36320 ZIP Code — Cottonwood, AL

Houston County, Alabama

ZIP code 36320 is located in Cottonwood, Alabama, within Houston County. It covers approximately 64.26 square miles and serves a population of 3,213 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 334.

About ZIP code 36320

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $115,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 78%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $39,640. Poverty affects 23% of residents, above the national average. 45% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is sales and office, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 27 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 13% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of 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 24%.

Overall, ZIP code 36320 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,213

population

64.26

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

36320 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 36320

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 36320. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Cottonwood	Acceptable
Cottonwood	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

32426 Campbellton (8.1 mi) 36301 Dothan (8.3 mi) 32445 Malone (9.9 mi) 36312 Ashford (10 mi) 36370 Pansey (11.1 mi) 36321 Cowarts (11.2 mi) 36343 Gordon (12.4 mi) 36375 Slocomb (12.9 mi) 36305 Dothan (13.9 mi) 36376 Webb (14.2 mi) 32446 Marianna (14.6 mi) 32440 Graceville (15.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,213
Population density	50 / sq mi
State FIPS	01
County FIPS	069

Geography
Land area	64.26 sq mi
Water area	0.12 sq mi
Latitude	31.0527
Longitude	-85.3237
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	334

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	60.3%	51.5%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	24.9%	28.0%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	12.3%	16.5%	18.0%
Over $200k	2.5%	4.1%	4.4%

Demographics & statistics

3,213

Population

People per sq mi

47.0

Median age

$39,640

Median household income

$25,372

Per capita income

$115,300

Median home value

$480

Median monthly rent

78.0%

Home ownership

22.7%

Poverty rate

4.0%

Unemployment

1,438

Housing units

12.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

163

25–34

169

194

35–44

202

232

45–54

240

163

55–59

169

116

60–64

121

213

65–74

221

113

75–84

117

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	494	15.4%
18 and over	2,719	84.6%
65 and over	729	22.7%
Median age	47.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 75.6%

Black or African American 21.4%

Two or more races 1.9%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%

Hispanic or Latino 0.2%

Asian 0.1%

Other race 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	2,432	75.6%
Black or African American	689	21.4%
Two or more races	62	1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	25	0.8%
Hispanic or Latino	5	0.2%
Asian	3	0.1%
Other race	2	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	60.3%	51.5%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	24.9%	28.0%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	12.3%	16.5%	18.0%
Over $200k	2.5%	4.1%	4.4%

Under $10k 8.1%

$10k–$15k 5.7%

$15k–$25k 14.2%

$25k–$35k 14.9%

$35k–$50k 15.8%

$50k–$75k 16.9%

$75k–$100k 7.0%

$100k–$150k 10.5%

$150k–$200k 3.7%

$200k+ 2.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	8.1%
$10k–$15k	5.7%
$15k–$25k	14.2%
$25k–$35k	14.9%
$35k–$50k	15.8%
$50k–$75k	16.9%
$75k–$100k	7.0%
$100k–$150k	10.5%
$150k–$200k	3.7%
$200k+	2.9%
Median income	$39,640

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 18.1%

$50k–$100k 26.1%

$100k–$150k 18.3%

$150k–$200k 18.2%

$200k–$300k 13.4%

$300k–$500k 5.3%

$500k–$1M 0.7%

$1M+ 0.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$115,300
Median rent / month	$480
Owner occupied	78.0%
Renter occupied	22.0%
Vacant	21.6%
Single-family detached	64.1%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	30.7%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.46

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.6%
2010–2019	4.8%
2000–2009	14.0%
1990–1999	19.1%
1980–1989	8.6%
1970–1979	21.1%
1960–1969	8.6%
1950–1959	6.3%
1940–1949	6.4%
1939 or earlier	9.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.7%
1 bedroom	5.2%
2 bedrooms	22.7%
3 bedrooms	55.9%
4 bedrooms	13.2%
5+ bedrooms	2.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.9%
1 vehicle	28.9%
2 vehicles	30.0%
3 or more	36.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	0.7%
Electricity	95.0%
Propane / LP gas	2.6%
Wood	0.2%
No fuel used	1.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	602	44.2%
Cohabiting couple	70	5.1%
Male householder, no spouse	281	20.6%
Female householder, no spouse	410	30.1%
Households with children under 18	270	19.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	544	39.9%
Average household size	2.36

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	32.3%	25.8%
Married	47.3%	43.2%
Separated	1.5%	2.4%
Widowed	4.9%	14.0%
Divorced	14.0%	14.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 8.1%

Some HS, no diploma 10.5%

HS graduate 43.2%

Some college, no degree 19.3%

Associate's degree 6.4%

Bachelor's degree 9.5%

Graduate / professional 3.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	81.4%
Bachelor's or higher	12.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	19	4.0%
Kindergarten	17	3.6%
Elementary school	251	53.1%
High school	99	20.9%
College / grad school	87	18.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 13.0%

Manufacturing 11.5%

Retail trade 11.2%

Construction 10.3%

Professional & management 8.7%

Transportation & utilities 6.6%

Finance & real estate 5.3%

Public administration 4.9%

Other services 3.7%

Wholesale trade 2.5%

Agriculture & mining 1.3%

Information 0.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	22.4%
Service	17.1%
Sales & office	25.6%
Natural resources & construction	13.3%
Production & transportation	21.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	77.0%
Government	14.9%
Self-employed	7.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	92.1%
Carpool	3.6%
Public transit	0.2%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	3.8%
Other means	0.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.2

Poverty

All people 22.7%

Under 18 years 32.4%

18 and over 20.9%

Married-couple families 8.0%

Female-led households 54.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	45.1%
Retirement income	26.8%
Supplemental Security	7.2%
Cash public assistance	0.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.5%
High blood pressure	45.3%
High cholesterol	37.1%
Diabetes	13.3%
Heart disease	8.3%
Stroke	4.2%
Asthma	10.2%
Arthritis	32.2%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	10.5%
Cancer	7.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.2%
Binge drinking	13.7%
No physical activity	34.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.6%
Depression	28.1%
Fair or poor health	22.5%
Poor mental health	17.5%
Poor physical health	13.8%
No health insurance	17.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.9%
Visited dentist	56.8%
Cholesterol screening	89.8%
Teeth loss	19.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	195	7.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	24.1%
Under 18	15.4%
18–64 years	17.2%
65 and over	48.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	49.4%
Public insurance	47.1%
No insurance	17.3%
Uninsured under 19	0.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,093	96.3%
Spanish	33	1.1%
Other Indo-European	30	1.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	3	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,182	99.0%
Born in same state	3,145	97.9%
Born in different state	2,195	68.3%
Foreign born	37	1.2%
Naturalized citizen	31	1.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	892	27.8%
French	230	7.2%
Italian	229	7.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	21	0.7%
German	6	0.2%
English	5	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.4%
Internet access	79.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 36320

What city is ZIP code 36320 in?

ZIP code 36320 is primarily assigned to Cottonwood, Alabama.

What county is ZIP code 36320 in?

ZIP code 36320 falls within Houston County, Alabama.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 36320?

23% of residents in ZIP code 36320 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 36320?

13% 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 36320 have a large retiree population?

45% of households in ZIP code 36320 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 36320?

The median home value in ZIP code 36320 is $115,300.

What timezone is ZIP code 36320 in?

ZIP code 36320 observes the CST timezone.