Cottondale, AL · standard
ZIP Code 35453
Tuscaloosa County, Alabama - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 11,127
- 46/sq mi
- $68,533
- Median income
- $209,900
- Median home value
- 18.3%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Cottondale pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 44th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 46th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 46
- people per sq mi
- 87%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 35453 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 35453 (Cottondale, AL) rose +6.8% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 192.5 in 2023 to 205.6 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 35453 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Cottondale, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, home to 11,127 residents across 240.8 square miles, a density of 46 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 35453 reports a modest median household income of $68,533 (12% above the average Alabama ZIP), while per-capita income is $33,318. The poverty rate is 13.6%, with unemployment at 5.1%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $209,900 (19% above the average Alabama ZIP), while 87.1% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,003.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 18.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.1, and the average commute is 28 minutes. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Tuscaloosa County, so 35453 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 35453
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Cottondale, AL
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 35453.
- Construction
Construction
32 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
25 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
25 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
14 establishments
- Manufacturing 9
Manufacturing
9 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 35453, Cottondale, 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
11,127
Population
240.8
Area (sq mi)
46
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 35453?
38.1
Median Age
50.1%
Male
49.9%
Female
2.5%
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?
$68,533
Median Household Income
+12% vs state ZIP avg
$33,318
Per Capita Income
13.6%
Poverty Rate
5.1%
Unemployment Rate
28.1 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?
5,620
Total Housing Units
4,776
Occupied Units
844
Vacant Units
2.64
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$209,900
Median Home Value
+19% vs state ZIP avg
$1,003
Median Rent
1995
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
+6.8%
YoY Change (2024)
206
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+106%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 35453 have increased 6.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +106% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.1% | 149 |
| 2021 | +9.0% | 163 |
| 2022 | +6.0% | 173 |
| 2023 | +11.5% | 193 |
| 2024 | +6.8% | 206 |
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 161 business establishments in ZIP 35453, employing approximately 4,638 people with a combined annual payroll of $241,665,000.
161
Businesses
4,638
Employees
$241.7M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 32 | 19.9% |
| Retail trade | 25 | 15.5% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 25 | 15.5% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 14 | 8.7% |
| Manufacturing | 9 | 5.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 9 | 5.6% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 9 | 5.6% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 9 | 5.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 8 | 5.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 5 | 3.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 4 | 2.5% |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 3 | 1.9% |
| Information | 3 | 1.9% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 3 | 1.9% |
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 35453 vs 35456 →
ZIP 35453 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 35404
Tuscaloosa (35404)
21,251 residents
- 35453
Cottondale (35453)
11,127 residents
- 35490 3,857
Vance (35490)
3,857 residents
- 35456 3,759
Duncanville (35456)
3,759 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 35453 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 35453 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 35490
Vance (35490)
$87,813 median income
- 35453
Cottondale (35453)
$68,533 median income
- 35456
Duncanville (35456)
$56,574 median income
- 35404
Tuscaloosa (35404)
$48,932 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 35453 ranks #2 of 4 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.