Ider, AL · standard
ZIP Code 35981
DeKalb County, Alabama - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,141
- 36/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $45,556
- Median income Below-median income area
- $152,200
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 15.9%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Ider pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 10th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 26th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 36
- people per sq mi
- 86%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 35981 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 35981 covers 59.8 square miles in Ider, DeKalb County, Alabama (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,141 residents on file, a density of 36 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 35981 reports a modest median household income of $45,556 (25% below the average Alabama ZIP), while per-capita income is $22,182. Unemployment is 15.1%, an important qualifier alongside the household-income figure. Median home value is $152,200 (14% below the average Alabama ZIP) and median rent is $1,003; 86.3% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 15.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 47.7, and the average commute is 28 minutes. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in DeKalb County, so 35981 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 →
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 35981, Ider, 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
2,141
Population
59.8
Area (sq mi)
36
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 35981?
47.7
Median Age
52.1%
Male
47.9%
Female
0.6%
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?
$45,556
Median Household Income
-25% vs state ZIP avg
$22,182
Per Capita Income
11.5%
Poverty Rate
15.1%
Unemployment Rate
28.4 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 35981 ranks among Alabama ZIPs
Ider, 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)
$45,556 24th percentile higher than 24% 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
793housing units
793
Total Housing Units
650
Occupied Units
143
Vacant Units
3.16
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$152,200
Median Home Value
-14% vs state ZIP avg
$1,003
Median Rent
1990
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 20 business establishments in ZIP 35981, employing approximately 152 people with a combined annual payroll of $4,881,000.
20
Businesses
152
Employees
$4.9M
Annual Payroll
2
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 7 | 35.0% |
| Manufacturing | 4 | 20.0% |
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 35981 vs 35966 →
ZIP 35981 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 35978
Henagar (35978)
5,390 residents
- 35966
Flat Rock (35966)
3,914 residents
- 35989
Valley Head (35989)
3,573 residents
- 35981 2,141
Ider (35981)
2,141 residents
- 35979 1,398
Higdon (35979)
1,398 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 35981 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 35981 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 35978
Henagar (35978)
$55,509 median income
- 35979
Higdon (35979)
$51,833 median income
- 35981
Ider (35981)
$45,556 median income
- 35966
Flat Rock (35966)
$43,883 median income
- 35989
Valley Head (35989)
$43,580 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 35981 ranks #3 of 5 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 35981, 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 (2,141 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 35981 in?
ZIP code 35981 (Ider) 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 35981?
ZIP code 35981 in Ider, AL has a population of 2,141 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 35981?
The median household income in ZIP 35981 is $45,556, which is 40% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 35981?
The median home value in ZIP 35981 is $152,200, which is 45% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 35981?
The largest racial group in ZIP 35981 is White at 95.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 35981?
ZIP code 35981 has 20 business establishments employing approximately 152 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 35981?
In ZIP code 35981, 46.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 15.9% 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 35981?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 35981 is 28.4 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 35981?
In ZIP code 35981, approximately 86.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 13.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 35981?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 35981 is 11.5% 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 35981's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 35981 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Ider, 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.