35020 ZIP Code — Bessemer, AL

Jefferson County, Alabama

ZIP code 35020 is located in Bessemer, Alabama, within Jefferson County. It covers approximately 16.56 square miles and serves a population of 25,713 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 205.

About ZIP code 35020

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1950s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $87,000. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 55%.

Median household income is $31,257. Poverty affects 35% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 31% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 46% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 23 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 11% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (48%), diabetes (20%), smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks. 17% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 26%.

Overall, ZIP code 35020 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

25,713

population

16.56

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

35020 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 35020

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 35020. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Bessemer	Acceptable
Bessemer	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

35228 Birmingham (4 mi) 35221 Birmingham (4.5 mi) 35061 Dolomite (4.6 mi) 35022 Bessemer (4.8 mi) 35022 Bessemer (4.8 mi) 35064 Fairfield (5.2 mi) 35226 Birmingham (5.9 mi) 35211 Birmingham (6.1 mi) 35127 Pleasant Grove (6.5 mi) 35208 Birmingham (7.6 mi) 35244 Birmingham (7.8 mi) 35218 Birmingham (7.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	25,713
Population density	1,553 / sq mi
State FIPS	01
County FIPS	073

Geography
Land area	16.56 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	33.4019
Longitude	-86.9432
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	205

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	72.2%	45.1%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	22.6%	29.1%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	4.9%	19.1%	18.0%
Over $200k	0.4%	6.7%	4.4%

Demographics & statistics

25,713

Population

1,553

People per sq mi

38.9

Median age

$31,257

Median household income

$19,485

Per capita income

$87,000

Median home value

$828

Median monthly rent

54.8%

Home ownership

34.9%

Poverty rate

9.2%

Unemployment

7,743

Housing units

10.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

844

Under 5

908

877

5–9

942

861

10–14

925

637

15–19

684

755

20–24

811

1,501

25–34

1,615

1,507

35–44

1,620

1,293

45–54

1,391

797

55–59

857

1,067

60–64

1,147

1,382

65–74

1,486

637

75–84

685

233

85+

251

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	6,210	24.2%
18 and over	19,503	75.8%
65 and over	4,674	18.2%
Median age	38.9 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 70%

White 11.2%

Hispanic or Latino 8.2%

Other race 6.2%

Two or more races 4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	19,588	70%
White	3,133	11.2%
Hispanic or Latino	2,286	8.2%
Other race	1,746	6.2%
Two or more races	1,106	4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	121	0.4%
Asian	19	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	72.2%	45.1%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	22.6%	29.1%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	4.9%	19.1%	18.0%
Over $200k	0.4%	6.7%	4.4%

Under $10k 10.9%

$10k–$15k 9.7%

$15k–$25k 19.6%

$25k–$35k 15.0%

$35k–$50k 13.5%

$50k–$75k 12.7%

$75k–$100k 10.4%

$100k–$150k 5.7%

$150k–$200k 1.6%

$200k+ 0.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	10.9%
$10k–$15k	9.7%
$15k–$25k	19.6%
$25k–$35k	15.0%
$35k–$50k	13.5%
$50k–$75k	12.7%
$75k–$100k	10.4%
$100k–$150k	5.7%
$150k–$200k	1.6%
$200k+	0.9%
Median income	$31,257

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 18.2%

$50k–$100k 44.6%

$100k–$150k 14.8%

$150k–$200k 6.7%

$200k–$300k 10.5%

$300k–$500k 3.9%

$500k–$1M 0.9%

$1M+ 0.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$87,000
Median rent / month	$828
Owner occupied	54.8%
Renter occupied	45.2%
Vacant	18.2%
Single-family detached	77.0%
Large apartment buildings	2.7%
Mobile homes	4.0%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.43

