35603 ZIP Code — Decatur, AL

Morgan County, Alabama

ZIP code 35603 is located in Decatur, Alabama, within Morgan County. It covers approximately 71.03 square miles and serves a population of 32,372 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 256.

About ZIP code 35603

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $218,800. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 73%.

The gap between median ($71,453) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 38% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 23 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 30% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

32,372

population

71.03

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

35603 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 35603

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 35603. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Decatur	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

35699 Decatur (4.7 mi) 35601 Decatur (6.2 mi) 35640 Hartselle (7.6 mi) 35671 Tanner (8.6 mi) 35673 Trinity (9.5 mi) 35756 Madison (12 mi) 35670 Somerville (13.3 mi) 35622 Falkville (13.4 mi) 35824 Huntsville (14.4 mi) 35619 Danville (14.7 mi) 35813 Huntsville (15.5 mi) 35643 Hillsboro (15.5 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	32,372
Population density	456 / sq mi
State FIPS	01
County FIPS	103

Geography
Land area	71.03 sq mi
Water area	6.57 sq mi
Latitude	34.5388
Longitude	-86.9696
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	256

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	41.8%	47.8%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	29.5%	30.8%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	21.7%	17.6%	18.0%
Over $200k	7.0%	3.7%	4.4%

Demographics & statistics

32,372

Population

456

People per sq mi

43.5

Median age

$71,453

Median household income

$41,665

Per capita income

$218,800

Median home value

$790

Median monthly rent

72.9%

Home ownership

7.7%

Poverty rate

3.3%

Unemployment

10,895

Housing units

29.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

910

Under 5

925

919

5–9

935

991

10–14

1,009

889

15–19

905

1,068

20–24

1,087

1,619

25–34

1,648

1,792

35–44

1,822

2,139

45–54

2,177

1,207

55–59

1,228

1,170

60–64

1,191

1,875

65–74

1,908

1,041

75–84

1,059

425

85+

433

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	6,826	21.1%
18 and over	25,546	78.9%
65 and over	6,741	20.8%
Median age	43.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 72.2%

Black or African American 12.6%

Hispanic or Latino 5.9%

Other race 4.7%

Two or more races 3.5%

Asian 0.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%

Group	Count	%
White	24,840	72.2%
Black or African American	4,323	12.6%
Hispanic or Latino	2,020	5.9%
Other race	1,624	4.7%
Two or more races	1,203	3.5%
Asian	211	0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	155	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	41.8%	47.8%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	29.5%	30.8%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	21.7%	17.6%	18.0%
Over $200k	7.0%	3.7%	4.4%

Under $10k 4.1%

$10k–$15k 3.3%

$15k–$25k 6.6%

$25k–$35k 9.9%

$35k–$50k 7.5%

$50k–$75k 20.6%

$75k–$100k 12.9%

$100k–$150k 18.3%

$150k–$200k 7.7%

$200k+ 9.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.1%
$10k–$15k	3.3%
$15k–$25k	6.6%
$25k–$35k	9.9%
$35k–$50k	7.5%
$50k–$75k	20.6%
$75k–$100k	12.9%
$100k–$150k	18.3%
$150k–$200k	7.7%
$200k+	9.1%
Median income	$71,453

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.4%

$50k–$100k 7.0%

$100k–$150k 10.1%

$150k–$200k 20.6%

$200k–$300k 32.8%

$300k–$500k 18.8%

$500k–$1M 5.1%

$1M+ 1.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$218,800
Median rent / month	$790
Owner occupied	72.9%
Renter occupied	27.1%
Vacant	6.0%
Single-family detached	67.9%
Large apartment buildings	5.9%
Mobile homes	5.3%
Median rooms	6.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.46

