PlainZIP

Chatom, AL · standard

ZIP Code 36518

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

2,842
8/sq mi
$87,768
Median income
$168,500
Median home value
20.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Chatom pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 29%
household income, US ZIPs
34th pct
home value, US ZIPs
8
people per sq mi
83%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 36518 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 36518 covers 350.9 square miles in Chatom, Washington County, Alabama (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,842 residents on file, a density of 8 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 36518 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $87,768 (44% above the Alabama average), while per-capita income is $46,790. Poverty here runs at 12.3%, with unemployment measured at 3.0%. Housing costs here run $168,500 for a typical home value (5% below the state average), with rent averaging $656 a month; 83.0% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 20.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 47.7, and the average commute is 30 minutes. We also surface 2 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Washington County, so you can benchmark 36518 against its immediate geography rather than a national average 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 36518

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Chatom, AL

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 36518.

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 36518, Chatom, 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

2,842

Population

350.9

Area (sq mi)

8

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 36518?

47.7

Median Age

50.6%

Male

49.4%

Female

0.0%

Foreign-Born

White 82.8%
African American 15.6%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 1.7%
Hispanic or Latino 1.3%

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?

$87,768

Median Household Income

+44% vs state

$46,790

Per Capita Income

12.3%

Poverty Rate

3.0%

Unemployment Rate

30.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 36518 ranks nationally

Chatom, AL household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$87,768 Top 29% higher than 71% 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%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $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 57.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 20.7%

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

What does housing look like?

1,026

Total Housing Units

811

Occupied Units

215

Vacant Units

2.45

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 83.0%
Renter 17.0%

$168,500

Median Home Value

-5% vs state

$656

Median Rent

1987

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 71 business establishments in ZIP 36518, employing approximately 630 people with a combined annual payroll of $26,953,000.

71

Businesses

630

Employees

$27.0M

Annual Payroll

9

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 15 21.1%
Health care and social assistance 9 12.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 8 11.3%
Construction 6 8.4%
Other services (except public administration) 6 8.4%
Finance and insurance 5 7.0%
Accommodation and food services 5 7.0%
Transportation and warehousing 4 5.6%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 4 5.6%

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 36518 vs 36583 →

ZIP 36518 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 36518 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 36518 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 36518 ranks the highest of 3 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
36583 Tibbie, AL 639 8.5 mi
36539 Fruitdale, AL 802 9.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Washington County

36558 standard
Millry, AL
Pop: 3,854
36553 standard
Mc Intosh, AL
Pop: 3,575
36548 standard
Leroy, AL
Pop: 1,136
36585 standard
Wagarville, AL
Pop: 972
36569 standard
Saint Stephens, AL
Pop: 928
36539 standard
Fruitdale, AL
Pop: 802

Related Areas

Washington County Chatom, AL Alabama

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 36518 in? ▼
ZIP code 36518 (Chatom) is located in Washington County, Alabama. Washington County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/washington-al.
What is the population of ZIP code 36518? ▼
ZIP code 36518 in Chatom, AL has a population of 2,842 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 36518? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 36518 is $87,768, which is 15% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 36518? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 36518 is $168,500, which is 39% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 36518? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 36518 is White at 82.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 36518? ▼
ZIP code 36518 has 71 business establishments employing approximately 630 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 36518? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 36518 are: Retail trade (15), Health care and social assistance (9), Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (8). There are 9 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 36518? ▼
In ZIP code 36518, 57.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 20.7% 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 36518? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 36518 is 30.1 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 36518? ▼
In ZIP code 36518, approximately 83.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 17.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 36518? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 36518 is 12.3% 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.