42086 ZIP Code — West Paducah, KY

Mccracken County, Kentucky

ZIP code 42086 is located in West Paducah, Kentucky, within Mccracken County. It covers approximately 31.26 square miles and serves a population of 4,275 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 270/364.

About ZIP code 42086

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 $168,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($79,053) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 35% 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 17 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 23% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 42086 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

4,275

population

31.26

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

42086 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 42086

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 42086. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
West Paducah	Acceptable
West Paducah	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

42001 Paducah (6 mi) 42053 Kevil (8.7 mi) 62960 Metropolis (10 mi) 42056 La Center (11.1 mi) 62910 Brookport (11.5 mi) 42003 Paducah (12.8 mi) 42069 Melber (13.5 mi) 42087 Wickliffe (13.5 mi) 62941 Grand Chain (13.9 mi) 42035 Cunningham (14.6 mi) 62956 Karnak (14.7 mi) 62908 Belknap (15.4 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	4,275
Population density	137 / sq mi
State FIPS	21
County FIPS	145

Geography
Land area	31.26 sq mi
Water area	0.36 sq mi
Latitude	37.1029
Longitude	-88.7866
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	270/364

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	43.0%	52.0%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	27.1%	27.5%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	29.2%	16.7%	17.6%
Over $200k	0.7%	3.8%	4.2%

Demographics & statistics

4,275

Population

137

People per sq mi

42.3

Median age

$79,053

Median household income

$40,126

Per capita income

$168,600

Median home value

$912

Median monthly rent

85.1%

Home ownership

8.5%

Poverty rate

1.0%

Unemployment

1,515

Housing units

23.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

183

5–9

180

191

10–14

189

120

15–19

119

20–24

270

25–34

266

209

35–44

207

269

45–54

265

221

55–59

219

161

60–64

159

207

65–74

205

100

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,130	26.4%
18 and over	3,145	73.6%
65 and over	682	16.0%
Median age	42.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 84.4%

Two or more races 7%

Hispanic or Latino 5.7%

Black or African American 2.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%

Other race 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	3,827	84.4%
Two or more races	317	7%
Hispanic or Latino	259	5.7%
Black or African American	100	2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	18	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	8	0.2%
Other race	5	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	43.0%	52.0%	47.9%
$50k – $100k	27.1%	27.5%	30.3%
$100k – $200k	29.2%	16.7%	17.6%
Over $200k	0.7%	3.8%	4.2%

Under $10k 1.2%

$10k–$15k 4.3%

$15k–$25k 11.3%

$25k–$35k 4.5%

$35k–$50k 7.8%

$50k–$75k 17.6%

$75k–$100k 14.1%

$100k–$150k 22.1%

$150k–$200k 9.8%

$200k+ 7.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.2%
$10k–$15k	4.3%
$15k–$25k	11.3%
$25k–$35k	4.5%
$35k–$50k	7.8%
$50k–$75k	17.6%
$75k–$100k	14.1%
$100k–$150k	22.1%
$150k–$200k	9.8%
$200k+	7.1%
Median income	$79,053

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 17.5%

$50k–$100k 14.5%

$100k–$150k 11.2%

$150k–$200k 19.5%

$200k–$300k 19.2%

$300k–$500k 15.7%

$500k–$1M 2.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$168,600
Median rent / month	$912
Owner occupied	85.1%
Renter occupied	14.9%
Vacant	12.6%
Single-family detached	74.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	23.7%
Median rooms	6.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.83

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	14.1%
2000–2009	17.0%
1990–1999	14.5%
1980–1989	16.0%
1970–1979	23.8%
1960–1969	1.4%
1950–1959	4.7%
1940–1949	2.9%
1939 or earlier	5.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	1.4%
2 bedrooms	15.7%
3 bedrooms	61.7%
4 bedrooms	18.3%
5+ bedrooms	2.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.2%
1 vehicle	17.8%
2 vehicles	42.1%
3 or more	38.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	35.4%
Electricity	46.4%
Propane / LP gas	15.8%
No fuel used	2.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,011	66.5%
Cohabiting couple	65	4.3%
Male householder, no spouse	184	12.1%
Female householder, no spouse	261	17.2%
Households with children under 18	509	33.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	418	27.5%
Average household size	2.81

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	21.9%	25.6%
Married	65.7%	61.9%
Separated	0.5%	0.0%
Widowed	2.8%	5.5%
Divorced	9.1%	7.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.1%

Some HS, no diploma 4.0%

HS graduate 28.1%

Some college, no degree 27.0%

Associate's degree 15.3%

Bachelor's degree 15.6%

Graduate / professional 7.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.9%
Bachelor's or higher	23.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	126	10.8%
Kindergarten	24	2.1%
Elementary school	577	49.4%
High school	294	25.2%
College / grad school	147	12.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.0%

Construction 10.9%

Retail trade 10.8%

Professional & management 10.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.8%

Manufacturing 8.4%

Other services 8.4%

Transportation & utilities 7.8%

Finance & real estate 3.7%

Information 2.7%

Public administration 2.6%

Wholesale trade 2.4%

Agriculture & mining 1.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	26.6%
Service	20.8%
Sales & office	23.7%
Natural resources & construction	13.8%
Production & transportation	15.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.9%
Government	10.7%
Self-employed	5.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	85.8%
Carpool	3.2%
Public transit	2.1%
Walk	0.9%
Work from home	6.6%
Other means	1.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.2

Poverty

All people 8.5%

Under 18 years 12.6%

18 and over 7.0%

Married-couple families 4.2%

Female-led households 52.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	35.2%
Retirement income	21.8%
Supplemental Security	5.6%
Cash public assistance	3.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	13.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.5%
High blood pressure	39.8%
High cholesterol	34.5%
Diabetes	11.1%
Heart disease	6.9%
Stroke	3.1%
Asthma	10.6%
Arthritis	30.4%
Kidney disease	2.9%
Pulmonary disease	9.0%
Cancer	6.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.8%
Binge drinking	15.4%
No physical activity	27.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.3%
Depression	24.8%
Fair or poor health	17.2%
Poor mental health	16.8%
Poor physical health	12.5%
No health insurance	8.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.9%
Visited dentist	59.9%
Cholesterol screening	91.6%
Teeth loss	14.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	106	3.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.2%
Under 18	0.8%
18–64 years	8.0%
65 and over	33.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	66.6%
Public insurance	38.5%
No insurance	11.5%
Uninsured under 19	12.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,078	95.4%
Spanish	16	0.4%
Other Indo-European	12	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	4	0.1%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	4,187	97.9%
Born in same state	4,159	97.3%
Born in different state	2,968	69.4%
Foreign born	28	0.7%
Naturalized citizen	88	2.1%
Not a US citizen	36	40.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,237	28.9%
Italian	304	7.1%
Arab	280	6.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	17	0.4%
English	16	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	35.6%
Internet access	92.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 42086

What city is ZIP code 42086 in?

ZIP code 42086 is primarily assigned to West Paducah, Kentucky.

What county is ZIP code 42086 in?

ZIP code 42086 falls within Mccracken County, Kentucky.

Is ZIP code 42086 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 42086 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 42086 have a large retiree population?

35% of households in ZIP code 42086 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 42086?

The median home value in ZIP code 42086 is $168,600.

What is the population of ZIP code 42086?

ZIP code 42086 has an estimated population of 4,275 residents, with a density of 137 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 42086 in?

ZIP code 42086 observes the CST timezone.