Fort Payne, AL · standard
ZIP Code 35968
DeKalb County, Alabama - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 4,575
- 33/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $43,539
- Median income Below-median income area
- $122,400
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 12.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Fort Payne pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 8th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 18th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 33
- people per sq mi
- 85%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 35968 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 35968 (Fort Payne, AL) rose +6.2% from 2023 to 2024.
ZIP code 35968 covers 138.6 square miles in Fort Payne, DeKalb County, Alabama (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 4,575 residents on file, a density of 33 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 35968 reports a modest median household income of $43,539 (29% below the average Alabama ZIP), while per-capita income is $23,798. The poverty rate is 27.2%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $122,400 (31% below the average Alabama ZIP), and median rent is $698; owner occupancy is 84.7%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 12.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42.5, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in DeKalb County, so 35968 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 35968
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Fort Payne, AL
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 35968.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
31 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
20 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
16 establishments
- Manufacturing
Manufacturing
14 establishments
- Wholesale trade 12
Wholesale trade
12 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 35968, Fort Payne, 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
4,575
Population
138.6
Area (sq mi)
33
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 35968?
42.5
Median Age
54.2%
Male
45.8%
Female
3.2%
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?
$43,539
Median Household Income
-29% vs state ZIP avg
$23,798
Per Capita Income
27.2%
Poverty Rate
7.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 35968 ranks among Alabama ZIPs
Fort Payne, AL household income vs. every Alabama ZIP code
Median household income among 587 reporting Alabama ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$43,539 19th percentile higher than 19% of 587 Alabama ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Alabama 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
1,956housing units
1,956
Total Housing Units
1,638
Occupied Units
318
Vacant Units
2.77
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$122,400
Median Home Value
-31% vs state ZIP avg
$698
Median Rent
1979
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 152 business establishments in ZIP 35968, employing approximately 4,637 people with a combined annual payroll of $266,333,000.
152
Businesses
4,637
Employees
$266.3M
Annual Payroll
13
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 31 | 20.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 20 | 13.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 16 | 10.5% |
| Manufacturing | 14 | 9.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 12 | 7.9% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 12 | 7.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 9 | 5.9% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 8 | 5.3% |
| Construction | 6 | 4.0% |
| Information | 6 | 4.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 5 | 3.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 4 | 2.6% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 4 | 2.6% |
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 35968 vs 35986 →
ZIP 35968 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 35967
Fort Payne (35967)
16,630 residents
- 35986
Rainsville (35986)
7,744 residents
- 35968 4,575
Fort Payne (35968)
4,575 residents
- 35989 3,573
Valley Head (35989)
3,573 residents
- 35744 2,570
Dutton (35744)
2,570 residents
- 35988 1,940
Sylvania (35988)
1,940 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 35968 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 35968 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 35986
Rainsville (35986)
$68,056 median income
- 35744
Dutton (35744)
$54,868 median income
- 35988
Sylvania (35988)
$53,684 median income
- 35967
Fort Payne (35967)
$47,051 median income
- 35989
Valley Head (35989)
$43,580 median income
- 35968
Fort Payne (35968)
$43,539 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 35968 ranks #6 of 6 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 35968, both outside AL so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (4,575 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in DeKalb County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 35968 in?
ZIP code 35968 (Fort Payne) is located in DeKalb County, Alabama. DeKalb County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/dekalb-al.
What is the population of ZIP code 35968?
ZIP code 35968 in Fort Payne, AL has a population of 4,575 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 35968?
The median household income in ZIP 35968 is $43,539, which is 43% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 35968?
The median home value in ZIP 35968 is $122,400, which is 56% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 35968?
The largest racial group in ZIP 35968 is White at 79.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 11.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 35968?
ZIP code 35968 has 152 business establishments employing approximately 4,637 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 35968?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 35968 are: Retail trade (31), Health care and social assistance (20), Accommodation and food services (16). There are 13 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 35968?
In ZIP code 35968, 55.7% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 12.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 35968?
In ZIP code 35968, approximately 84.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 15.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 35968?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 35968 is 27.2% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 35968's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 35968 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Fort Payne, AL ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.