35242 ZIP Code — Birmingham, AL

Shelby County, Alabama

ZIP code 35242 is located in Birmingham, Alabama, within Shelby County. It covers approximately 52.37 square miles and serves a population of 56,466 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 205.

About ZIP code 35242

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $433,800. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 74%.

The gap between median ($115,541) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 6% is below the national average.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 25 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 64% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

56,466

population

52.37

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

35242 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 35242

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 35242. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Birmingham	Acceptable
Birmingham	Acceptable
Birmingham	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

35243 Birmingham (4.6 mi) 35043 Chelsea (5.9 mi) 35216 Birmingham (6 mi) 35223 Birmingham (7.1 mi) 35124 Pelham (7.8 mi) 35229 Birmingham (7.9 mi) 35147 Sterrett (7.9 mi) 35147 Sterrett (7.9 mi) 35213 Birmingham (8.2 mi) 35209 Birmingham (8.4 mi) 35244 Birmingham (8.7 mi) 35226 Birmingham (9.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	56,466
Population density	1,078 / sq mi
State FIPS	01
County FIPS	117

Geography
Land area	52.37 sq mi
Water area	2.15 sq mi
Latitude	33.3996
Longitude	-86.6830
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	24.0%	30.7%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	27.0%	31.5%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	29.6%	28.4%	18.0%
Over $200k	19.5%	9.4%	4.4%

Demographics & statistics

56,466

Population

1,078

People per sq mi

43.5

Median age

$115,541

Median household income

$65,263

Per capita income

$433,800

Median home value

$1,368

Median monthly rent

73.5%

Home ownership

5.6%

Poverty rate

2.1%

Unemployment

18,652

Housing units

64.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,163

Under 5

1,248

1,398

5–9

1,500

1,526

10–14

1,637

1,974

15–19

2,117

1,649

20–24

1,769

2,988

25–34

3,206

3,513

35–44

3,770

3,864

45–54

4,145

1,952

55–59

2,095

2,045

60–64

2,195

3,056

65–74

3,279

1,640

75–84

1,759

472

85+

506

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	11,181	19.8%
18 and over	45,285	80.2%
65 and over	10,712	19.0%
Median age	43.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 78.6%

Black or African American 10%

Asian 3.6%

Two or more races 3.1%

Hispanic or Latino 2.8%

Other race 1.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	45,624	78.6%
Black or African American	5,831	10%
Asian	2,095	3.6%
Two or more races	1,819	3.1%
Hispanic or Latino	1,607	2.8%
Other race	950	1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	141	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	24.0%	30.7%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	27.0%	31.5%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	29.6%	28.4%	18.0%
Over $200k	19.5%	9.4%	4.4%

Under $10k 3.6%

$10k–$15k 1.6%

$15k–$25k 4.2%

$25k–$35k 5.9%

$35k–$50k 7.5%

$50k–$75k 13.4%

$75k–$100k 7.9%

$100k–$150k 18.7%

$150k–$200k 12.4%

$200k+ 24.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.6%
$10k–$15k	1.6%
$15k–$25k	4.2%
$25k–$35k	5.9%
$35k–$50k	7.5%
$50k–$75k	13.4%
$75k–$100k	7.9%
$100k–$150k	18.7%
$150k–$200k	12.4%
$200k+	24.8%
Median income	$115,541

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.4%

$50k–$100k 0.7%

$100k–$150k 1.8%

$150k–$200k 1.9%

$200k–$300k 13.7%

$300k–$500k 44.5%

$500k–$1M 31.3%

$1M+ 4.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$433,800
Median rent / month	$1,368
Owner occupied	73.5%
Renter occupied	26.5%
Vacant	6.2%
Single-family detached	68.4%
Large apartment buildings	8.6%
Mobile homes	1.0%
Median rooms	7.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.61