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	8.3%
2000–2009	19.2%
1990–1999	24.2%
1980–1989	21.0%
1970–1979	16.7%
1960–1969	8.0%
1950–1959	1.4%
1940–1949	0.4%
1939 or earlier	0.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.9%
1 bedroom	6.7%
2 bedrooms	20.8%
3 bedrooms	43.8%
4 bedrooms	24.0%
5+ bedrooms	3.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.7%
1 vehicle	29.8%
2 vehicles	40.1%
3 or more	26.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	29.5%
Electricity	67.5%
Propane / LP gas	1.4%
Wood	0.8%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	7,214	52.5%
Cohabiting couple	465	3.4%
Male householder, no spouse	2,086	15.2%
Female householder, no spouse	3,966	28.9%
Households with children under 18	3,516	25.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,938	36.0%
Average household size	2.35

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	24.5%	17.8%
Married	63.3%	53.4%
Separated	0.7%	2.6%
Widowed	3.2%	12.2%
Divorced	8.3%	14.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.3%

Some HS, no diploma 5.2%

HS graduate 28.5%

Some college, no degree 23.0%

Associate's degree 9.4%

Bachelor's degree 19.7%

Graduate / professional 9.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.6%
Bachelor's or higher	29.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	581	8.2%
Kindergarten	378	5.4%
Elementary school	3,270	46.4%
High school	1,493	21.2%
College / grad school	1,323	18.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 21.4%

Education & healthcare 17.1%

Retail trade 13.8%

Professional & management 11.7%

Construction 7.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.6%

Public administration 4.7%

Transportation & utilities 4.4%

Finance & real estate 4.1%

Other services 3.9%

Wholesale trade 2.4%

Information 0.7%

Agriculture & mining 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	35.2%
Service	14.4%
Sales & office	18.1%
Natural resources & construction	11.4%
Production & transportation	20.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.4%
Government	13.2%
Self-employed	4.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	85.6%
Carpool	5.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.3%
Work from home	7.3%
Other means	1.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.9

Poverty

All people 7.7%

Under 18 years 10.4%

18 and over 7.0%

Married-couple families 1.2%

Female-led households 24.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	38.2%
Retirement income	29.3%
Supplemental Security	4.7%
Cash public assistance	0.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.0%
High blood pressure	37.6%
High cholesterol	35.5%
Diabetes	11.8%
Heart disease	7.0%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	9.6%
Arthritis	31.1%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	8.4%
Cancer	6.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.6%
Binge drinking	15.4%
No physical activity	26.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.2%
Depression	26.3%
Fair or poor health	17.8%
Poor mental health	16.3%
Poor physical health	11.6%
No health insurance	15.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.9%
Visited dentist	63.9%
Cholesterol screening	90.4%
Teeth loss	14.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,153	8.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.8%
Under 18	1.8%
18–64 years	13.3%
65 and over	37.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	73.9%
Public insurance	34.9%
No insurance	8.2%
Uninsured under 19	3.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	30,537	94.3%
Spanish	1,241	4.1%
Other Indo-European	648	2.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	22	0.1%
Other languages	1	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	30,418	94.0%
Born in same state	30,181	93.2%
Born in different state	21,385	66.1%
Foreign born	237	0.7%
Naturalized citizen	1,954	6.0%
Not a US citizen	581	29.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	4,632	14.3%
French	4,553	14.1%
Italian	2,771	8.6%
English	560	1.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	142	0.4%
Dutch	39	0.1%
German	16	0%
Irish	4	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.4%
Internet access	92.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 35603

What city is ZIP code 35603 in?

ZIP code 35603 is primarily assigned to Decatur, Alabama.

What county is ZIP code 35603 in?

ZIP code 35603 falls within Morgan County, Alabama.

Does ZIP code 35603 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 35603 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 35603?

ZIP code 35603 has an estimated population of 32,372 residents, with a density of 456 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 35603?

The median home value in ZIP code 35603 is $218,800.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 35603?

The median household income in ZIP code 35603 is $71,453, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 35603 in?

ZIP code 35603 observes the CST timezone.