PlainZIP

Cottonwood, AL · standard

ZIP Code 36320

Houston County, Alabama - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

3,837
23/sq mi
$50,000
Median income
$152,700
Median home value
12.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Cottonwood pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

14th pct
household income, US ZIPs
26th pct
home value, US ZIPs
23
people per sq mi
79%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 36320 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 36320 covers 170.5 square miles in Cottonwood, Houston County, Alabama (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,837 residents on file, a density of 23 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 36320 reports a modest median household income of $50,000 (18% below the Alabama average), while per-capita income is $29,090. The poverty rate stands at 18.8% and the unemployment rate at 5.6%. On housing, the median home value is $152,700 (14% below the state average) with median rent at $708 per month, and 79.2% of occupied 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 52.1, and the average commute is 26 minutes. Beyond these figures, 4 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Houston County, letting you compare 36320 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 →

Top industries in ZIP 36320

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Cottonwood, AL

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 36320.

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 36320, Cottonwood, 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

3,837

Population

170.5

Area (sq mi)

23

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 36320?

52.1

Median Age

49.4%

Male

50.6%

Female

1.1%

Foreign-Born

White 83.0%
African American 12.8%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.2%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.2%
Hispanic or Latino 3.6%

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?

$50,000

Median Household Income

-18% vs state

$29,090

Per Capita Income

18.8%

Poverty Rate

5.6%

Unemployment Rate

25.7 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 36320 ranks nationally

Cottonwood, AL household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$50,000 14th percentile higher than 14% 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 52.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 12.0%

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

What does housing look like?

1,676

Total Housing Units

1,358

Occupied Units

318

Vacant Units

2.32

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 79.2%
Renter 20.8%

$152,700

Median Home Value

-14% vs state

$708

Median Rent

1983

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 34 business establishments in ZIP 36320, employing approximately 799 people with a combined annual payroll of $36,894,000.

34

Businesses

799

Employees

$36.9M

Annual Payroll

4

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 10 29.4%
Other services (except public administration) 6 17.6%
Wholesale trade 5 14.7%
Construction 4 11.8%

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 36320 vs 32426 →

ZIP 36320 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 36320 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 36320 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 36320 ranks #4 of 5 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
32426 Campbellton, FL 942 7.8 mi
36301 Dothan, AL 35,759 8.2 mi
36312 Ashford, AL 6,187 9.5 mi
32445 Malone, FL 2,644 9.1 mi

More ZIP Codes in Houston County

36301 standard
Dothan, AL
Pop: 35,759
36303 standard
Dothan, AL
Pop: 30,217
36305 standard
Dothan, AL
Pop: 14,470
36312 standard
Ashford, AL
Pop: 6,187
36352 standard
Newton, AL
Pop: 4,885
36376 standard
Webb, AL
Pop: 2,445

Related Areas

Houston County Cottonwood, AL Alabama

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 36320 in? ▼
ZIP code 36320 (Cottonwood) is located in Houston County, Alabama. Houston County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/houston-al.
What is the population of ZIP code 36320? ▼
ZIP code 36320 in Cottonwood, AL has a population of 3,837 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 36320? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 36320 is $50,000, which is 34% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 36320? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 36320 is $152,700, which is 45% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 36320? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 36320 is White at 83.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 36320? ▼
ZIP code 36320 has 34 business establishments employing approximately 799 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 36320? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 36320 are: Retail trade (10), Other services (except public administration) (6), Wholesale trade (5). There are 4 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 36320? ▼
In ZIP code 36320, 52.4% 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 is the average commute time in ZIP 36320? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 36320 is 25.7 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 36320? ▼
In ZIP code 36320, approximately 79.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 20.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 36320? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 36320 is 18.8% 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.