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ZIP Code45238

Cincinnati, OH

Hamilton County · Ohio · United States
Home to 48,936 people across 10.295 square miles.

Eastern78 ZIPs in county

At a glance

45238 by the numbers

Every figure below comes from the 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, the Census Gazetteer, or is computed from those. Margins of error are shown where they matter.

Population
49k
±2,118 · top 5% nationally
Median household income
$64,672
US median $70,109 · 41th pctile
Median home value
$168,800
US median $207,500 · 37th pctile
Median age
35.1
US median 42 years
Population density
4,753/mi²
top 10% most dense
Land area
10.295 mi²
negligible water area

Location

Where 45238 is

39.109225, -84.608841 · Census ZCTA internal pointOpen larger map →
Coordinates39.109225, -84.608841
Time zoneAmerica/New_York
CountyHamilton County
StateOhio (OH)
Land area10.295 mi²
Coordinate sourceCensus ZCTA internal point

Local time

America/New_York

—:—:—

Current weather

Live from the National Weather Service

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Distance to major cities

Straight-line, computed from coordinates

Chicago, IL248.6 mi
Atlanta, GA370.6 mi
Philadelphia, PA506.4 mi
New York, NY572.4 mi

People

Who lives in 45238

48,936 residents in 20,685 households, averaging 2.37 people per household. The largest age group is under 18 at 26.5% of residents.

Age distribution

Share of residents by age band

Under 1826.5%
18-247.7%
25-3415.7%
35-4413.5%
45-5410.7%
55-6411.7%
65+14.2%

Households

Composition and size

Total households20,685
Average household size2.37
Family households59.1%
Living alone33.8%
Median age35.1 years
Households with internet90.1%

Race & ethnicity

Census race categories. Hispanic or Latino origin is asked separately and overlaps these groups.

White65.1%
Black27.5%
Asian0.7%
Native American0.0%
Other1.0%
Two or more5.6%
Hispanic / Latino2.6%

Income & work

What people earn in 45238

The median household here earns $64,672 a year, below the US median of $70,109, which puts 45238 ahead of 41% of American ZIP codes. 12.7% of residents live below the poverty line.

Compared to the US

This ZIP against the national median

Median household income$64,672
LowestHighest
Higher than 41% of all US ZIP codes.
Median household income$64,672 ±$4,403
Per capita income$34,385
Poverty rate12.7%
Unemployment rate3.7%
Labor force participation69.2%

Household income distribution

Share of households in each bracket

<$25k14.5%
$25-50k25.7%
$50-75k17.2%
$75-100k15.3%
$100-150k14.6%
$150-200k7.2%
$200k+5.5%

Educational attainment among residents 25 and older: 26.7% hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 90.9% finished high school.

Housing

Homes and rent in 45238

A typical home is valued at $168,800, and median rent runs $913 a month. Ownership is close to even at 57.2% owned, and the typical building went up in 1964.

Costs

Typical values

Median home value$168,800
Median gross rent$913/mo
Median year built1964
Housing units21,834
Vacancy rate5.3%

Own vs. rent

Of 20,685 occupied units

Owner-occupied57.2%
Renter-occupied42.8%
Owner households11,832
Renter households8,853

Building types

Units by structure size

Single family63.3%
2-4 units11.6%
5-19 units18.9%
20+ units6.1%
Mobile / other0.1%

Getting to work

How 45238 commutes

73.7% of workers drove alone, and the average one-way trip takes 28.5 minutes.

Mode of transport

Workers 16 and older

Drove alone73.7%
Carpooled11.2%
Public transit3.6%
Walked1.5%
Worked from home8.3%

Travel time

Mean commute 28.5 minutes

<10 min9.1%
10-1921.3%
20-2929.3%
30-4428.6%
45-596.6%
60+5.0%

Overview

Understanding ZIP code 45238

ZIP code 45238 is assigned to Cincinnati, OH, and falls within Hamilton County. Like every US postal code, it began as a mail-routing device rather than a geographic boundary — the US Postal Service groups delivery routes under a single code so carriers and sorting equipment can process mail efficiently. Today it also serves as a practical shorthand for the area itself: roughly 48,936 people live inside it.

At 4,753 residents per square mile spread over 10.295 square miles, 45238 reads as a densely built-up area. It is a populous postal code, and density shapes almost everything else on this page — how people get to work, whether they own or rent, and what housing costs.

Household earnings track close to the national picture. The median of $64,672 puts 45238 near the middle of the pack, ahead of 41% of them. The US median for comparison is $70,109. Bear in mind that median income describes the midpoint household, not the average — it is not pulled upward by a handful of very high earners the way a mean would be.

Living here

What life in Cincinnati looks like

Housing in 45238 costs below the national median. A typical home is valued at $168,800 against a US median of $207,500, and median gross rent runs $913 a month. The split between owning and renting is fairly even at 57.2% owner-occupied, which tends to indicate a mix of housing types rather than one dominant form.

The building stock is dominated by detached single-family houses, which account for 63.3% of housing units here. The median construction year is 1964, making the housing here mid-century.

The population skews younger than the country as a whole, with a median age of 35.1 against 42 nationally. The average household holds 2.37 people, and 59.1% are family households.

Getting to work takes 28.5 minutes on average one way. The dominant mode is drove alone at 73.7% of workers.

Where to stay

Where to stay in Cincinnati, OH

Cincinnati is a built-up area, so you will generally find a mix of chain hotels near the main approach roads and a smaller number of independent properties closer to the centre. Staying in 45238 itself often costs less than an equivalent room in the nearest downtown while keeping you close to it.

