Opelika, AL · standard
ZIP Code 36804
Lee County, Alabama - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 16,861
- 34/sq mi
- $61,880
- Median income
- $218,000
- Median home value
- 31.6%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Opelika pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 33rd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 49th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 34
- people per sq mi
- 78%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 36804 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 36804 (Opelika, AL) fell -3.5% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 239.2 in 2023 to 230.8 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 36804 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Opelika, Lee County, Alabama, home to 16,861 residents across 500.3 square miles, a density of 34 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 36804 reports a modest median household income of $61,880 (2% above the average Alabama ZIP), while per-capita income is $33,645. The poverty rate is 14.1%, with unemployment at 4.4%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $218,000 (23% above the average Alabama ZIP), while 78.0% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $824.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 31.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40, and the average commute is 25 minutes. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Lee County, so 36804 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 36804
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Opelika, AL
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 36804.
- Construction
Construction
41 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
31 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
29 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
23 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
19 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 36804, Opelika, 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
16,861
Population
500.3
Area (sq mi)
34
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 36804?
40.0
Median Age
51.0%
Male
49.0%
Female
4.3%
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?
$61,880
Median Household Income
+2% vs state ZIP avg
$33,645
Per Capita Income
14.1%
Poverty Rate
4.4%
Unemployment Rate
25.1 min
Mean Commute Time
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?
8,849
Total Housing Units
7,849
Occupied Units
1,000
Vacant Units
2.61
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$218,000
Median Home Value
+23% vs state ZIP avg
$824
Median Rent
1997
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
-3.5%
YoY Change (2024)
231
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+131%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 36804 have decreased 3.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +131% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +0.7% | 154 |
| 2021 | +8.2% | 166 |
| 2022 | +15.7% | 192 |
| 2023 | +24.4% | 239 |
| 2024 | -3.5% | 231 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 227 business establishments in ZIP 36804, employing approximately 3,135 people with a combined annual payroll of $163,863,000.
227
Businesses
3,135
Employees
$163.9M
Annual Payroll
13
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 41 | 18.1% |
| Retail trade | 31 | 13.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 29 | 12.8% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 23 | 10.1% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 19 | 8.4% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 17 | 7.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 16 | 7.0% |
| Manufacturing | 15 | 6.6% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 11 | 4.8% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 8 | 3.5% |
| Health care and social assistance | 7 | 3.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 4 | 1.8% |
| Information | 3 | 1.3% |
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 36804 vs 36830 →
ZIP 36804 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 36830
Auburn (36830)
33,201 residents
- 36804
Opelika (36804)
16,861 residents
- 36874 7,901
Salem (36874)
7,901 residents
- 36849 3,150
Auburn University (36849)
3,150 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 36804 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 36804 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 36830
Auburn (36830)
$70,188 median income
- 36874
Salem (36874)
$66,986 median income
- 36804
Opelika (36804)
$61,880 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 36804 ranks #3 of 3 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.