PlainZIP

Sweet Water, AL · standard

ZIP Code 36782

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

2,405
5/sq mi
$51,429
Median income
$66,200
Median home value
11.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Sweet Water pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

16th pct
household income, US ZIPs
2th pct
home value, US ZIPs
5
people per sq mi
89%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 36782 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 36782 covers 522.8 square miles in Sweet Water, Marengo County, Alabama (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,405 residents on file, a density of 5 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 36782 reports a modest median household income of $51,429 (16% below the Alabama average), while per-capita income is $33,065. The poverty rate stands at 13.2% and the unemployment rate at 1.3%. Housing costs here run $66,200 for a typical home value (63% below the state average), with rent averaging $909 a month; 89.4% of homes are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 11.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.7, and the average commute is 31 minutes. To put 36782 in local context, 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Marengo County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 36782

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Sweet Water, AL

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 36782.

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 36782, Sweet Water, 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

2,405

Population

522.8

Area (sq mi)

5

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 36782?

38.7

Median Age

56.9%

Male

43.1%

Female

0.0%

Foreign-Born

White 43.8%
African American 53.2%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.0%
Hispanic or Latino 1.8%

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?

$51,429

Median Household Income

-16% vs state

$33,065

Per Capita Income

13.2%

Poverty Rate

1.3%

Unemployment Rate

30.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 36782 ranks nationally

Sweet Water, AL household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$51,429 16th percentile higher than 16% 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 43.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 11.7%

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

What does housing look like?

978

Total Housing Units

754

Occupied Units

224

Vacant Units

2.45

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 89.4%
Renter 10.6%

$66,200

Median Home Value

-63% vs state

$909

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 23 business establishments in ZIP 36782, employing approximately 101 people with a combined annual payroll of $5,967,000.

23

Businesses

101

Employees

$6.0M

Annual Payroll

3

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Transportation and warehousing 7 30.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 4 17.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 3 13.0%

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 36782 vs 36763 →

ZIP 36782 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 36782 ranks #2 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 36782 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 36782 ranks #3 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
36763 Myrtlewood, AL 139 10.2 mi
36736 Dixons Mills, AL 1,207 9.5 mi
36916 Pennington, AL 709 9.8 mi
36748 Linden, AL 3,260 12.8 mi

More ZIP Codes in Marengo County

36732 standard
Demopolis, AL
Pop: 8,395
36748 standard
Linden, AL
Pop: 3,260
36742 standard
Gallion, AL
Pop: 2,554
36736 standard
Dixons Mills, AL
Pop: 1,207
36738 standard
Faunsdale, AL
Pop: 952
36783 standard
Thomaston, AL
Pop: 945

Related Areas

Marengo County Sweet Water, AL Alabama

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 36782 in? ▼
ZIP code 36782 (Sweet Water) is located in Marengo County, Alabama. Marengo County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/marengo-al.
What is the population of ZIP code 36782? ▼
ZIP code 36782 in Sweet Water, AL has a population of 2,405 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 36782? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 36782 is $51,429, which is 33% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 36782? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 36782 is $66,200, which is 76% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 36782? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 36782 is African American at 53.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 36782? ▼
ZIP code 36782 has 23 business establishments employing approximately 101 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 36782? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 36782 are: Transportation and warehousing (7), Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (4), Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services (3). There are 3 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 36782? ▼
In ZIP code 36782, 43.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 11.7% 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 36782? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 36782 is 30.5 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 36782? ▼
In ZIP code 36782, approximately 89.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 10.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 36782? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 36782 is 13.2% 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.