Decatur, AL · standard
ZIP Code 35603
Morgan County, Alabama - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 30,545
- 168/sq mi
- $81,490
- Median income
- $247,400
- Median home value
- 28.3%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Decatur pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 36%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 43%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 168
- people per sq mi
- 74%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 35603 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 35603 (Decatur, AL) rose +1.4% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 203.5 in 2023 to 206.3 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 35603 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Decatur, Morgan County, Alabama, with 30,545 residents across 182.2 square miles, a density of 168 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 35603 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $81,490 (34% above the average Alabama ZIP), while per-capita income is $42,141. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 7.3% and unemployment is 2.6%. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $247,400 (40% above the average Alabama ZIP), while 73.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $910.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 28.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42, and the average commute is 23 minutes. The page also surfaces 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Morgan County, so 35603 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 35603
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Decatur, AL
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 35603.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
81 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
76 establishments
- Construction
Construction
63 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
52 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
50 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 35603, Decatur, 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
30,545
Population
182.2
Area (sq mi)
168
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 35603?
42.0
Median Age
50.0%
Male
50.0%
Female
4.8%
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?
$81,490
Median Household Income
+34% vs state ZIP avg
$42,141
Per Capita Income
7.3%
Poverty Rate
2.6%
Unemployment Rate
22.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 35603 ranks nationally
Decatur, AL household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$81,490 Top 36% higher than 64% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
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?
14,274
Total Housing Units
13,175
Occupied Units
1,099
Vacant Units
2.43
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$247,400
Median Home Value
+40% vs state ZIP avg
$910
Median Rent
1992
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
+1.4%
YoY Change (2024)
206
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+106%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 35603 have increased 1.4% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +106% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +5.8% | 139 |
| 2021 | +14.0% | 158 |
| 2022 | +20.2% | 190 |
| 2023 | +6.9% | 203 |
| 2024 | +1.4% | 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 500 business establishments in ZIP 35603, employing approximately 8,299 people with a combined annual payroll of $417,551,000.
500
Businesses
8,299
Employees
$417.6M
Annual Payroll
15
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 81 | 16.2% |
| Health care and social assistance | 76 | 15.2% |
| Construction | 63 | 12.6% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 52 | 10.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 50 | 10.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 38 | 7.6% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 30 | 6.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 22 | 4.4% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 21 | 4.2% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 21 | 4.2% |
| Manufacturing | 20 | 4.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 9 | 1.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 7 | 1.4% |
| Educational services | 5 | 1.0% |
| Information | 3 | 0.6% |
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 35603 vs 35601 →
ZIP 35603 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 35601
Decatur (35601)
34,434 residents
- 35603
Decatur (35603)
30,545 residents
- 35640
Hartselle (35640)
24,267 residents
- 35756 9,016
Madison (35756)
9,016 residents
- 35671 2,107
Tanner (35671)
2,107 residents
- 35649 68
Mooresville (35649)
68 residents
- 35615 68
Belle Mina (35615)
68 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 35603 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 35603 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 35649
Mooresville (35649)
$144,000 median income
- 35756
Madison (35756)
$129,852 median income
- 35671
Tanner (35671)
$86,163 median income
- 35603
Decatur (35603)
$81,490 median income
- 35640
Hartselle (35640)
$76,620 median income
- 35601 $51,429
Decatur (35601)
$51,429 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 35603 ranks #4 of 6 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.