36856 ZIP Code — Fort Mitchell, AL

Russell County, Alabama

ZIP code 36856 is located in Fort Mitchell, Alabama, within Russell County. It covers approximately 38.74 square miles and serves a population of 8,769 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 334.

About ZIP code 36856

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Much of the housing stock is relatively new, reflecting recent development activity. Median home value is $224,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 92%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $66,994. SNAP benefit usage at 18% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 35% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 37 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 18% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 26% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 36856 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

8,769

population

38.74

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

36856 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 36856

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 36856. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Fort Mitchell	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

31903 Columbus (8.5 mi) 31805 Cusseta (10.7 mi) 36869 Phenix City (11 mi) 31821 Omaha (11.1 mi) 31905 Fort Benning (11.4 mi) 36875 Seale (11.4 mi) 31999 Columbus (11.6 mi) 31997 Columbus (11.6 mi) 31998 Columbus (11.6 mi) 31993 Columbus (11.6 mi) 31901 Columbus (11.9 mi) 36871 Pittsview (11.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	8,769
Population density	226 / sq mi
State FIPS	01
County FIPS	113

Geography
Land area	38.74 sq mi
Water area	0.57 sq mi
Latitude	32.2929
Longitude	-84.9741
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	34.1%	54.3%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	43.7%	30.2%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	17.0%	12.3%	18.0%
Over $200k	5.2%	3.3%	4.4%

Demographics & statistics

8,769

Population

226

People per sq mi

31.4

Median age

$66,994

Median household income

$26,279

Per capita income

$224,600

Median home value

$1,597

Median monthly rent

92.2%

Home ownership

9.2%

Poverty rate

10.3%

Unemployment

2,780

Housing units

17.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

531

Under 5

660

442

5–9

548

225

10–14

279

223

15–19

277

113

20–24

140

644

25–34

799

574

35–44

712

513

45–54

638

115

55–59

142

181

60–64

224

111

65–74

137

222

75–84

276

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,968	33.8%
18 and over	5,801	66.2%
65 and over	789	9.0%
Median age	31.4 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 43.5%

White 41.1%

Two or more races 6.6%

Hispanic or Latino 6.1%

Other race 2.5%

Asian 0.1%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	4,060	43.5%
White	3,844	41.1%
Two or more races	614	6.6%
Hispanic or Latino	574	6.1%
Other race	233	2.5%
Asian	10	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	8	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	34.1%	54.3%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	43.7%	30.2%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	17.0%	12.3%	18.0%
Over $200k	5.2%	3.3%	4.4%

Under $10k 1.0%

$10k–$15k 1.4%

$15k–$25k 15.1%

$25k–$35k 3.5%

$35k–$50k 5.2%

$50k–$75k 32.8%

$75k–$100k 15.7%

$100k–$150k 11.2%

$150k–$200k 6.6%

$200k+ 7.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	1.0%
$10k–$15k	1.4%
$15k–$25k	15.1%
$25k–$35k	3.5%
$35k–$50k	5.2%
$50k–$75k	32.8%
$75k–$100k	15.7%
$100k–$150k	11.2%
$150k–$200k	6.6%
$200k+	7.6%
Median income	$66,994

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 12.2%

$50k–$100k 9.2%

$100k–$150k 6.7%

$150k–$200k 14.1%

$200k–$300k 46.0%

$300k–$500k 9.8%

$500k–$1M 1.0%

$1M+ 0.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$224,600
Median rent / month	$1,597
Owner occupied	92.2%
Renter occupied	7.8%
Vacant	6.5%
Single-family detached	77.5%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	18.8%
Median rooms	7.2
Avg household size (owned)	3.12

