ZIP Code 42321 — Beech Creek, KY

About ZIP 42321

ZIP code 42321 serves Beech Creek in Muhlenberg, Kentucky. It centers near 37.1716°, -87.0559° and, by population, qualifies as a very small or essentially rural ZIP. Roughly 415 people are estimated to live within its boundaries based on the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2018–2022).

The median household earns about $66,250 per year here. The typical owner-occupied home is valued near $87,900, and asking rents on the open market sit around — per month. Compared to the rest of Kentucky, that makes 42321 in line with the state average. Looking at the entire state, the average ZIP code reports a median income closer to $38,101 and a median home value of $94,959.

The median resident is around 38.2 years old. Unemployment estimates from the same Census release put the share of unemployed adults around 1.7% of the total population (the labor-force-only rate is higher, since not every resident is counted as "in the labor force").

Cost of living read

If you're considering a move into 42321, the most useful exercise is to compare the housing math against your current ZIP. Here, a typical home runs $87,900 and a typical rental runs — a month. Translate that into your own budget:

• At a 7% 30-year mortgage with 20% down, financing the median home here lands monthly principal & interest near $468 — before property tax, insurance, or HOA dues.
• Renting the median unit at —/mo costs roughly — per year, or about 0.0% of the local median household income.
• For movers from substantially cheaper or more expensive metros, the home-value gap ($7,059 versus the state average of $94,959) is often the single biggest line item to plan for.

Who lives here

The age and education profile of a ZIP tells you a lot about what daily life feels like there. With a median age of 38.2 and a population of 415, ZIP 42321 reads as a settled, working-age and family-heavy area.

Geography & nearby ZIPs

This ZIP centers at 37.1716, -87.0559. The eight closest neighboring ZIP codes are listed below — useful if you're scoping out the surrounding area, comparing schools, or just want a feel for the broader neighborhood than this one boundary captures.

Race & ethnicity (2019–2023 ACS)

The U.S. Census Bureau's 2019–2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates (table B03002) count 578 people in this ZIP Code Tabulation Area — a newer, supplemental release added alongside the core figures above. See the methodology page for why the core figures themselves have not yet been refreshed to this vintage.

Poverty status (2019–2023 ACS)

Of the 578 residents here for whom the Census Bureau determines poverty status (table B17001), 102 (17.6%) were below the poverty line in the past 12 months.

Commuting (2019–2023 ACS)

Among the 160 workers age 16+ here who did not work from home (table B08303), the Census Bureau's own travel-time brackets break down like this:

Housing occupancy (2019–2023 ACS)

Of the 235 housing units counted here (table B25002), 218 (92.8%) were occupied and 17 (7.2%) were vacant.

How to use this profile

Treat ZipLocal Guide as a starting point — never the final word — when you're researching a relocation. The Census ACS data on this page are reliable medians for the ZIP code tabulation area, but they tell you nothing about which side of the freeway you should live on, which streets the local high schoolers actually walk to school, or how the neighborhood has changed since the 2022 estimate window. For those, walk the area, talk to people on the street, and verify your assumptions with a local agent or community group.

If you find this neighborhood interesting, the easiest next step is to view all ZIPs in Beech Creek or browse the rest of Kentucky.