Steele, AL · standard
ZIP Code 35987
St. Clair County, Alabama - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,666
- 17/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $78,906
- Median income Near-median income area
- $181,600
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 10.3%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Steele pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 39%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 38th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 17
- people per sq mi
- 90%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 35987 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 35987 covers 154.1 square miles in Steele, St. Clair County, Alabama (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,666 residents on file, a density of 17 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 35987 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $78,906 (30% above the average Alabama ZIP), while per-capita income is $32,261. The poverty rate is 8.9%, with unemployment at 2.1%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $181,600 (3% above the average Alabama ZIP) and median rent is $721; 90.4% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 10.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.3, and the average commute is 31 minutes. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in St. Clair County, so 35987 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 35987
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Steele, AL
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 35987.
- Construction
Construction
7 establishments
- Manufacturing
Manufacturing
7 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
6 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
6 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
5 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 35987, Steele, 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
2,666
Population
154.1
Area (sq mi)
17
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 35987?
41.3
Median Age
48.3%
Male
51.7%
Female
2.1%
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?
$78,906
Median Household Income
+30% vs state ZIP avg
$32,261
Per Capita Income
8.9%
Poverty Rate
2.1%
Unemployment Rate
30.7 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 35987 ranks among Alabama ZIPs
Steele, 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)
$78,906 Top 17% higher than 83% 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
1,192housing units
1,192
Total Housing Units
1,017
Occupied Units
175
Vacant Units
2.81
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$181,600
Median Home Value
+3% vs state ZIP avg
$721
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 41 business establishments in ZIP 35987, employing approximately 957 people with a combined annual payroll of $53,743,000.
41
Businesses
957
Employees
$53.7M
Annual Payroll
5
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 7 | 17.1% |
| Manufacturing | 7 | 17.1% |
| Retail trade | 6 | 14.6% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 6 | 14.6% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 5 | 12.2% |
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 35987 vs 35972 →
ZIP 35987 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 35906
Rainbow City (35906)
9,897 residents
- 35952
Altoona (35952)
7,727 residents
- 35953
Ashville (35953)
7,319 residents
- 35987 2,666
Steele (35987)
2,666 residents
- 35972 1,139
Gallant (35972)
1,139 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 35987 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 35987 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 35987
Steele (35987)
$78,906 median income
- 35953
Ashville (35953)
$73,750 median income
- 35906
Rainbow City (35906)
$56,420 median income
- 35952
Altoona (35952)
$48,361 median income
- 35972
Gallant (35972)
$42,457 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 35987 ranks the highest 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 35987, 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 (2,666 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in St. Clair County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 35987 in?
ZIP code 35987 (Steele) is located in St. Clair County, Alabama. St. Clair County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/st-clair-al.
What is the population of ZIP code 35987?
ZIP code 35987 in Steele, AL has a population of 2,666 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 35987?
The median household income in ZIP 35987 is $78,906, which is 3% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 35987?
The median home value in ZIP 35987 is $181,600, which is 35% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 35987?
The largest racial group in ZIP 35987 is White at 89.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 7.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 35987?
ZIP code 35987 has 41 business establishments employing approximately 957 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 35987?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 35987 are: Construction (7), Manufacturing (7), Retail trade (6). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 35987?
In ZIP code 35987, 51.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 10.3% 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 35987?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 35987 is 30.7 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 35987?
In ZIP code 35987, approximately 90.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 9.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 35987?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 35987 is 8.9% 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 35987's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 35987 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Steele, AL ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.