Horse Cave is a city in Hart County, Kentucky, home to about 2,143 people across 3.1 square miles. Its ZIP code is 42749.
Homes sold for a median of $152 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Horse Cave. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Horse Cave’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF)69 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY69 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL335 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Horse Cave; 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.
Horse Cave had 2,212 residents in the 2020 census, down 2% since 2000.
It’s the 161st largest of 553 towns in Kentucky by population.
Hart County grew from 18,390 residents in 1900 to 19,288 in 2020.
Hart County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 90°F in summer, and winter lows average 29°F. About 54.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 6 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Glasgow, KY weather station (13 miles away).
4,073 jobs at 276 businesses in Hart County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
19 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Horse Cave.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 2 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 1 |
| Dentists | 2 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 5 |
| Mental health providers | 1 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 5 |
| Optometrists | 2 |
| Chiropractors | 1 |
| 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.
Museums
Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Hart County, Caverna Independent. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legrande Elementary SchoolHorse Cave | Pre-K–8 | 327 | Public | 4.7 mi |
| Caverna Middle SchoolHorse Cave | 6–8 | 115 | Public | 3.7 mi |
| Caverna High SchoolHorse Cave | 9–12 | 209 | Public | 3.7 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.