insurance	12.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.6%
Visited dentist	48.4%
Cholesterol screening	88.9%
Teeth loss	27.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,150	8.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	22.8%
Under 18	2.4%
18–64 years	23.2%
65 and over	49.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	52.0%
Public insurance	55.2%
No insurance	5.9%
Uninsured under 19	3.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	16,343	95.7%
Spanish	110	0.7%
Other Indo-European	29	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	5	0.0%
Other languages	76	0.5%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	16,775	98.2%
Born in same state	16,746	98.0%
Born in different state	13,300	77.9%
Foreign born	29	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	305	1.8%
Not a US citizen	62	20.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	2,903	17%
Italian	2,317	13.6%
French	1,771	10.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	273	1.6%
German	34	0.2%
Dutch	11	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.2%
Internet access	89.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 42501

What city is ZIP code 42501 in?

ZIP code 42501 is primarily assigned to Somerset, Kentucky.

What county is ZIP code 42501 in?

ZIP code 42501 falls within Pulaski County, Kentucky.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 42501?

23% of residents in ZIP code 42501 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 42501 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 42501 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 42501?

The median home value in ZIP code 42501 is $117,700.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 42501?

The median household income in ZIP code 42501 is $47,279, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 42501 in?

ZIP code 42501 observes the EST timezone.