PlainZIP

Fort Mitchell, AL · standard

ZIP Code 36856

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

3,719
43/sq mi
$75,381
Median income
$258,700
Median home value
25.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

Top 45%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 41%
home value, US ZIPs
43
people per sq mi
88%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 36856 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 36856 covers 85.7 square miles in Fort Mitchell, Russell County, Alabama (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,719 residents on file, a density of 43 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 36856 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $75,381 (24% above the Alabama average), while per-capita income is $31,557. Local economic indicators show a 10.3% poverty rate alongside 8.7% unemployment. Housing costs here run $258,700 for a typical home value (46% above the state average), with rent averaging $2,114 a month; 87.6% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 25.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 31.7, and the average commute is 31 minutes. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Russell County, so you can benchmark 36856 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 36856

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Fort Mitchell, AL

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 36856.

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 36856, Fort Mitchell, 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

3,719

Population

85.7

Area (sq mi)

43

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 36856?

31.7

Median Age

47.0%

Male

53.0%

Female

3.6%

Foreign-Born

White 41.3%
African American 47.2%
Asian 0.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.8%
Hispanic or Latino 15.4%

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?

$75,381

Median Household Income

+24% vs state

$31,557

Per Capita Income

10.3%

Poverty Rate

8.7%

Unemployment Rate

30.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 36856 ranks nationally

Fort Mitchell, AL household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$75,381 Top 45% higher than 55% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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 46.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 25.1%

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

What does housing look like?

3,052

Total Housing Units

2,912

Occupied Units

140

Vacant Units

2.99

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 87.6%
Renter 12.4%

$258,700

Median Home Value

+46% vs state

$2,114

Median Rent

2011

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 38 business establishments in ZIP 36856, employing approximately 308 people with a combined annual payroll of $9,593,000.

38

Businesses

308

Employees

$9.6M

Annual Payroll

5

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 11 28.9%
Accommodation and food services 7 18.4%
Health care and social assistance 4 10.5%
Construction 3 7.9%
Other services (except public administration) 3 7.9%

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 36856 vs 36859 →

ZIP 36856 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 36856 ranks #4 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 36856 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 36856 ranks the highest of 4 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
36859 Holy Trinity, AL 34 3.1 mi
31903 Columbus, GA 20,128 9.9 mi
31905 Fort Benning, GA 16,044 8.9 mi
31814 Louvale, GA 272 10.0 mi
36869 Phenix City, AL 18,751 11.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Russell County

36867 standard
Phenix City, AL
Pop: 22,210
36869 standard
Phenix City, AL
Pop: 18,751
36875 standard
Seale, AL
Pop: 4,622
36860 standard
Hurtsboro, AL
Pop: 1,580
36871 standard
Pittsview, AL
Pop: 1,277
36858 standard
Hatchechubbee, AL
Pop: 441

Related Areas

Russell County Fort Mitchell, AL Alabama

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 36856 in? ▼
ZIP code 36856 (Fort Mitchell) is located in Russell County, Alabama. Russell County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/russell-al.
What is the population of ZIP code 36856? ▼
ZIP code 36856 in Fort Mitchell, AL has a population of 3,719 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 36856? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 36856 is $75,381, which is 1% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 36856? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 36856 is $258,700, which is 7% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 36856? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 36856 is African American at 47.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 15.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 36856? ▼
ZIP code 36856 has 38 business establishments employing approximately 308 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 36856? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 36856 are: Retail trade (11), Accommodation and food services (7), Health care and social assistance (4). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 36856? ▼
In ZIP code 36856, 46.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 25.1% 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 36856? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 36856 is 30.6 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 36856? ▼
In ZIP code 36856, approximately 87.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 12.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 36856? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 36856 is 10.3% 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.