Population & age
- Total population
- 1,735
- Median age
- 43.2
La Center, KY (42056)
Ballard County · Paducah, KY-IL · Population 1,735
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026
La Center, KY (ZIP 42056) sits in Ballard County within the Paducah metro area. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Health-survey coverage is limited for this ZIP. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 2 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $7,314. IRS data shows average household income (AGI) of $62,838, well above the ~$45K national average per return. Local establishments report average pay of $34,740 per worker (Census ZBP) — below the US average. FDIC counts just 2 bank branches in this ZIP (Summary of Deposits, 2024) — residents likely lean on neighboring ZIPs or online banking for most services. FEMA has issued 28 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1973 — a high-frequency exposure profile. County Health Rankings reports 12,006 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. IRS migration data (2022-2023) shows a net gain of 231 residents (110 households) — the ZIP's primary county is growing. Both healthcare access and on-paper school density skew lighter than national norms; what shows up here is a snapshot, not a verdict — neighborhood-level texture matters at this scale. Notable: median household income $55,938, fair market rent of $1,240 for a two-bedroom, and a typical home value of $121,160, down 9.4% over the past year. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
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Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 87.6%
- Black
- 7.3%
- Asian
- 1.0%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 0.0%
- Other / multi-racial
- 4.1%
Income & housing
- Median household income
- $55,938
- Median home value
- $88,400
Education
- Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
- 25.3%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 1.5%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 485(80.8%)
- Renter-occupied
- 115(19.2%)
- Vacant units
- 218
- Built (median)
- 1975
Commute
- Public transit
- 0(0.0%)
- Work from home
- 21(3.2%)
- Avg commute
- 23.8 min
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 160(9.5%)
- Uninsured
- 11(0.6%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 484(80.7%)
- No broadband
- 116(19.3%)
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 10(0.6%)
- Non-English at home
- 257(15.6%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$930
/month
1 Bed
$950
/month
2 Bed
$1,240
/month
3 Bed
$1,490
/month
4 Bed
$1,900
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
Home values
Typical home value
$121,160
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) · as of March 2026
Year-over-year change
-9.4%
vs. March 2025
5-year change
+28.1%
vs. March 2021
Metro area
Paducah, KY-IL
Metropolitan statistical area
Source: Zillow Research, ZHVI All Homes (SFR, Condo/Co-op) Time Series (zillow.com/research/data). Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) is copyrighted by Zillow, Inc.
Income & tax statistics
Tax returns filed
800
Average AGI
$62,838
Avg property tax
$56
EITC participation
17.5%
Income distribution
- $1 – $25,00030.0% · 240
- $25,000 – $50,00023.8% · 190
- $50,000 – $75,00016.3% · 130
- $75,000 – $100,00011.3% · 90
- $100,000 – $200,00016.3% · 130
- $200,000 or more2.5% · 20
Avg mortgage interest
—
Avg charitable contribution
$561
Avg capital gains
$1,088
Avg total income tax
—
Source: IRS Statistics of Income — Individual Income Tax Statistics by ZIP Code (irs.gov). Public domain. Dollar columns reported in thousands by the IRS; figures here display real dollars. Total ZCTA AGI for the area was $50.3M across all reported brackets.
Business & employment
Business establishments
43
Total employment
366
Annual payroll
$12.7M
Average annual pay
$34,740
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Business Patterns (census.gov). Public domain. ZBP covers establishments with paid employees; Census suppresses employment and payroll values when fewer employers operate in a ZIP than would protect their confidentiality.
Employment & wages
Average annual pay
$63,982
Average weekly wage
$1,230
Total employment
2,000
Total establishments
229
That is roughly 2% below the US national average of $65,470 per worker.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (bls.gov/cew). Public domain. QCEW is derived from state unemployment-insurance filings and covers ~95% of US jobs. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches; small-employer cells are suppressed by BLS to protect employer confidentiality.
Unemployment
Unemployment rate
5.4%
That is 1.4 percentage points above the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
3,424
Employed
3,238
Unemployed
186
Based on Ballard County, KY data (2024).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (bls.gov/lau). Public domain. LAUS publishes monthly and annual labor-force estimates for every US county. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches.
Banking access
FDIC-insured bank branches
2
Limited banking access
Only a handful of branches — residents may rely on neighboring ZIPs or online banking for most services.