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	2.0%
2000–2009	2.9%
1990–1999	3.1%
1980–1989	6.9%
1970–1979	13.0%
1960–1969	17.5%
1950–1959	21.0%
1940–1949	13.8%
1939 or earlier	19.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.7%
1 bedroom	9.4%
2 bedrooms	36.0%
3 bedrooms	41.5%
4 bedrooms	9.9%
5+ bedrooms	1.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	13.0%
1 vehicle	40.6%
2 vehicles	32.4%
3 or more	14.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	53.8%
Electricity	42.0%
Propane / LP gas	1.9%
Fuel oil	0.7%
No fuel used	1.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,050	20.4%
Cohabiting couple	674	6.7%
Male householder, no spouse	2,367	23.6%
Female householder, no spouse	4,958	49.3%
Households with children under 18	2,445	24.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,589	35.7%
Average household size	2.51

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	50.7%	41.6%
Married	27.7%	21.5%
Separated	2.3%	5.4%
Widowed	5.3%	14.2%
Divorced	14.0%	17.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.8%

Some HS, no diploma 12.7%

HS graduate 41.3%

Some college, no degree 23.9%

Associate's degree 6.9%

Bachelor's degree 7.3%

Graduate / professional 3.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	82.5%
Bachelor's or higher	10.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	360	6.7%
Kindergarten	177	3.3%
Elementary school	2,617	49.0%
High school	1,039	19.5%
College / grad school	1,148	21.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 12.1%

Manufacturing 12.0%

Transportation & utilities 11.9%

Retail trade 11.1%

Finance & real estate 8.2%

Professional & management 7.4%

Construction 5.9%

Public administration 4.2%

Other services 3.5%

Wholesale trade 1.6%

Agriculture & mining 0.4%

Information 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	16.7%
Service	28.7%
Sales & office	16.8%
Natural resources & construction	9.1%
Production & transportation	28.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.5%
Government	14.3%
Self-employed	4.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.0%
Carpool	15.0%
Public transit	0.8%
Walk	2.7%
Work from home	3.2%
Other means	1.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.2

Poverty

All people 34.9%

Under 18 years 57.1%

18 and over 27.9%

Married-couple families 12.6%

Female-led households 45.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	46.4%
Retirement income	22.1%
Supplemental Security	15.6%
Cash public assistance	3.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	31.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	47.8%
High blood pressure	49.6%
High cholesterol	32.1%
Diabetes	19.9%
Heart disease	8.7%
Stroke	6.0%
Asthma	11.6%
Arthritis	34.0%
Kidney disease	4.6%
Pulmonary disease	10.6%
Cancer	5.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.3%
Binge drinking	11.3%
No physical activity	37.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	44.1%
Depression	22.8%
Fair or poor health	30.1%
Poor mental health	17.7%
Poor physical health	15.4%
No health insurance	22.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	80.8%
Visited dentist	48.2%
Cholesterol screening	90.3%
Teeth loss	27.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,302	6.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	26.0%
Under 18	5.2%
18–64 years	23.7%
65 and over	62.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	39.9%
Public insurance	56.3%
No insurance	16.8%
Uninsured under 19	12.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	23,961	93.2%
Spanish	1,081	4.5%
Other Indo-European	1,049	4.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	32	0.1%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	24,704	96.1%
Born in same state	24,520	95.4%
Born in different state	21,845	85.0%
Foreign born	184	0.7%
Naturalized citizen	1,009	3.9%
Not a US citizen	155	15.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	2,027	7.9%
Italian	554	2.2%
French	327	1.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	52	0.2%
German	35	0.1%
Polish	13	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.1%
Internet access	86.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 35020

What city is ZIP code 35020 in?

ZIP code 35020 is primarily assigned to Bessemer, Alabama.

What county is ZIP code 35020 in?

ZIP code 35020 falls within Jefferson County, Alabama.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 35020?

35% of residents in ZIP code 35020 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 35020?

11% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 35020 have a large retiree population?

46% of households in ZIP code 35020 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 35020?

Health data for ZIP code 35020 shows elevated rates of obesity (48%) and diabetes (20%) and smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 35020 in?

ZIP code 35020 observes the CST timezone.