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Residential delivery area · Alabama

ZIP Code 35242: Birmingham, AL

ZIP code 35242 uses the postal name Birmingham, Alabama and lies mostly in Shelby County (80% of its land) with the rest in Jefferson County (Census 2020 ZIP-county file). About 57,000 people live there (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024), the most populous of Birmingham's 31 residential ZIP codes. Median household income is $117,047 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). By Census place, its land lies in Hoover (18%), Birmingham (13%), Vestavia Hills (10%), Shoal Creek (9%), Meadowbrook (8%), Highland Lakes (7%), Brook Highland (5%) and Eagle Point (4%), and 4% in smaller places; 21% is outside any Census place.

  • ACS2020-24
  • Census2020
  • FHFA2025
  • ZBP2023
  • IRS2022
3national area: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Armed Forces Americas
352sectional center: Birmingham, AL (SCF 350)
42delivery area within it
Town
Birmingham · 31 residential ZIPs
County
Shelby County (80%); Jefferson County (20%)
Census places
Hoover (18%); Birmingham (13%); Vestavia Hills (10%); Shoal Creek (9%) census-designated place
Neighborhood
Inverness GeoNames
Metro area
Birmingham, AL
House district
AL-6 119th Congress
State
Alabama
Time zone
Central
Land area
52.4 sq mi · 1,096 people per sq mi
PO Box ZIPs
31 more ZIP codes use the name Birmingham for PO boxes or single organizations

Where is ZIP code 35242?

35242 centers on 33.425°, -86.671° and covers 52.4 square miles of land plus 2.1 of water. It borders 9 ZIP codes: 35243, 35223, 35216, 35043, 35147, 35210, 35124, 35094, 35244.

35043 · Chelsea35094 · Leeds35124 · Pelham35147 · Sterrett35210 · Birmingham35216 · Birmingham35223 · Birmingham35243 · Birmingham35244 · Birmingham35242 · Birmingham (this ZIP)3524235147350433509435124352443521035223352163524335043 · Chelsea35094 · Leeds35124 · Pelham35147 · Sterrett35210 · Birmingham35216 · Birmingham35223 · Birmingham35243 · Birmingham35244 · Birmingham35242 · Birmingham (this ZIP)3524235147350433509435124352443521035223352163524335043 · Chelsea35094 · Leeds35124 · Pelham35147 · Sterrett35210 · Birmingham35216 · Birmingham35223 · Birmingham35243 · Birmingham35244 · Birmingham35242 · Birmingham (this ZIP)352423514735043350943512435244352103522335243
Shaded by median household income, in national fifths (ACS 2020-2024); 35242 outlined. Census 2020 ZCTA boundaries. <$54.1k$98.1k+no figure

The map draws ZIP code areas only. For the streets inside 35242, open its center on OpenStreetMap.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA cartographic boundaries and the 2023 Gazetteer (2020 ZCTAs); ZIP-to-county shares, Census places and House districts (119th Congress) from the Census 2020 relationship files (shares of land); metro area from the OMB delineation (July 2023); town name and time zone from simplemaps US ZIP Codes (CC BY 4.0); neighborhoods from the GeoNames gazetteer (CC BY 4.0), placed in this ZIP code by PlainZIP.

How does 35242 compare with the rest of Birmingham?

Rank of 35242 among the residential ZIP codes of its town, county and state (1 = the most; income and home value among ZIP codes of 1,000+ people living in households)
Measure35242In BirminghamIn Shelby CountyIn AL
People (ACS 2020-2024)57,3741st of 311st of 231st of 656
Median household income$117k4th of 233rd of 2015th of 370
Median home value$478k5th of 262nd of 197th of 386

Its median household income is higher than in 89% of U.S. residential ZIP codes, and it is denser than 79% of all U.S. residential ZIP codes. ZIP codes at the ACS caps ($250,000 or more for household income, $2,000,000 or more for home value) share the top rank.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B19013, B25077); ranks by PlainZIP over residential ZIP codes (ZCTAs).

How many people live in 35242?

