Gardendale, AL · standard
ZIP Code 35071
Jefferson County, Alabama - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 15,661
- 106/sq mi
- $82,074
- Median income
- $261,600
- Median home value
- 29.4%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Gardendale pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 35%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 40%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 106
- people per sq mi
- 78%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 35071 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 35071 (Gardendale, AL) rose +7.0% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 177.7 in 2023 to 190.1 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 35071 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Gardendale, Jefferson County, Alabama, home to 15,661 residents across 147.7 square miles, a density of 106 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 35071 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $82,074 (35% above the average Alabama ZIP), while per-capita income is $43,223. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 3.5% and unemployment is 3.4%. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $261,600 (48% above the average Alabama ZIP), while 77.5% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,264.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 29.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.5, and the average commute is 25 minutes. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Jefferson County, so 35071 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 35071
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Gardendale, AL
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 35071.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
79 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
66 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
50 establishments
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
47 establishments
- Construction
Construction
45 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 35071, Gardendale, 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
15,661
Population
147.7
Area (sq mi)
106
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 35071?
39.5
Median Age
45.3%
Male
54.7%
Female
1.1%
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?
$82,074
Median Household Income
+35% vs state ZIP avg
$43,223
Per Capita Income
3.5%
Poverty Rate
3.4%
Unemployment Rate
25.4 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?
7,280
Total Housing Units
6,865
Occupied Units
415
Vacant Units
2.50
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$261,600
Median Home Value
+48% vs state ZIP avg
$1,264
Median Rent
1986
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
+7.0%
YoY Change (2024)
190
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+90%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 35071 have increased 7.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +90% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.7% | 137 |
| 2021 | +10.2% | 150 |
| 2022 | +16.7% | 176 |
| 2023 | +1.2% | 178 |
| 2024 | +7.0% | 190 |
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 433 business establishments in ZIP 35071, employing approximately 5,300 people with a combined annual payroll of $206,063,000.
433
Businesses
5,300
Employees
$206.1M
Annual Payroll
15
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 79 | 18.2% |
| Retail trade | 66 | 15.2% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 50 | 11.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 47 | 10.8% |
| Construction | 45 | 10.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 44 | 10.2% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 28 | 6.5% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 20 | 4.6% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 14 | 3.2% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 10 | 2.3% |
| Information | 9 | 2.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 5 | 1.1% |
| Manufacturing | 4 | 0.9% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 4 | 0.9% |
| Utilities | 3 | 0.7% |
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 35071 vs 35117 →
ZIP 35071 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 35214
Birmingham (35214)
19,592 residents
- 35071
Gardendale (35071)
15,661 residents
- 35180
Warrior (35180)
13,794 residents
- 35207
Birmingham (35207)
9,010 residents
- 35068 7,232
Fultondale (35068)
7,232 residents
- 35117 5,367
Mount Olive (35117)
5,367 residents
- 35116 4,240
Morris (35116)
4,240 residents
- 35091 2,719
Kimberly (35091)
2,719 residents
- 35036 297
Brookside (35036)
297 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 35071 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 35071 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 35091
Kimberly (35091)
$100,375 median income
- 35117
Mount Olive (35117)
$92,730 median income
- 35116
Morris (35116)
$88,274 median income
- 35071
Gardendale (35071)
$82,074 median income
- 35180
Warrior (35180)
$74,832 median income
- 35068
Fultondale (35068)
$73,750 median income
- 35214
Birmingham (35214)
$56,383 median income
- 35207 $31,486
Birmingham (35207)
$31,486 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 35071 ranks #4 of 8 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35117 | Mount Olive, AL | 5,367 | 3.8 mi |
| 35116 | Morris, AL | 4,240 | 4.8 mi |
| 35068 | Fultondale, AL | 7,232 | 6.8 mi |
| 35091 | Kimberly, AL | 2,719 | 6.0 mi |
| 35180 | Warrior, AL | 13,794 | 8.4 mi |
| 35119 | New Castle, AL | 116 | 5.9 mi |
| 35139 | Sayre, AL | 150 | 7.3 mi |
| 35036 | Brookside, AL | 297 | 6.1 mi |
| 35207 | Birmingham, AL | 9,010 | 9.7 mi |
| 35214 | Birmingham, AL | 19,592 | 9.3 mi |