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
- $45,556
- Median income
- $152,200
- Median home value
- 15.9%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
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 Alabama average), while per-capita income is $22,182. Poverty here runs at 11.5%, with unemployment measured at 15.1%. Housing costs here run $152,200 for a typical home value (14% below the state average), with rent averaging $1,003 a month; 86.3% of 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. Beyond these figures, 4 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing DeKalb County, letting you compare 35981 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline 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 →
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
$22,182
Per Capita Income
11.5%
Poverty Rate
15.1%
Unemployment Rate
28.4 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 35981 ranks nationally
Ider, AL household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$45,556 10th percentile higher than 10% 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?
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
$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.
More ZIP Codes in DeKalb County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 35981 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 35981? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 35981? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 35981? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 35981? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 35981? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 35981? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 35981? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 35981? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 35981? ▼
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.