Gainestown, AL · standard
ZIP Code 36540
Clarke County, Alabama - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 691
- 6/sq mi Low-density area
- $29,609
- Median income Below-median income area
- 16.5%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Gainestown pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 2nd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 6
- people per sq mi
- 87%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 36540 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 36540 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Gainestown, Clarke County, Alabama, home to just 691 residents across 115.2 square miles, a density of 6 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 36540 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $29,609 (51% below the average Alabama ZIP), while per-capita income is $28,891. Economic pressure is pronounced: 35.3% of residents are below the poverty line and unemployment is 21.3%. The ACS does not report a median home value for this ZIP, so housing cost context is limited to the available tenure and rent fields.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 16.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.5, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Clarke County, so 36540 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 →
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 36540, Gainestown, 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
691
Population
115.2
Area (sq mi)
6
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 36540?
36.5
Median Age
26.4%
Male
73.6%
Female
0.0%
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?
$29,609
Median Household Income
-51% vs state ZIP avg
$28,891
Per Capita Income
35.3%
Poverty Rate
21.3%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 36540 ranks among Alabama ZIPs
Gainestown, 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)
$29,609 3rd percentile higher than 3% 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
474housing units
474
Total Housing Units
329
Occupied Units
145
Vacant Units
2.65
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
1981
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 4 business establishments in ZIP 36540, employing approximately 31 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,530,000.
4
Businesses
31
Employees
$1.5M
Annual Payroll
0
Industry Sectors
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 36540 vs 36480 →
ZIP 36540 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 36480
Uriah (36480)
1,773 residents
- 36540 691
Gainestown (36540)
691 residents
- 36470 98
Perdue Hill (36470)
98 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 36540 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 36540, both outside AL so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Clarke County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 36540 in?
ZIP code 36540 (Gainestown) is located in Clarke County, Alabama. Clarke County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/clarke-al.
What is the population of ZIP code 36540?
ZIP code 36540 in Gainestown, AL has a population of 691 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 36540?
The median household income in ZIP 36540 is $29,609, which is 61% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 36540?
The largest racial group in ZIP 36540 is African American at 80.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 36540?
ZIP code 36540 has 4 business establishments employing approximately 31 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 36540?
In ZIP code 36540, 50.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 16.5% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 36540?
In ZIP code 36540, approximately 86.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 13.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 36540?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 36540 is 35.3% 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 36540's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 36540 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Gainestown, 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.