35221 ZIP Code — Birmingham, AL

Jefferson County, Alabama

ZIP code 35221 is located in Birmingham, Alabama, within Jefferson County. It covers approximately 3.69 square miles and serves a population of 3,034 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 205.

About ZIP code 35221

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 $71,400. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 63%.

Median household income is $33,660. Poverty affects 23% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 33% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 59% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

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

College attainment at 12% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (50%), diabetes (24%), smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 11% of civilians, above the national average of 7%; and disability rates above the national average at 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 35221 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a strong veteran community, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

3,034

population

3.69

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

35221 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 35221

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 35221. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Birmingham	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

35228 Birmingham (1 mi) 35064 Fairfield (2.1 mi) 35211 Birmingham (2.3 mi) 35208 Birmingham (3.2 mi) 35061 Dolomite (3.6 mi) 35218 Birmingham (3.7 mi) 35020 Bessemer (4.5 mi) 35254 Birmingham (4.8 mi) 35127 Pleasant Grove (5 mi) 35224 Birmingham (5.1 mi) 35226 Birmingham (5.3 mi) 35209 Birmingham (5.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,034
Population density	822 / sq mi
State FIPS	01
County FIPS	073

Geography
Land area	3.69 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	33.4556
Longitude	-86.9001
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	65.6%	45.1%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	28.8%	29.1%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	4.9%	19.1%	18.0%
Over $200k	0.7%	6.7%	4.4%

Demographics & statistics

3,034

Population

822

People per sq mi

54.7

Median age

$33,660

Median household income

$22,923

Per capita income

$71,400

Median home value

$968

Median monthly rent

63.4%

Home ownership

22.8%

Poverty rate

13.3%

Unemployment

1,761

Housing units

11.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

120

20–24

155

25–34

203

101

35–44

133

124

45–54

163

55–59

139

60–64

182

227

65–74

296

146

75–84

191

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	485	16.0%
18 and over	2,549	84.0%
65 and over	1,024	33.8%
Median age	54.7 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 92%

White 4.7%

Hispanic or Latino 1.7%

Other race 1.7%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	2,837	92%
White	146	4.7%
Hispanic or Latino	51	1.7%
Other race	51	1.7%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	65.6%	45.1%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	28.8%	29.1%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	4.9%	19.1%	18.0%
Over $200k	0.7%	6.7%	4.4%

Under $10k 10.7%

$10k–$15k 9.4%

$15k–$25k 21.4%

$25k–$35k 12.7%

$35k–$50k 10.3%

$50k–$75k 15.0%

$75k–$100k 9.6%

$100k–$150k 9.1%

$150k–$200k 1.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	10.7%
$10k–$15k	9.4%
$15k–$25k	21.4%
$25k–$35k	12.7%
$35k–$50k	10.3%
$50k–$75k	15.0%
$75k–$100k	9.6%
$100k–$150k	9.1%
$150k–$200k	1.6%
Median income	$33,660

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 17.1%

$50k–$100k 53.9%

$100k–$150k 20.9%

$150k–$200k 3.2%

$200k–$300k 2.7%

$500k–$1M 1.5%

$1M+ 0.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$71,400
Median rent / month	$968
Owner occupied	63.4%
Renter occupied	36.6%
Vacant	38.5%
Single-family detached	93.7%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	1.3%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.22

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	2.2%
1990–1999	1.2%
1980–1989	2.8%
1970–1979	10.4%
1960–1969	22.9%
1950–1959	26.9%
1940–1949	17.9%
1939 or earlier	15.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	6.2%
2 bedrooms	29.8%
3 bedrooms	54.9%
4 bedrooms	6.6%
5+ bedrooms	2.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	14.9%
1 vehicle	47.4%
2 vehicles	25.4%
3 or more	12.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	50.8%
Electricity	47.0%
Fuel oil	0.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	268	19.2%
Cohabiting couple	76	5.4%
Male householder, no spouse	266	19.0%
Female householder, no spouse	789	56.4%
Households with children under 18	214	15.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	779	55.7%
Average household size	2.14

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.5%	40.9%
Married	28.5%	17.2%
Separated	9.3%	3.9%
Widowed	15.9%	14.9%
Divorced	18.9%	23.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.2%

Some HS, no diploma 15.7%

HS graduate 26.8%

Some college, no degree 33.4%

Associate's degree 7.2%

Bachelor's degree 9.8%

Graduate / professional 2.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	79.1%
Bachelor's or higher	11.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	14	2.1%
Kindergarten	0	0.0%
Elementary school	269	41.2%
High school	175	26.8%
College / grad school	195	29.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.7%

Manufacturing 17.3%

Retail trade 15.5%

Professional & management 11.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.0%

Construction 5.1%

Other services 4.5%

Finance & real estate 3.0%

Information 2.7%

Public administration 2.7%

Transportation & utilities 2.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	26.8%
Service	19.8%
Sales & office	19.3%
Natural resources & construction	3.4%
Production & transportation	30.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	88.3%
Government	8.0%
Self-employed	3.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	76.6%
Carpool	10.9%
Public transit	1.3%
Walk	4.2%
Work from home	1.6%
Other means	5.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.7

Poverty

All people 22.8%

Under 18 years 45.1%

18 and over 18.6%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 29.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	59.1%
Retirement income	25.4%
Supplemental Security	9.9%
Cash public assistance	0.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	33.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	49.8%
High blood pressure	55.8%
High cholesterol	34.8%
Diabetes	23.5%
Heart disease	9.6%
Stroke	7.0%
Asthma	11.8%
Arthritis	37.7%
Kidney disease	5.4%
Pulmonary disease	10.3%
Cancer	6.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.8%
Binge drinking	9.4%
No physical activity	37.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	45.5%
Depression	20.4%
Fair or poor health	30.8%
Poor mental health	16.1%
Poor physical health	15.5%
No health insurance	20.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	84.3%
Visited dentist	50.2%
Cholesterol screening	93.1%
Teeth loss	25.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	284	11.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	33.3%
Under 18	8.9%
18–64 years	25.2%
65 and over	57.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	54.2%
Public insurance	61.9%
No insurance	7.4%
Uninsured under 19	3.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,984	98.4%
Spanish	35	1.2%
Other Indo-European	25	0.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	10	0.3%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,983	98.3%
Born in same state	2,978	98.2%
Born in different state	2,732	90.0%
Foreign born	5	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	51	1.7%
Not a US citizen	8	15.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	647	21.3%
French	23	0.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	10	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	46.1%
Internet access	79.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 35221

What city is ZIP code 35221 in?

ZIP code 35221 is primarily assigned to Birmingham, Alabama.

What county is ZIP code 35221 in?

ZIP code 35221 falls within Jefferson County, Alabama.

Does ZIP code 35221 have an older population?

34% of residents in ZIP code 35221 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 35221 have a large retiree population?

59% of households in ZIP code 35221 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 35221?

23% of residents in ZIP code 35221 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 35221?

12% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What timezone is ZIP code 35221 in?

ZIP code 35221 observes the CST timezone.