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 Moderate-density area
- $50,000
- Median income Below-median income area
- $152,700
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 12.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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 average Alabama ZIP), while per-capita income is $29,090. The poverty rate is 18.8%, with unemployment at 5.6%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $152,700 (14% below the average Alabama ZIP) and median rent is $708; 79.2% of occupied homes 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. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Houston County, so 36320 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 36320
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Cottonwood, AL
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 36320.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
10 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
6 establishments
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale trade
5 establishments
- Construction
Construction
4 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 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
Who lives in ZIP 36320?
52.1
Median Age
49.4%
Male
50.6%
Female
1.1%
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?
$50,000
Median Household Income
-18% vs state ZIP avg
$29,090
Per Capita Income
18.8%
Poverty Rate
5.6%
Unemployment Rate
25.7 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 36320 ranks among Alabama ZIPs
Cottonwood, 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)
$50,000 33rd percentile higher than 33% 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
1,676housing units
1,676
Total Housing Units
1,358
Occupied Units
318
Vacant Units
2.32
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$152,700
Median Home Value
-14% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 36301
Dothan (36301)
35,759 residents
- 36312 6,187
Ashford (36312)
6,187 residents
- 36320 3,837
Cottonwood (36320)
3,837 residents
- 32445 2,644
Malone (32445)
2,644 residents
- 32426 942
Campbellton (32426)
942 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 36320 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 36320 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 32445
Malone (32445)
$61,336 median income
- 36312
Ashford (36312)
$56,994 median income
- 36301
Dothan (36301)
$50,125 median income
- 36320
Cottonwood (36320)
$50,000 median income
- 32426
Campbellton (32426)
$33,802 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 36320, 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 (3,837 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Houston County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 36320's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 36320 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Cottonwood, 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.