ZIP Code 42728 — Columbia city, KY Demographics & Data

ZIP code 42728 covers Columbia, KY in Adair County with a population of about 16,108.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 40.2 (near the U.S. median).

It sits in telephone area codes 270, 364; U.S. House district KY-1; the LOUISVILLE media market.

Columbia, KY sits in a university / college context (near lindsey wilson college (1.2 mi)). Expect stronger interest in student housing, rentals, walkability, transit, and a younger adult age mix versus typical suburban ZIPs.

Median household income in ZIP 42728 is about $49,063 — about 35% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 17.1%; unemployment rate near 7.8%; 20.0% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 13.7 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Retail trade, Manufacturing, and Healthcare; about 10.6% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 4.6 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $134,100 — about 61% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $541 (about 53% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 74.5% (about 9.1 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 42728 in Columbia, KY, a household would need roughly $37,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $861. That sits below the local median household income ($49,063), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Columbia city, KY as Very Low (composite score 39.4), which is relatively lower than many U.S. communities. The strongest component scores on US5 are hurricane (48.3) and flood (44.5). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Columbia city, KY show little to no average snow and around 57.0 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 601 for ZIP 42728 (Columbia city, KY) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.