State profile · AL
Alabama ZIP Codes
Demographics, income, and housing across every ZIP code in Alabama, benchmarked against all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico.
- 642
- ZIP codes
- 4,779,588
- Population
- $60,929
- Avg ZIP income
- 67
- Counties
The verdict
Texas leads ZIP coverage at 1,935 ZCTAs (#1 of 52). That is not the income board: New Jersey's unweighted average ZIP household income is $121,992 (#1 of 52) on 595 ZCTAs. Alabama sits #21 of 52 by ZIP count at income #45.
- Texas
- ZIP-count #1 (1,935)
- New Jersey
- income #1 ($121,992)
- #21
- of 52 by ZIP count
- #45
- of 52 by avg income
ZIP-count and income are separate boards among 52 reporting states and territories. Income is the unweighted mean of each ZIP's ACS 2019–2023 median household income, so a rural code counts the same as a dense metro.
Mid-to-lower income footing ($60,929) on a substantial ZIP map (642 codes · population 4,779,588). Home values average $177,127. Cost-of-living questions belong at county and ZIP scale here: the state average mixes unlike labor markets. Start from the most populous counties, then drop to a thin-edge ZIP to see whether the mean is a real center or a blend.
Population is dispersed across many cities (largest share ~10% in Birmingham). No single metro owns the narrative: scan the largest-cities chart for several peers, then pick counties from different regions before drilling to ZIP detail. Unweighted ZIP averages are especially noisy on this dispersed map.
A mid-breadth ZIP set is small enough that city pages and the top-12 ZIP RankBars cover most contrast. Use county drill-downs when two metros sit in different economic zones; otherwise jump straight from this profile to a ZIP compare.
Largest cities in Alabama
Top 10 cities by population in Alabama
Total resident population aggregated from every ZIP code the Census assigns to each city.
- Birmingham
Birmingham, AL
493,806 residents
- Mobile
Mobile, AL
270,712 residents
- Montgomery
Montgomery, AL
214,703 residents
- Huntsville 190,178
Huntsville, AL
190,178 residents
- Tuscaloosa 112,654
Tuscaloosa, AL
112,654 residents
- Dothan 80,446
Dothan, AL
80,446 residents
- Bessemer 71,463
Bessemer, AL
71,463 residents
- Gadsden 67,082
Gadsden, AL
67,082 residents
- Decatur 64,979
Decatur, AL
64,979 residents
- Madison 63,731
Madison, AL
63,731 residents
What this shows No single metro owns Alabama: the top-10 cities share the map, and most of the 525 places are far smaller – use several peers before drilling to ZIP detail.
Counties in Alabama
Which cities have the most ZIPs in Alabama?
Side-by-side: Compare 36117 vs 35242 →
ZIP Codes in Alabama
More AL ZIP codes
Official Data Resources for Alabama
Cost-of-living reads should start with Census ACS household fields, then FBI UCR county context when safety inputs sit next to income in Alabama.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I navigate Alabama's mid-breadth ZIP map?
With 642 ZIPs across 67 counties (population 4,779,588), city pages plus the top ZIP RankBars cover most contrast. Jump to a two-ZIP compare when two metros sit in different labor markets rather than scrolling the full list.
Why is Alabama's average ZIP income a weak relocation signal by itself?
At $60,929, the state mean blends unlike county labor markets (homes average $177,127). Cost-of-living questions belong at county and ZIP scale: start from the most populous counties, then drop to a thin-edge ZIP to see whether the mean is a real center or a blend.
Why doesn't one city define Alabama?
Population is dispersed (largest share ~10% in Birmingham). Scan several peers on the largest-cities chart, then pick counties from different regions before drilling to ZIP detail – unweighted ZIP averages are especially noisy on a dispersed map.
Take this with you
What to do with Alabama's numbers, next.
- See how Alabama compares to a neighboring state on the same Census fields Compare states
- Check where Alabama's ZIP codes rank nationally on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save a ZIP code to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
Figures describe 2019–2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates aggregated from ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs), Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes, not any single address.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023); USPS ZIP Code Tabulation Areas via the HUD USPS Crosswalk.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.