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	58.1%
2000–2009	9.7%
1990–1999	8.4%
1980–1989	2.2%
1970–1979	9.1%
1960–1969	2.5%
1950–1959	7.4%
1940–1949	0.0%
1939 or earlier	2.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	0.4%
2 bedrooms	12.8%
3 bedrooms	22.2%
4 bedrooms	45.3%
5+ bedrooms	19.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	1.8%
1 vehicle	15.9%
2 vehicles	45.1%
3 or more	37.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	5.7%
Electricity	81.6%
Propane / LP gas	11.2%
Wood	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,072	73.9%
Cohabiting couple	128	4.6%
Male householder, no spouse	235	8.4%
Female householder, no spouse	369	13.2%
Households with children under 18	1,313	46.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	529	18.9%
Average household size	3.12

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	20.3%	20.1%
Married	72.3%	62.4%
Separated	3.6%	1.6%
Widowed	1.0%	3.2%
Divorced	2.7%	12.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 7.9%

Some HS, no diploma 5.0%

HS graduate 18.1%

Some college, no degree 25.4%

Associate's degree 25.9%

Bachelor's degree 13.1%

Graduate / professional 4.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.1%
Bachelor's or higher	17.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	244	8.4%
Kindergarten	240	8.3%
Elementary school	1,026	35.3%
High school	412	14.2%
College / grad school	981	33.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 17.8%

Public administration 14.5%

Professional & management 11.5%

Retail trade 11.0%

Finance & real estate 11.0%

Manufacturing 10.1%

Transportation & utilities 9.3%

Wholesale trade 4.7%

Construction 4.5%

Other services 4.2%

Information 1.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	30.0%
Service	8.6%
Sales & office	20.9%
Natural resources & construction	11.9%
Production & transportation	28.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	62.3%
Government	33.5%
Self-employed	4.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	86.1%
Carpool	3.1%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	10.7%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	36.7

Poverty

All people 9.2%

Under 18 years 8.5%

18 and over 9.5%

Married-couple families 5.4%

Female-led households 31.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	35.3%
Retirement income	30.0%
Supplemental Security	4.8%
Cash public assistance	4.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	17.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.4%
High blood pressure	35.8%
High cholesterol	30.9%
Diabetes	10.3%
Heart disease	4.6%
Stroke	2.6%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	24.1%
Kidney disease	2.4%
Pulmonary disease	5.4%
Cancer	4.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.5%
Binge drinking	16.4%
No physical activity	25.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	41.6%
Depression	23.9%
Fair or poor health	15.1%
Poor mental health	16.5%
Poor physical health	9.2%
No health insurance	15.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.7%
Visited dentist	64.7%
Cholesterol screening	89.9%
Teeth loss	12.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,340	25.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	21.1%
Under 18	0.5%
18–64 years	25.9%
65 and over	72.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	78.6%
Public insurance	36.6%
No insurance	6.5%
Uninsured under 19	0.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	7,578	86.4%
Spanish	140	1.8%
Other Indo-European	49	0.6%
Asian & Pacific Islander	18	0.2%
Other languages	73	1.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	8,459	96.5%
Born in same state	8,090	92.3%
Born in different state	1,504	17.2%
Foreign born	369	4.2%
Naturalized citizen	310	3.5%
Not a US citizen	115	37.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	597	6.8%
Italian	458	5.2%
Arab	453	5.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	90	1%
Polish	67	0.8%
German	8	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	32.0%
Internet access	91.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 36856

What city is ZIP code 36856 in?

ZIP code 36856 is primarily assigned to Fort Mitchell, Alabama.

What county is ZIP code 36856 in?

ZIP code 36856 falls within Russell County, Alabama.

Is ZIP code 36856 family-oriented?

34% of residents in ZIP code 36856 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

Is ZIP code 36856 mostly owner-occupied?

92% of occupied units in ZIP code 36856 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 36856 have a large veteran population?

26% of civilians in ZIP code 36856 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

Does ZIP code 36856 have a large retiree population?

35% of households in ZIP code 36856 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 36856 in?

ZIP code 36856 observes the CST timezone.