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.7%
2010–2019	12.8%
2000–2009	29.4%
1990–1999	28.5%
1980–1989	19.4%
1970–1979	7.1%
1960–1969	1.3%
1950–1959	0.1%
1940–1949	0.4%
1939 or earlier	0.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.4%
1 bedroom	8.5%
2 bedrooms	17.9%
3 bedrooms	27.8%
4 bedrooms	29.6%
5+ bedrooms	14.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.6%
1 vehicle	26.6%
2 vehicles	44.9%
3 or more	25.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	56.6%
Electricity	41.0%
Propane / LP gas	1.8%
Fuel oil	0.1%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	14,201	61.0%
Cohabiting couple	592	2.5%
Male householder, no spouse	2,871	12.3%
Female householder, no spouse	5,626	24.2%
Households with children under 18	6,358	27.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	7,187	30.9%
Average household size	2.42

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	26.0%	23.0%
Married	64.8%	57.4%
Separated	1.4%	0.6%
Widowed	1.7%	8.0%
Divorced	6.0%	11.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.3%

Some HS, no diploma 2.3%

HS graduate 10.9%

Some college, no degree 16.2%

Associate's degree 5.0%

Bachelor's degree 40.0%

Graduate / professional 24.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.4%
Bachelor's or higher	64.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	861	6.6%
Kindergarten	540	4.1%
Elementary school	4,830	36.9%
High school	3,439	26.3%
College / grad school	3,404	26.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.6%

Professional & management 14.0%

Finance & real estate 13.2%

Retail trade 8.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.5%

Manufacturing 7.2%

Other services 5.9%

Construction 5.4%

Transportation & utilities 4.7%

Wholesale trade 4.1%

Public administration 2.6%

Information 1.6%

Agriculture & mining 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	58.4%
Service	11.0%
Sales & office	20.9%
Natural resources & construction	3.7%
Production & transportation	6.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	84.7%
Government	10.6%
Self-employed	4.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.4%
Carpool	5.6%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	0.7%
Work from home	13.7%
Other means	0.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.4

Poverty

All people 5.6%

Under 18 years 4.5%

18 and over 5.9%

Married-couple families 2.3%

Female-led households 9.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	29.6%
Retirement income	25.3%
Supplemental Security	1.7%
Cash public assistance	0.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	2.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	30.8%
High blood pressure	32.3%
High cholesterol	32.5%
Diabetes	8.3%
Heart disease	4.8%
Stroke	2.0%
Asthma	8.4%
Arthritis	23.3%
Kidney disease	2.2%
Pulmonary disease	4.7%
Cancer	6.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	11.4%
Binge drinking	16.5%
No physical activity	17.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.4%
Depression	23.1%
Fair or poor health	10.2%
Poor mental health	13.2%
Poor physical health	7.7%
No health insurance	9.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.1%
Visited dentist	74.5%
Cholesterol screening	92.7%
Teeth loss	6.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	2,786	6.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	9.7%
Under 18	2.7%
18–64 years	6.5%
65 and over	27.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	87.2%
Public insurance	23.8%
No insurance	3.6%
Uninsured under 19	2.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	54,055	95.7%
Spanish	1,038	1.9%
Other Indo-European	506	0.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	80	0.1%
Other languages	351	0.6%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	53,431	94.6%
Born in same state	52,454	92.9%
Born in different state	32,524	57.6%
Foreign born	977	1.7%
Naturalized citizen	3,035	5.4%
Not a US citizen	1,882	62.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	10,446	18.5%
Arab	5,946	10.5%
Italian	5,871	10.4%
English	478	0.8%
Polish	262	0.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	153	0.3%
German	118	0.2%
Norwegian	39	0.1%
Irish	38	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.2%
Internet access	97.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 35242

What part of Birmingham is ZIP code 35242?

ZIP code 35242 covers a portion of Birmingham, Alabama, within Shelby County.

What county is ZIP code 35242 in?

ZIP code 35242 falls within Shelby County, Alabama.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 35242?

64% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 35242?

The median home value in ZIP code 35242 is $433,800.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 35242?

The median household income in ZIP code 35242 is $115,541, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 35242?

ZIP code 35242 has an estimated population of 56,466 residents, with a density of 1,078 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 35242 in?

ZIP code 35242 observes the CST timezone.