PlainZIP

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
$43,539
Median income
$122,400
Median home value
12.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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.

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 Alabama average), while per-capita income is $23,798. Local economic indicators show a 27.2% poverty rate alongside 7.0% unemployment. The typical home here is valued at $122,400 (31% below the state average); renters pay a median of $698 monthly, and 84.7% of units are owner-occupied.

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 -. To put 35968 in local context, 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in DeKalb County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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.

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 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

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 35968?

42.5

Median Age

54.2%

Male

45.8%

Female

3.2%

Foreign-Born

White 79.8%
African American 5.4%
Asian 0.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native 3.4%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 7.4%
Hispanic or Latino 11.5%

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

$23,798

Per Capita Income

27.2%

Poverty Rate

7.0%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 35968 ranks nationally

Fort Payne, AL household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$43,539 8th percentile higher than 8% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 55.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 12.0%

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

What does housing look like?

1,956

Total Housing Units

1,638

Occupied Units

318

Vacant Units

2.77

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 84.7%
Renter 15.3%

$122,400

Median Home Value

-31% vs state

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 35968 ranks #3 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 35968 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 35968 ranks #6 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
35986 Rainsville, AL 7,744 4.4 mi
35988 Sylvania, AL 1,940 5.2 mi
35967 Fort Payne, AL 16,630 7.3 mi
35989 Valley Head, AL 3,573 11.2 mi
35744 Dutton, AL 2,570 11.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in DeKalb County

35967 standard
Fort Payne, AL
Pop: 16,630
35962 standard
Crossville, AL
Pop: 8,300
35986 standard
Rainsville, AL
Pop: 7,744
35978 standard
Henagar, AL
Pop: 5,390
35971 standard
Fyffe, AL
Pop: 4,914
35989 standard
Valley Head, AL
Pop: 3,573

Related Areas

DeKalb County Fort Payne, AL Alabama

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.

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