Barlow is a city in Ballard County, Kentucky, home to about 564 people across 0.6 square miles. Its ZIP code is 42024.
Homes sold for a median of $94 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Barlow. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Barlow’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL)138 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Barkley Regional Airport (PAH)15 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | St. Louis, MO128 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL338 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Barlow; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Barlow had 653 residents in the 2020 census, down 9% since 2000.
It’s the 336th largest of 553 towns in Kentucky by population.
Ballard County grew from 10,761 residents in 1900 to 7,728 in 2020.
Ballard County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 89°F in summer, and winter lows average 26°F. About 51.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Cairo 3n, IL weather station (8 miles away).
1,617 jobs at 155 businesses in Ballard County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
8 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Barlow.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 1 |
|---|---|
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 5 |
| Mental health providers | 2 |
| Pharmacies | 1 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Public schools here are run by Ballard County. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballard Co. Preschool/Headstart CenterBarlow | Pre-K | 93 | Public | 3.0 mi |
| Ballard County Elementary SchoolBarlow | K–5 | 444 | Public | 3.0 mi |
| Ballard County Middle SchoolBarlow | 6–8 | 202 | Public | 3.2 mi |
| Ballard County Career and Technology CtrBarlow | 9–12 | — | Career and Technical | 3.3 mi |
| Ballard Memorial High SchoolBarlow | 9–12 | 276 | Public | 3.2 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.