36521 ZIP Code — Chunchula, AL

Mobile County, Alabama

ZIP code 36521 is located in Chunchula, Alabama, within Mobile County. It covers approximately 132.17 square miles and serves a population of 5,804 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 251.

About ZIP code 36521

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $158,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 91%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $67,114. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 33% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with manufacturing as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 42 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 14% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (25%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 36521 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

5,804

population

132.17

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

36521 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 36521

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 36521. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Chunchula	Acceptable
Chunchula	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

36522 Citronelle (6.8 mi) 36571 Saraland (8.2 mi) 36505 Axis (10.1 mi) 36613 Eight Mile (10.5 mi) 36525 Creola (11.5 mi) 36560 Mount Vernon (12.4 mi) 36587 Wilmer (12.7 mi) 36575 Semmes (13.2 mi) 36572 Satsuma (13.5 mi) 36611 Mobile (14.3 mi) 36612 Mobile (15.2 mi) 36618 Mobile (15.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	5,804
Population density	44 / sq mi
State FIPS	01
County FIPS	097

Geography
Land area	132.17 sq mi
Water area	0.45 sq mi
Latitude	30.9609
Longitude	-88.1883
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	251

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	36.1%	50.3%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	40.1%	29.6%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	19.7%	16.7%	18.0%
Over $200k	4.1%	3.4%	4.4%

Demographics & statistics

5,804

Population

People per sq mi

35.6

Median age

$67,114

Median household income

$29,764

Per capita income

$158,900

Median home value

$899

Median monthly rent

91.2%

Home ownership

7.4%

Poverty rate

2.4%

Unemployment

2,045

Housing units

13.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

264

Under 5

275

186

5–9

194

10–14

205

15–19

214

175

20–24

183

540

25–34

564

301

35–44

314

433

45–54

453

156

55–59

162

107

60–64

112

268

65–74

279

131

75–84

137

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,362	23.5%
18 and over	4,442	76.5%
65 and over	884	15.2%
Median age	35.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 86.9%

Two or more races 5.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 2.8%

Black or African American 2.4%

Asian 1.5%

Hispanic or Latino 1.3%

Group	Count	%
White	5,107	86.9%
Two or more races	303	5.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	164	2.8%
Black or African American	139	2.4%
Asian	91	1.5%
Hispanic or Latino	76	1.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	36.1%	50.3%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	40.1%	29.6%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	19.7%	16.7%	18.0%
Over $200k	4.1%	3.4%	4.4%

Under $10k 4.6%

$10k–$15k 1.0%

$15k–$25k 4.7%

$25k–$35k 6.6%

$35k–$50k 5.5%

$50k–$75k 30.1%

$75k–$100k 21.7%

$100k–$150k 17.7%

$150k–$200k 3.3%

$200k+ 4.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.6%
$10k–$15k	1.0%
$15k–$25k	4.7%
$25k–$35k	6.6%
$35k–$50k	5.5%
$50k–$75k	30.1%
$75k–$100k	21.7%
$100k–$150k	17.7%
$150k–$200k	3.3%
$200k+	4.6%
Median income	$67,114

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.8%

$50k–$100k 19.2%

$100k–$150k 21.3%

$150k–$200k 17.3%

$200k–$300k 18.9%

$300k–$500k 12.4%

$500k–$1M 4.4%

$1M+ 0.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$158,900
Median rent / month	$899
Owner occupied	91.2%
Renter occupied	8.8%
Vacant	9.9%
Single-family detached	77.1%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	22.9%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.85

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	7.6%
2000–2009	21.7%
1990–1999	17.5%
1980–1989	15.2%
1970–1979	28.4%
1960–1969	7.2%
1950–1959	1.0%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	1.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	1.5%
2 bedrooms	18.6%
3 bedrooms	66.1%
4 bedrooms	13.0%
5+ bedrooms	0.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.8%
1 vehicle	11.5%
2 vehicles	44.3%
3 or more	41.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	8.9%
Electricity	83.3%
Propane / LP gas	3.4%
Fuel oil	0.7%
Wood	3.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,463	73.1%
Cohabiting couple	34	1.7%
Male householder, no spouse	302	15.1%
Female householder, no spouse	202	10.1%
Households with children under 18	866	43.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	574	28.7%
Average household size	2.90

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.2%	22.1%
Married	62.5%	65.5%
Separated	0.4%	0.5%
Widowed	1.7%	7.5%
Divorced	8.2%	4.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.9%

Some HS, no diploma 16.5%

HS graduate 45.2%

Some college, no degree 14.4%

Associate's degree 7.3%

Bachelor's degree 9.5%

Graduate / professional 4.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	80.6%
Bachelor's or higher	13.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	88	8.2%
Kindergarten	176	16.4%
Elementary school	336	31.4%
High school	391	36.5%
College / grad school	79	7.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 22.3%

Construction 14.1%

Retail trade 12.0%

Education & healthcare 11.0%

Professional & management 10.5%

Transportation & utilities 7.0%

Public administration 6.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.4%

Finance & real estate 5.3%

Wholesale trade 3.6%

Other services 1.9%

Agriculture & mining 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	21.3%
Service	12.4%
Sales & office	24.4%
Natural resources & construction	21.7%
Production & transportation	20.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	86.4%
Government	8.6%
Self-employed	5.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	89.7%
Carpool	3.9%
Public transit	1.0%
Walk	0.3%
Work from home	4.8%
Other means	0.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	42.4

Poverty

All people 7.4%

Under 18 years 8.1%

18 and over 7.2%

Married-couple families 2.9%

Female-led households 20.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	33.0%
Retirement income	17.9%
Supplemental Security	7.1%
Cash public assistance	0.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	11.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.4%
High blood pressure	38.9%
High cholesterol	37.1%
Diabetes	12.6%
Heart disease	7.5%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	10.1%
Arthritis	31.3%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	9.7%
Cancer	6.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.7%
Binge drinking	17.2%
No physical activity	28.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.4%
Depression	26.8%
Fair or poor health	20.8%
Poor mental health	17.9%
Poor physical health	13.5%
No health insurance	18.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	72.4%
Visited dentist	57.4%
Cholesterol screening	88.4%
Teeth loss	19.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	278	6.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.0%
Under 18	1.6%
18–64 years	10.8%
65 and over	39.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	67.5%
Public insurance	31.8%
No insurance	12.2%
Uninsured under 19	2.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	5,265	90.7%
Spanish	15	0.3%
Other Indo-European	15	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	5,689	98.0%
Born in same state	5,678	97.8%
Born in different state	4,282	73.8%
Foreign born	11	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	115	2.0%
Not a US citizen	66	57.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,150	19.8%
French	900	15.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	834	14.4%
German	21	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	34.5%
Internet access	91.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 36521

What city is ZIP code 36521 in?

ZIP code 36521 is primarily assigned to Chunchula, Alabama.

What county is ZIP code 36521 in?

ZIP code 36521 falls within Mobile County, Alabama.

Is ZIP code 36521 mostly owner-occupied?

91% of occupied units in ZIP code 36521 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 36521?

14% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 36521?

The median home value in ZIP code 36521 is $158,900.

What is the population of ZIP code 36521?

ZIP code 36521 has an estimated population of 5,804 residents, with a density of 44 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 36521 in?

ZIP code 36521 observes the CST timezone.