Total deposits
$86.0M
across all branches in this ZIP
Distinct institutions
2
different banks operating here
Top banks by deposits in this ZIP
- 1.First Community Bank of the Heartland, Inc.$47.1M · 1 branch
- 2.Regions Bank$38.9M · 1 branch
Based on FDIC-insured branch offices as of June 30, 2024.
Source: FDIC Summary of Deposits (fdic.gov). Annual June-30 snapshot of every FDIC-insured branch and the deposits booked there. Figures cover all institutions reporting a branch address in this ZIP.
Federal Disaster Declarations
Federally Declared Disasters
28
Date Range
1973–2026
Most Recent Declaration
SEVERE WINTER STORM
Winter Storm — declared January 24, 2026 (DR-3633)
Incident period: January 23, 2026 – January 27, 2026
Top Incident Types
- Severe Storm14 (50%)
- Flood4 (14%)
- Snowstorm3 (11%)
- Biological2 (7%)
- Severe Ice Storm2 (7%)
- Other3 (11%)
Individual Assistance
4
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
2
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
28
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
15
Funding to reduce future disaster risk
FEMA declares disasters at the county level; counts here include every federally declared disaster touching any county that overlaps this ZIP. Statewide declarations and pre-1964 records without county granularity are excluded. Program flags reflect which FEMA assistance categories were activated (Individual Assistance, Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation). Source: fema.gov/openfema. Public domain.
Climate
30-year averages (1991-2020) from the nearest GHCN-D weather station. Temperature and precipitation values reflect typical annual conditions, not any single year.
Avg. temperature
57.9°F
47.9° – 67.9°
Annual precipitation
49.4"
Annual snowfall
7.2"
Heating · cooling days
4,102 · 1,546
Annual base 65°F
Nearest station: GRAND CHAIN DAM 53, IL US, 7.3 miles from the centroid of La Center, KY (ZIP 42056)
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals (ncei.noaa.gov). Public domain.
Community health profile
Years of potential life lost (per 100K)
12,006
That is roughly 3,806 years per 100,000 above the national county median (~8,200).
Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.
Fair or poor health
23%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
4.8
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
5.5
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
6.5%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
—
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
3,569
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
8.2
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
33%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
52%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 9.3% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Ballard data (2025 CHR release).
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (countyhealthrankings.org). Annual release. Underlying source datasets vary by measure (CDC BRFSS, NCHS Vital Statistics, AHA, USDA Food Environment Atlas, and others). Figures are county-level and assigned to every ZIP whose primary county matches.
Food access
Food access status
Good food access — most residents near a store
0.0% of Ballard County, KY residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
—
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
—
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
1.81
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
—
per 1,000 residents
Per-1,000 figures show how many of each store type exist in Ballard County, KY for every 1,000 residents. Higher grocery and supercenter density usually means easier access to fresh food; higher convenience-store-only density (with low grocery rate) often signals a food swamp.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Environment Atlas (ers.usda.gov). County-level metrics fanned to ZIP via the primary county in the Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Variable years differ per family (stores ~2020, low-access ~2019).
Safety
FBI publishes crime data at the county level. Numbers below cover the primary county that contains this ZIP. Rates are per 100,000 residents in the area covered by reporting agencies.
Violent crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 4 reports
Property crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 56 reports
Homicide
0
Robbery
0
Burglary
19
Vehicle theft
10
County-level data for Ballard (2024)
Source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (cde.ucr.cjis.gov). Public domain. Coverage varies by reporting agency; areas with partial agency coverage may understate true crime totals.
Who’s moving in and out
Net migration (2022-2023)
▲+231 people
+110 households • +$5.2M net AGI flow
Moved in
314households
601 people • $13.4M AGI
Moved out
204households
370 people • $8.2M AGI
Where new residents came from
- McCracken County, KY — 94 households
Where departing residents went
- McCracken County, KY — 90 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $42,675 versus departing households' $40,275.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Migration Data (irs.gov). Public domain. Migration is measured by year-over-year changes in the address on individual tax returns; figures are county-level totals attributed to ZIPs whose primary county matches. Foreign migration contributes to inflow/outflow totals but does not appear in the top-county lists. Small flows are suppressed by IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality.
