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 Low-density area
- $51,429
- Median income Below-median income area
- $66,200
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 11.7%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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
- 2nd 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 average Alabama ZIP), while per-capita income is $33,065. The poverty rate is 13.2%, with unemployment at 1.3%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $66,200 (63% below the average Alabama ZIP), and median rent is $909; owner occupancy is 89.4%.
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. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Marengo County, so 36782 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 36782
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Sweet Water, AL
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 36782.
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
7 establishments
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
4 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
3 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 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
Who lives in ZIP 36782?
38.7
Median Age
56.9%
Male
43.1%
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?
$51,429
Median Household Income
-16% vs state ZIP avg
$33,065
Per Capita Income
13.2%
Poverty Rate
1.3%
Unemployment Rate
30.5 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 36782 ranks among Alabama ZIPs
Sweet Water, 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)
$51,429 39th percentile higher than 39% 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
978housing units
978
Total Housing Units
754
Occupied Units
224
Vacant Units
2.45
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$66,200
Median Home Value
-63% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 36748
Linden (36748)
3,260 residents
- 36782
Sweet Water (36782)
2,405 residents
- 36736 1,207
Dixons Mills (36736)
1,207 residents
- 36916 709
Pennington (36916)
709 residents
- 36763 139
Myrtlewood (36763)
139 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 36782 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 36782 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 36763
Myrtlewood (36763)
$89,000 median income
- 36736
Dixons Mills (36736)
$55,759 median income
- 36782
Sweet Water (36782)
$51,429 median income
- 36748
Linden (36748)
$42,826 median income
- 36916 $29,483
Pennington (36916)
$29,483 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 36782, 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 (2,405 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Marengo County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 36782's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 36782 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Sweet Water, 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.