Bessemer, AL · standard
ZIP Code 35022
Jefferson County, Alabama - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 18,888
- 111/sq mi
- $81,846
- Median income
- $258,900
- Median home value
- 34.6%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Bessemer pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 36%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 41%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 111
- people per sq mi
- 77%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 35022 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 35022 (Bessemer, AL) rose +4.5% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 185.7 in 2023 to 193.9 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 35022 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Bessemer, Jefferson County, Alabama, home to 18,888 residents across 169.7 square miles, a density of 111 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 35022 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $81,846 (34% above the average Alabama ZIP), while per-capita income is $41,827. The poverty rate is 12.2%, with unemployment at 5.9%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $258,900 (46% above the average Alabama ZIP), while 77.3% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,175.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 34.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.9, and the average commute is 31 minutes. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Jefferson County, so 35022 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 35022
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Bessemer, AL
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 35022.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
69 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
56 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
56 establishments
- Construction
Construction
50 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
47 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 35022, Bessemer, AL · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
18,888
Population
169.7
Area (sq mi)
111
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 35022?
43.9
Median Age
47.3%
Male
52.7%
Female
4.2%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$81,846
Median Household Income
+34% vs state ZIP avg
$41,827
Per Capita Income
12.2%
Poverty Rate
5.9%
Unemployment Rate
31.1 min
Mean Commute Time
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
10,398
Total Housing Units
9,509
Occupied Units
889
Vacant Units
2.40
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$258,900
Median Home Value
+46% vs state ZIP avg
$1,175
Median Rent
1998
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+4.5%
YoY Change (2024)
194
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+94%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 35022 have increased 4.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +94% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.5% | 144 |
| 2021 | +8.4% | 156 |
| 2022 | +10.9% | 173 |
| 2023 | +7.1% | 186 |
| 2024 | +4.5% | 194 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 514 business establishments in ZIP 35022, employing approximately 11,524 people with a combined annual payroll of $622,267,000.
514
Businesses
11,524
Employees
$622.3M
Annual Payroll
15
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 69 | 13.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 56 | 10.9% |
| Accommodation and food services | 56 | 10.9% |
| Construction | 50 | 9.7% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 47 | 9.1% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 40 | 7.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 38 | 7.4% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 36 | 7.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 32 | 6.2% |
| Manufacturing | 24 | 4.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 23 | 4.5% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 18 | 3.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 8 | 1.6% |
| Information | 7 | 1.4% |
| Educational services | 6 | 1.2% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 35022 vs 35020 →
ZIP 35022 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 35244
Birmingham (35244)
32,390 residents
- 35226
Birmingham (35226)
31,471 residents
- 35020
Bessemer (35020)
27,139 residents
- 35211
Birmingham (35211)
26,236 residents
- 35022
Bessemer (35022)
18,888 residents
- 35111
Mc Calla (35111)
16,140 residents
- 35080
Helena (35080)
15,881 residents
- 35228 10,419
Birmingham (35228)
10,419 residents
- 35114 7,172
Alabaster (35114)
7,172 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 35022 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 35022 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 35226
Birmingham (35226)
$124,516 median income
- 35080
Helena (35080)
$118,344 median income
- 35244
Birmingham (35244)
$113,450 median income
- 35114
Alabaster (35114)
$98,355 median income
- 35111
Mc Calla (35111)
$86,463 median income
- 35022
Bessemer (35022)
$81,846 median income
- 35061
Dolomite (35061)
$69,432 median income
- 35228
Birmingham (35228)
$50,815 median income
- 35020 $35,362
Bessemer (35020)
$35,362 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 35022 ranks #6 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35020 | Bessemer, AL | 27,139 | 5.6 mi |
| 35080 | Helena, AL | 15,881 | 5.3 mi |
| 35061 | Dolomite, AL | 1,465 | 10.3 mi |
| 35111 | Mc Calla, AL | 16,140 | 7.9 mi |
| 35244 | Birmingham, AL | 32,390 | 8.4 mi |
| 35228 | Birmingham, AL | 10,419 | 9.6 mi |
| 35114 | Alabaster, AL | 7,172 | 8.7 mi |
| 35221 | Birmingham, AL | 4,834 | 9.6 mi |
| 35226 | Birmingham, AL | 31,471 | 8.8 mi |
| 35211 | Birmingham, AL | 26,236 | 10.4 mi |