Stearns is a community in McCreary County, Kentucky, home to about 1,271 people across 4.0 square miles. Its ZIP code is 42647, and parts of 42638 and 42649 are in Stearns too.
Homes sold for a median of $159 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Mostly Stearns; also Pine Knot
Part is in Stearns
Part is in Stearns, part in Pine Knot
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Stearns. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Stearns’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
Are you a local agent who knows Stearns well? Agents who advertise here will be able to write the guide. Advertise on OfferBacked
| Nearest major airport | McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS)68 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Lexington-Fayette, KY93 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL393 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Stearns; 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.
Stearns had 1,365 residents in the 2020 census, down 14% since 2000.
It’s the 218th largest of 553 towns in Kentucky by population.
McCreary County grew from 11,676 residents in 1920 to 16,888 in 2020.
McCreary County, 1920–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 85°F in summer, and winter lows average 24°F. About 56.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Stearns 2s, KY weather station (2 miles away).
1,522 jobs at 157 businesses in McCreary County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
16 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Stearns.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 14 |
|---|---|
| Mental health providers | 2 |
| Pharmacies | 2 |
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.
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Libraries
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 McCreary County. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McCreary County Middle SchoolStearns | 6–8 | 633 | Public | 2.4 mi |
| McCreary Central High SchoolStearns | 9–12 | 711 | Public | 2.4 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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Shares ZIP codes with Pine Knot.
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.