Taxes & benefits in Kentucky
State-level rules that apply to every resident of ZIP 42056. Numbers reflect the most recent published year per source.
Tax rates
Income tax
Yes
graduated
Sales tax (combined)
6.00%
State 6.00% · avg local 0.00%
Property tax (effective)
0.74%
Median $2,003/year
Tax burden rank
23 of 50
9.80% of personal income
For ZIP 42056: Applied to this ZIP's typical home value of $121,160, that works out to roughly $898/year in property tax.
Paid family leave
Program
Voluntary (private insurance framework)
Voluntary (private insurance framework)
Safety net
SNAP eligibility
200% FPL
Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (raises gross income limit above federal 130% floor). No asset test.
Sources: Tax Foundation (state tax rates & brackets), Bipartisan Policy Center (paid family leave), USDA FNS (SNAP categorical eligibility).
Other ZIPs near 42056
Nearby ZIPs by distance
42022 (Bandana, 3.5 mi) · 42024 (Barlow, 4.1 mi) · 42053 (Bandana, 6 mi) · 42087 (Wickliffe, 9.3 mi) · 62941 (New Grand Chain, 9.5 mi) · 62963 (Mound City, 10.1 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
Data sources used on this page
All data on this page is sourced from federal government datasets · Not AI-generated · Methodology
Health profile
Crude prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES, derived from BRFSS small-area modeling. Population-level figures only.
All Teeth Lost
15.1%
No national benchmark available.
Short Sleep Duration
38.5%
No national benchmark available.
Colorectal Cancer Screening
68.9%
No national benchmark available.
Dental Visit
59.6%
No national benchmark available.
Mammography
73.7%
No national benchmark available.
Colleges & universities nearby
Colleges in this area
2
Median in-state tuition
$7,314
Median earnings (10 yr)
$39,814
- 4-Year
Murray State University
Murray, KY · 42071
- In-state tuition
- $9,900
- Out-of-state tuition
- $19,836
- Acceptance rate
- 85.7%
- Graduation rate
- 60.4%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $44,737
- Median student debt
- $20,500
- 2-Year
West Kentucky Community and Technical College
Paducah, KY · 42001
- In-state tuition
- $4,728
- Out-of-state tuition
- $6,432
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 49.3%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $34,891
- Median student debt
- $8,986
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov). Public domain data. Earnings figures reflect median earnings 10 years after entry for federally-aided students.
What these numbers say together
La Center, KY (ZIP 42056) sits in Ballard County within the Paducah metro area. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Health-survey coverage is limited for this ZIP. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 2 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $7,314. IRS data shows average household income (AGI) of $62,838, well above the ~$45K national average per return. Local establishments report average pay of $34,740 per worker (Census ZBP) — below the US average. FDIC counts just 2 bank branches in this ZIP (Summary of Deposits, 2024) — residents likely lean on neighboring ZIPs or online banking for most services. FEMA has issued 28 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1973 — a high-frequency exposure profile. County Health Rankings reports 12,006 years of potential life lost per 100,000 (2025) — well above the national county median. IRS migration data (2022-2023) shows a net gain of 231 residents (110 households) — the ZIP's primary county is growing. Both healthcare access and on-paper school density skew lighter than national norms; what shows up here is a snapshot, not a verdict — neighborhood-level texture matters at this scale. Notable: median household income $55,938, fair market rent of $1,240 for a two-bedroom, and a typical home value of $121,160, down 9.4% over the past year. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
Both surfaces skew lighter than national averages. That isn’t a verdict — small-area estimates compress real neighborhood-level texture, and a single ZIP reading can miss a district line or a hospital corridor sitting just outside it. Treat this as a starting point for fieldwork, not a conclusion.
Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.
Frequently Asked Questions — ZIP 42056
What is the population of ZIP 42056?
1,735 people live in ZIP 42056, with a median age of 43.2 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the median household income in ZIP 42056?
$55,938 per year (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
Is ZIP 42056 mostly renters or homeowners?
In ZIP 42056, 80.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 19.2% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 42056?
In ZIP 42056, 3.2% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 0.0% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP 42056?
9.5% of the population in ZIP 42056 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What percentage of households in ZIP 42056 have broadband internet?
80.7% of households in ZIP 42056 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the typical home value in ZIP 42056?
