A system and method for managing data compaction in zones in memory devices. An example method includes, responsive to determining that a capacity counter associated with a first portion of a memory device satisfies a threshold criterion, causing the memory device to copy, from a first management unit of the memory device to a second management unit of the memory device, first data associated with the first portion. The first management unit comprises a first subset of memory pages configured to store a first number of bits per memory cell and the second management unit comprises a second subset of memory pages configured to store a second number of bits per memory cell. The memory device is then caused to copy, from the first management unit to a third management unit of the memory device, second data associated with a second portion of the memory device.