Median rent in 45238 is $913 a month, which sits in the middle of the national range; accommodation pricing locally tends to be similarly mid-market. For reference, Chicago, IL is about 248.6 miles away in a straight line, which is worth factoring in if you are comparing a stay here against one closer to the city centre.

Availability and pricing change constantly, so the live search below will give you a more accurate picture than any figure we could publish here. It opens results for this area on Booking.com.

Book a Hotel →

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Practical uses

What ZIP code 45238 is used for

Beyond addressing mail, 45238 does a lot of quiet administrative work. Retailers use it to calculate shipping and sales tax at checkout. Insurers use it to set premiums, since risk profiles vary geographically. Employers and marketers use it to define service areas. Government agencies use it to route benefits and organise reporting. If you have ever been asked for a postal code by a form that clearly does not intend to send you anything, this is why.

For anyone weighing a move, 45238 offers a compact profile of Cincinnati: 48,936 residents, a median household income of $64,672, 26.7% of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher, and an unemployment rate of 3.7%. A handful of figures like these answer more relocation questions than most neighbourhood guides do.

One caution worth repeating: a postal code is not a neighbourhood. 45238 may cover parts of several distinct areas, and a single neighbourhood in Cincinnati may be split across more than one code. Boundaries also shift as USPS adjusts delivery routes. Treat the figures here as describing a delivery area, which is what they actually measure.

Nearby

ZIP codes near 45238

The eight closest postal codes by centroid distance, each with its own full profile. You can also browse every Ohio ZIP code or use the ZIP Express Lookup to search by city, county or time zone.

Other ZIP codes in Cincinnati

Cincinnati is served by 71 postal codes.

More in Hamilton County

Look up another

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Questions

Common questions about 45238

What city is ZIP code 45238 in?
45238 serves Cincinnati, Ohio, in Hamilton County, United States.
What is the population of 45238?
About 48,936 people live in ZIP code 45238, according to the US Census Bureau's 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. The margin of error on that figure is ±2,118. That works out to roughly 4,753 people per square mile.
What is the average income in 45238?
The median household income in 45238 is $64,672 per year, compared with a US median of $70,109. Per capita income is $34,385. Median income is more representative than an average because it isn't skewed by a small number of very high earners.
How expensive is housing in 45238?
The median home value is $168,800 and median gross rent is $913 a month. 57.2% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Is 45238 a good place to live?
That depends on what you're looking for, but here are the facts: 26.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the unemployment rate is 3.7%, and the median age is 35.1. The average commute is 28.5 minutes. We publish the numbers and let you weigh them.
What time zone is 45238 in?
45238 observes Eastern Time (America/New_York). This zone observes daylight saving time.
How big is ZIP code 45238?
ZIP code 45238 covers 10.295 square miles of land, per the US Census Bureau's 2023 Gazetteer files.
Is 45238 urban, suburban or rural?
By population density, 45238 reads as a densely built-up area. It holds 4,753 people per square mile across 10.295 square miles of land. For reference, densities above 10,000 per square mile generally indicate an urban core, 1,000–3,000 is typically suburban, and under 200 is rural. These are rules of thumb rather than official designations — the Census Bureau classifies urban and rural areas by census block, not by ZIP code.
How much is rent in 45238?
Median gross rent in 45238 is $913 a month, according to the American Community Survey. Gross rent includes contract rent plus the estimated cost of utilities and fuels, so it is closer to what a tenant actually pays than a headline rent figure. Of 20,685 occupied homes here, 8,853 are rented.
What is the commute like from 45238?
The average one-way commute from 45238 takes about 28.5 minutes. The most common way to travel is drove alone, used by 73.7% of workers aged 16 and over. Commute figures cover people who were employed and working outside the home during the survey period.
How many people work in 45238?
About 25,147 residents of 45238 are employed. Labor force participation stands at 69.2% and the unemployment rate is 3.7%. Note this counts residents by where they live, not by where they work — a ZIP with many offices can have far more jobs than employed residents.
Where should I stay when visiting 45238?
Accommodation in and around Cincinnati, OH ranges with the character of the area. See the 'Where to stay' section on this page for local context, and use the live search there for current availability and pricing.
Does 45238 cover more than one city or county?
This page lists Cincinnati as the primary place and Hamilton County as the county. ZIP codes follow mail delivery routes rather than municipal or county lines, so a single code can straddle boundaries, and USPS also recognises alternate acceptable city names for many codes. If you need the definitive answer for a specific street address, the USPS ZIP Code Lookup is the authority.
Can ZIP code 45238 change?
Yes. USPS adjusts ZIP codes as delivery volumes shift — codes are occasionally split, merged, retired or newly created, and boundaries move more often than most people assume. The Census Bureau's ZCTA definitions, which underpin the demographic figures on this page, are redrawn only once a decade, so the two can drift apart between censuses.

Methodology

Where this data comes from

  • Postal geography — GeoNames open postal code database (CC BY 4.0), cross-checked against the US Census Gazetteer.
  • Demographics, income, housing, commute — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-Year Estimates, ZIP Code Tabulation Area 45238. Tables B01001, B01002, B01003, B02001, B03003, B08301, B08303, B11001, B15003, B17001, B19001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25024, B25035, B25064, B25077, B28002.
  • Land and water area — US Census Bureau 2023 Gazetteer Files.
  • Weather — NOAA National Weather Service, fetched live in your browser.
  • Map — OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
On accuracy. ACS figures are survey estimates, not counts. The margin of error shown alongside the population figure means the true value has a 90% chance of falling in that range. For small ZIP codes the error can be large relative to the estimate — treat the direction as more reliable than the exact number. This page reports data for ZCTA 45238, the Census approximation of the USPS delivery area.