Bowling Green neighborhoods by ZIP code, school zone and home value: downtown, College Hill, Shake Rag, St. Joseph, Delafield, Briarwood, Greenwood.

Last checked Oct. 16, 2026. Sources: the National Park Service’s National Register listings, the City-County Planning Commission (270-842-1953), the City of Bowling Green’s school zone map and neighborhood groups list, the Kentucky School Report Card, the Zillow Home Value Index, the Census Bureau and OpenStreetMap.

Bowling Green covers 41.9 square miles, according to the city’s GIS city limits layer. Its National Register historic districts are clustered around downtown, between Western Kentucky University and the Barren River. I-65 runs along the east and south sides of the city, with exits 22 (U.S. 231, Scottsville Road), 26 (KY 234, Cemetery Road), 28 (KY 446) and 30 (KY 3145). The William H. Natcher Parkway (I-165) runs along the west side.

Three things decide what living somewhere costs and where children go to school:

  • ZIP code. Most homes are in 42101 (roughly downtown and the north and west sides), 42103 (roughly the east side) or 42104 (roughly the south side), according to the Census Bureau’s ZIP code areas.
  • City limits. Inside them you pay city property tax and get city services; outside, you are governed by the Warren County Fiscal Court. See property taxes.
  • School district. School zones do not follow the city limits. Bowling Green Independent Schools serves the older city school district; Warren County Public Schools serves the rest, including parts of the city the city calls the Annex. Our schools guide explains how to tell which you are in.

The city had 73,638 people, a median household income of $48,419 and a median home value of $232,100 (as estimated by owners) in the Census Bureau’s 2019-2023 American Community Survey five-year estimates (QuickFacts). Its median age was 27.9.

The areas at a glance

Area ZIP code Zoned high school Typical home value in its ZIP (Sept. 2026) Guide
Downtown 42101 Bowling Green High $234,091 Downtown
College Hill 42101 Bowling Green High $234,091 College Hill
Upper East Main 42101 Bowling Green High $234,091 Upper East Main
Shake Rag 42101 Bowling Green High $234,091 Shake Rag
St. Joseph 42101 Bowling Green High $234,091 St. Joseph
Delafield 42101 Warren Central High (most); Warren East or Bowling Green High at the edges $234,091 Delafield
Briarwood 42103 Bowling Green High or Greenwood High $359,849 Briarwood
Greenwood and Scottsville Road 42104 and 42103 Greenwood High $320,504 (42104) Greenwood

Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index (Zillow Research) for the whole ZIP code in September 2026: a modeled typical value for the middle third of homes, not a sale price. The figure for the city was $280,339, up 0.1% on the year. Zoned schools are from the city’s school zone map; check every address. More in home prices.

Downtown

The Downtown Commercial District, roughly Adams to State streets and Eighth to 10th avenues, around Fountain Square. A National Register and local historic district, zoned mostly for T.C. Cherry Elementary. Living downtown.

College Hill

The College Hill District, roughly College to Chestnut streets and 11th to 15th avenues, between downtown and WKU. National Register and local historic district; T.C. Cherry Elementary zone. College Hill guide.

Upper East Main

The Upper East Main Street District along East Main Avenue and Elm Street, from Fountain Square toward Reservoir Hill. National Register and local historic district; T.C. Cherry Elementary zone. Upper East Main guide.

Shake Rag

The Shake Rag Historic District on the north end of State Street, listed in 2000 as the city’s first National Register district recognized for African American history. A revitalization priority in the county’s Focus 2030 plan. Shake Rag guide.

St. Joseph

St. Joseph’s District, roughly Gilbert and Potter streets, Church Avenue and Brownslock Road, northwest of downtown. Zoned for Parker-Bennett-Curry. St. Joseph guide.

Delafield

A north-side area OpenStreetMap places near Pearl Street, with an active neighborhood association. It straddles the city limit and three high school zones. Delafield guide.

Briarwood

An east-side area between Fairview Avenue and Cemetery Road, about 1.3 miles from I-65 Exit 26 on the map. Inside the city, but split between Potter Gray Elementary and Warren County’s Briarwood Elementary. Briarwood guide.

Greenwood and Scottsville Road

The homes and apartments around Greenwood Mall and Scottsville Road at I-65 Exit 22, all zoned for Greenwood High and Drakes Creek Middle. Greenwood guide.

Other named places

OpenStreetMap also names Springhill, Eastland Park, Crestmoor, Shawnee Estates, Lost River and Mount Victor inside or next to the city, and the city’s neighborhood groups list has 79 neighborhood associations, homeowners associations and apartment and watch groups. For any of them, look up the address on the school zone map and use the Zillow figure for its ZIP code above. The Magnolia Street, Adams-Kentucky and Modern Automotive districts are smaller National Register districts covered in our history and landmarks guide.

How to check an address

Moving here? Start with moving to Bowling Green, then getting around and parks and trails.

How we built this

We named an area only where a public source places it on a map. Five come from the National Register of Historic Places (National Park Service listings, with the boundaries in each listing), cross-checked against the City-County Planning Commission’s historic districts map, which also shows which are local historic districts. Delafield, Briarwood (Briarwood Manor on the map) and Greenwood are OpenStreetMap place names, matched to groups on the city’s neighborhood list and, for Greenwood, the planning commission’s Scottsville Road Corridor Study. For each area we sampled points on the city’s school zone and city limits layers and the Census Bureau’s ZIP code areas; distances were measured on the OpenStreetMap road network. We do not rank areas.

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. School zone data: City of Bowling Green and Warren County Public Schools, via the city’s ArcGIS map.

Frequently asked questions

What are the neighborhoods in Bowling Green, Kentucky?

The city’s National Register historic districts are downtown, College Hill, Upper East Main, St. Joseph, Shake Rag, Magnolia Street, Adams-Kentucky and the Modern Automotive District. OpenStreetMap also names areas such as Delafield, Briarwood Manor, Greenwood, Springhill and Eastland Park.

What ZIP codes are in Bowling Green, Kentucky?

The city’s homes are mostly in ZIP codes 42101, 42103 and 42104. In September 2026 Zillow’s typical home value was $234,091 in 42101, $359,849 in 42103 and $320,504 in 42104.

Do Bowling Green school zones follow the city limits?

No. Bowling Green Independent Schools covers the older city school district, and Warren County Public Schools covers the rest of the county, including parts of the city. Check an address on the city’s school zone map or with either district.

Which Bowling Green neighborhoods are in Warren County Public Schools?

On the city’s zone maps, the Greenwood and Scottsville Road area, most of Delafield and the east and north sides of the Briarwood area are in Warren County Public Schools, though all three are inside the city limits in whole or in part.