35981 ZIP Code — Ider, AL

De Kalb County, Alabama

ZIP code 35981 is located in Ider, Alabama, within De Kalb County. It covers approximately 26.06 square miles and serves a population of 1,806 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 256.

About ZIP code 35981

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $105,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $41,620. 48% 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 32 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 21% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks. 23% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 35981 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,806

population

26.06

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

35981 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 35981

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 35981. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Ider	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

35989 Valley Head (6.2 mi) 35978 Henagar (6.7 mi) 35979 Higdon (7.4 mi) 35966 Flat Rock (7.8 mi) 30738 Rising Fawn (10.6 mi) 35765 Pisgah (10.6 mi) 35984 Mentone (11.1 mi) 30731 Menlo (12.6 mi) 35988 Sylvania (13.4 mi) 35958 Bryant (13.6 mi) 30752 Trenton (14.7 mi) 35752 Hollywood (17 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	1,806
Population density	69 / sq mi
State FIPS	01
County FIPS	049

Geography
Land area	26.06 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	34.7123
Longitude	-85.6409
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	256

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	63.6%	57.3%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	28.0%	29.4%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	5.2%	11.1%	18.0%
Over $200k	3.1%	2.2%	4.4%

Demographics & statistics

1,806

Population

People per sq mi

48.7

Median age

$41,620

Median household income

$19,342

Per capita income

$105,700

Median home value

$840

Median monthly rent

79.7%

Home ownership

7.5%

Poverty rate

20.0%

Unemployment

721

Housing units

20.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

146

15–19

126

20–24

25–34

35–44

205

45–54

176

105

55–59

60–64

141

65–74

121

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	338	18.7%
18 and over	1,468	81.3%
65 and over	367	20.3%
Median age	48.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.7%

Two or more races 3.6%

Asian 0.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	1,728	95.7%
Two or more races	65	3.6%
Asian	9	0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	4	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	63.6%	57.3%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	28.0%	29.4%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	5.2%	11.1%	18.0%
Over $200k	3.1%	2.2%	4.4%

Under $10k 3.7%

$10k–$15k 2.5%

$15k–$25k 14.5%

$25k–$35k 12.3%

$35k–$50k 27.7%

$50k–$75k 17.8%

$75k–$100k 9.1%

$100k–$150k 9.5%

$150k–$200k 3.0%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.7%
$10k–$15k	2.5%
$15k–$25k	14.5%
$25k–$35k	12.3%
$35k–$50k	27.7%
$50k–$75k	17.8%
$75k–$100k	9.1%
$100k–$150k	9.5%
$150k–$200k	3.0%
Median income	$41,620

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 12.1%

$50k–$100k 35.8%

$100k–$150k 12.1%

$150k–$200k 17.5%

$200k–$300k 15.8%

$300k–$500k 5.8%

$1M+ 0.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$105,700
Median rent / month	$840
Owner occupied	79.7%
Renter occupied	20.3%
Vacant	28.6%
Single-family detached	77.1%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	19.1%
Median rooms	5.9
Avg household size (owned)	3.09

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.4%
2010–2019	6.2%
2000–2009	5.8%
1990–1999	28.0%
1980–1989	6.6%
1970–1979	14.1%
1960–1969	16.5%
1950–1959	10.6%
1940–1949	9.1%
1939 or earlier	2.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	1.5%
2 bedrooms	17.1%
3 bedrooms	74.1%
4 bedrooms	6.6%
5+ bedrooms	0.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.7%
1 vehicle	18.1%
2 vehicles	41.5%
3 or more	35.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.3%
Electricity	59.6%
Propane / LP gas	36.2%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	418	69.4%
Cohabiting couple	15	2.5%
Male householder, no spouse	76	12.6%
Female householder, no spouse	93	15.4%
Households with children under 18	151	25.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	273	45.3%
Average household size	3.00

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	24.8%	24.4%
Married	49.7%	60.3%
Separated	0.7%	1.5%
Widowed	5.5%	6.2%
Divorced	19.3%	7.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 7.3%

Some HS, no diploma 13.3%

HS graduate 30.9%

Some college, no degree 12.1%

Associate's degree 15.5%

Bachelor's degree 19.5%

Graduate / professional 1.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	79.4%
Bachelor's or higher	20.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	2	0.5%
Kindergarten	10	2.7%
Elementary school	70	18.7%
High school	257	68.7%
College / grad school	35	9.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 26.4%

Manufacturing 21.9%

Transportation & utilities 16.6%

Retail trade 16.2%

Other services 6.3%

Wholesale trade 3.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.0%

Public administration 1.5%

Finance & real estate 1.4%

Professional & management 1.4%

Agriculture & mining 1.2%

Construction 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	22.2%
Service	13.6%
Sales & office	15.6%
Natural resources & construction	5.1%
Production & transportation	43.5%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.6%
Government	9.5%
Self-employed	8.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	97.6%
Carpool	2.1%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.3%
Work from home	0.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	32.0

Poverty

All people 7.5%

Under 18 years 6.2%

18 and over 7.8%

Married-couple families 6.2%

Female-led households 40.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	48.0%
Retirement income	22.9%
Supplemental Security	5.3%
Cash public assistance	1.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	13.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.7%
High blood pressure	41.0%
High cholesterol	38.2%
Diabetes	12.4%
Heart disease	8.1%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	10.0%
Arthritis	34.8%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	10.6%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.0%
Binge drinking	15.0%
No physical activity	29.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.6%
Depression	27.7%
Fair or poor health	20.5%
Poor mental health	17.3%
Poor physical health	13.4%
No health insurance	16.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	72.0%
Visited dentist	57.9%
Cholesterol screening	89.2%
Teeth loss	18.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	92	6.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.4%
Under 18	2.7%
18–64 years	5.0%
65 and over	48.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	51.7%
Public insurance	41.7%
No insurance	23.0%
Uninsured under 19	2.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,770	98.0%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,763	97.6%
Born in same state	1,761	97.5%
Born in different state	940	52.0%
Foreign born	2	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	43	2.4%
Not a US citizen	43	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	241	13.3%
Arab	194	10.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
French	179	9.9%
English	38	2.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	33.3%
Internet access	80.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 35981

What city is ZIP code 35981 in?

ZIP code 35981 is primarily assigned to Ider, Alabama.

What county is ZIP code 35981 in?

ZIP code 35981 falls within De Kalb County, Alabama.

Does ZIP code 35981 have a large retiree population?

48% of households in ZIP code 35981 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 35981?

The median home value in ZIP code 35981 is $105,700.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 35981?

The median household income in ZIP code 35981 is $41,620, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 35981?

ZIP code 35981 has an estimated population of 1,806 residents, with a density of 69 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 35981 in?

ZIP code 35981 observes the CST timezone.