The typical home value in ZIP 42056 is $121,160, down 9.4% from a year ago (Zillow Home Value Index, retrieved May 1, 2026).
Are home values rising or falling in ZIP 42056?
Home values are down 9.4% over the past year and up 28.1% over the past five years (Zillow Home Value Index, retrieved May 1, 2026).
What is the average household income in ZIP 42056?
The average Adjusted Gross Income reported on tax returns from ZIP 42056 (La Center, KY) is $62,838 per return (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
How much do homeowners pay in property tax in ZIP 42056?
Tax returns from ZIP 42056 report an average of $56 per return in real-estate tax deductions (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What percentage of residents in ZIP 42056 earn over $200,000?
2.5% of tax returns from ZIP 42056 (La Center, KY) report Adjusted Gross Income of $200,000 or more (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
How many businesses are in ZIP 42056?
As of 2022, 43 business establishments operated in ZIP 42056 employing 366 workers (Census ZIP Business Patterns, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the average salary in ZIP 42056?
The average annual pay across all local establishments in ZIP 42056 is $34,740, based on Census ZIP Business Patterns 2022 data (retrieved May 3, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 42056 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 42056 ranks in the 57th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a high vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 42056?
Housing Type & Transportation is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 42056, ranking in the 85th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 42056 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 28 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 42056 between 1973–2026 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 42056?
Severe Storm is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 42056, accounting for 14 of 28 declarations (50%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 42056?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 42056 was "SEVERE WINTER STORM" — a winter storm declared in 2026 (DR-3633) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What colleges are near ZIP 42056?
2 colleges and universities are listed near ZIP 42056 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including Murray State University and West Kentucky Community And Technical College (retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 42056?
Median in-state tuition across 2 nearby institutions is $7,314 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 42056?
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $39,814 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the climate like in ZIP 42056?
ZIP 42056 has an average annual temperature of 57.9°F and 49.4" of annual precipitation based on the GRAND CHAIN DAM 53, IL US weather station 7.3 miles from the ZIP centroid (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, retrieved May 8, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 42056?
Kentucky has a graduated income tax with a top rate of unspecified. Combined sales tax: 6.00% (Tax Foundation 2025).
Does Kentucky have paid family leave?
Kentucky runs an active paid family leave program offering up to — weeks of paid leave per year (Bipartisan Policy Center 2026).
What data is available for ZIP 42056?
This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (5 metrics), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), home values from the Zillow Home Value Index, colleges from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2 institutions), income & tax statistics from the IRS SOI (Tax Year 2022), local business & employment from Census ZIP Business Patterns (2022), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (28 on record), climate normals from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020), county-level crime data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024), and state-level tax rates from the Tax Foundation. Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.
How current is this data?
Health data retrieved Apr 24, 2026 from CDC PLACES. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). Home values retrieved May 1, 2026 from Zillow Research. College data retrieved May 2, 2026 from U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard. Income & tax statistics retrieved May 2, 2026 from IRS SOI (Tax Year 2022). Business & employment retrieved May 3, 2026 from Census ZBP (2022). Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (28 on record). Climate normals retrieved May 8, 2026 from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020). County-level crime data retrieved May 4, 2026 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024). State-level tax rates retrieved 2026-05-05 15:58:22.284+00 from the Tax Foundation.
Other ZIPs near 42056
Nearby ZIPs by distance
42022 (Bandana, 3.5 mi) · 42024 (Barlow, 4.1 mi) · 42053 (Bandana, 6 mi) · 42087 (Wickliffe, 9.3 mi) · 62941 (New Grand Chain, 9.5 mi) · 62963 (Mound City, 10.1 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
More Info topics
Have a specific question about ZIP 42056?
Ask Mubboo — launching Q4 2026.
Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 24, 2026.
Social Vulnerability Index
Overall SVI
57th percentile
High Vulnerability
Based on 3 census tracts, population 1,879
Vulnerability Themes
Households Without Vehicle
47
Persons with Disability
288
Without HS Diploma
106
Without Health Insurance
70
Adults Age 65+
410
The Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to identify communities most at risk during public health emergencies and natural disasters. Higher percentiles indicate greater vulnerability. Tract-level scores are aggregated to this ZCTA via Census 2020 ZCTA→Tract crosswalk, weighted by land-area share. Source: atsdr.cdc.gov. Public domain.