The 2020 Census counted 57,008 people in 35242; the ACS, which samples households over 2020-2024, estimates 57,374. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew 15.1% (its boundary stayed at least 90% the same).

People, ACS 2020-2024
57,374
2020 Census count
57,008+15.1% since 2010 (49,545)
Households
23,978
Median age
43.6

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B01002, B11001); 2020 Census (DHC P1); 2010 Census (SF1 P1).

Who lives in 35242?

Of the 57,374 people the ACS estimates in 35242, 21.2% are under 18 and 19.5% are 65 or older. The largest group by race and Hispanic origin is White (not Hispanic) (78.6%), then Black (not Hispanic) (10.3%).

  • Under 1821.2%
  • 18 to 6459.3%
  • 65 and older19.5%
Age of the people of 35242 (ACS 2020-2024, B01001)
  • White, not Hispanic78.6%
  • Black, not Hispanic10.3%
  • Hispanic or Latino3.9%
  • Asian, not Hispanic3.9%
  • Other or two or more3.3%
Race and Hispanic origin in 35242 (ACS 2020-2024, B03002); each person counted once

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01001 age by sex, B03002 Hispanic or Latino origin by race); shares of the estimated population, small ZIP codes carry wide margins.

What do households in 35242 earn?

Median household income is $117,047 (ACS 2020-2024), the 3rd highest of the 20 ranked ZIP codes in Shelby County. It is not measurably different from 2015-2019 ($121,202 in 2024 dollars): the change is within the surveys' margins of error.

Median household income
$117,047
Income per person
$68,914
Below the poverty line
6.1%
Unemployed (of the labor force)
1.3%
Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree
65.8%
Adjusted gross income per tax return, 2022
$177,38026,740 returns; wages 54% of AGI (IRS)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 and 2015-2019 5-year estimates (B19013, B19301, B17001, B23025, B15003; 2015-2019 dollars converted with the BLS CPI-U, 1.22699); IRS Statistics of Income, ZIP code data, tax year 2022 (adjusted gross income per return, filed under the address on the return).

What are homes worth in 35242?

FHFA's house price index for 35242, built from repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, rose 80% from 2015 to 2025 and rose 48% from 2020 to 2025, and moved +6.3% in 2025.

Median home value (owners' estimate)
$477,700
Median gross rent
$1,472
Homes owned by their occupants
73.2%
Housing units
25,431
0 100 200 300 400 197919902000201020202025 0 100 200 300 400 197919902000201020202025 0 100 200 300 400 197919902000201020202025
Index = 100 in 1979, the first year FHFA reports for 35242; 2025: 411.1. Annual, not seasonally adjusted; FHFA calls its ZIP-level indexes developmental.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B25077, B25064, B25003, B25001); FHFA House Price Index, annual five-digit ZIP, updated 2026-03-31.

What businesses are in 35242?

1,809 business establishments had a location in this ZIP code in 2023, 147 more than in 2018; the most are in professional, scientific, and technical services (ZIP Code Business Patterns).

  • Professional, scientific, and technical services276
  • Health care and social assistance235
  • Retail trade189
  • Finance and insurance186
  • Accommodation and food services143
  • Real estate and rental and leasing130

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023 and 2018 (establishments with paid employees, by the business's ZIP code).

Which ZIP codes are next to 35242?

ZIP codes that share a boundary with 35242, then the nearest by center
ZIPTownPeopleHousehold incomeDistance
35243Birmingham18,176$100k4.2 mi
35223Birmingham10,666$168k5.7 mi
35216Birmingham34,327$75k6.8 mi
35043Chelsea15,837$121k7.9 mi
35147Sterrett6,897$92k8.1 mi
35210Birmingham13,775$73k8.1 mi
35124Pelham25,238$100k8.2 mi
35094Leeds14,854$75k8.4 mi
35244Birmingham38,217$114k10.2 mi
35213Birmingham15,603$160k7.1 mi (near)
35229Birmingham2,792–7.6 mi (near)

Source: PlainZIP from the Census 2020 ZCTA boundaries (shared edges) and internal points; figures ACS 2020-2024.