PlainZIP

Muscle Shoals, AL · standard

ZIP Code 35661

Colbert County, Alabama - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

16,617
115/sq mi
$74,310
Median income
$191,800
Median home value
23.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Muscle Shoals pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 46%
household income, US ZIPs
41th pct
home value, US ZIPs
115
people per sq mi
70%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 35661 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 35661 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Muscle Shoals, Colbert County, Alabama, home to 16,617 residents across 144.9 square miles, a density of 115 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 35661 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $74,310 (22% above the Alabama average), while per-capita income is $34,403. Local economic indicators show a 14.4% poverty rate alongside 3.9% unemployment. The typical home here is valued at $191,800 (8% above the state average); renters pay a median of $1,006 monthly, and 70.3% of units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 23.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.2, and the average commute is 22 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 5 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 35661, plus 4 more within Colbert County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

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 35661

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Muscle Shoals, AL

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 35661.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 35661, Muscle Shoals, 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

16,617

Population

144.9

Area (sq mi)

115

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 35661?

41.2

Median Age

45.5%

Male

54.5%

Female

1.8%

Foreign-Born

White 78.9%
African American 15.2%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.5%
Hispanic or Latino 3.1%

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?

$74,310

Median Household Income

+22% vs state

$34,403

Per Capita Income

14.4%

Poverty Rate

3.9%

Unemployment Rate

21.7 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 35661 ranks nationally

Muscle Shoals, AL household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$74,310 Top 46% higher than 54% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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?

High School Graduate or Higher 52.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 23.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

9,054

Total Housing Units

8,007

Occupied Units

1,047

Vacant Units

2.38

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 70.3%
Renter 29.7%

$191,800

Median Home Value

+8% vs state

$1,006

Median Rent

1990

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

+8.9%

YoY Change (2024)

230

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+130%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 35661 have increased 8.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +130% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +4.3% 152
2021 +9.1% 166
2022 +23.4% 204
2023 +3.2% 211
2024 +8.9% 230

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 560 business establishments in ZIP 35661, employing approximately 13,845 people with a combined annual payroll of $646,741,000.

560

Businesses

13,845

Employees

$646.7M

Annual Payroll

15

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 123 22.0%
Health care and social assistance 65 11.6%
Accommodation and food services 58 10.4%
Finance and insurance 47 8.4%
Construction 45 8.0%
Other services (except public administration) 44 7.9%
Manufacturing 35 6.3%
Wholesale trade 33 5.9%
Real estate and rental and leasing 27 4.8%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 22 3.9%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 22 3.9%
Transportation and warehousing 18 3.2%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 9 1.6%
Information 8 1.4%
Educational services 3 0.5%

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 35661 vs 35646 →

ZIP 35661 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 35661 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 35661 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 35661 ranks #2 of 6 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
35646 Leighton, AL 4,635 7.3 mi
35630 Florence, AL 32,629 6.4 mi
35660 Sheffield, AL 9,042 7.8 mi
35645 Killen, AL 14,060 9.6 mi
35634 Florence, AL 9,711 10.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Colbert County

35674 standard
Tuscumbia, AL
Pop: 18,475
35660 standard
Sheffield, AL
Pop: 9,042
35646 standard
Leighton, AL
Pop: 4,635
35616 standard
Cherokee, AL
Pop: 4,043

Related Areas

Colbert County Muscle Shoals, AL Alabama

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 35661 in? ▼
ZIP code 35661 (Muscle Shoals) is located in Colbert County, Alabama. Colbert County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/colbert-al.
What is the population of ZIP code 35661? ▼
ZIP code 35661 in Muscle Shoals, AL has a population of 16,617 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 35661? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 35661 is $74,310, which is 3% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 35661? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 35661 is $191,800, which is 31% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 35661? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 35661 is White at 78.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 35661? ▼
ZIP code 35661 has 560 business establishments employing approximately 13,845 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 35661? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 35661 are: Retail trade (123), Health care and social assistance (65), Accommodation and food services (58). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 35661? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 35661 increased by 8.9% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 130%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 35661? ▼
In ZIP code 35661, 52.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 23.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 35661? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 35661 is 21.7 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 35661? ▼
In ZIP code 35661, approximately 70.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 29.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 35661? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 35661 is 14.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.