36801 ZIP Code — Opelika, AL

Lee County, Alabama

ZIP code 36801 is located in Opelika, Alabama, within Lee County. It covers approximately 78.34 square miles and serves a population of 23,479 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 334.

About ZIP code 36801

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Much of the housing stock is relatively new, reflecting recent development activity. Median home value is $193,800. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 64%.

Median household income is $55,728. Poverty affects 18% of residents, above the national average. 38% 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. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 33% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 36801 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

23,479

population

78.34

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

36801 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 36801

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 36801. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Opelika	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

36849 Auburn University (7.6 mi) 36879 Waverly (8.4 mi) 36879 Waverly (8.4 mi) 36852 Cusseta (9.6 mi) 36804 Opelika (9.7 mi) 36830 Auburn (9.7 mi) 36832 Auburn (12.7 mi) 36854 Valley (13.1 mi) 36874 Salem (13.7 mi) 36862 Lafayette (16.3 mi) 36863 Lanett (17.1 mi) 36850 Camp Hill (17.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	23,479
Population density	300 / sq mi
State FIPS	01
County FIPS	081

Geography
Land area	78.34 sq mi
Water area	0.93 sq mi
Latitude	32.6833
Longitude	-85.4034
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	49.2%	49.4%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	29.3%	26.7%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	18.8%	19.2%	18.0%
Over $200k	2.6%	4.7%	4.4%

Demographics & statistics

23,479

Population

300

People per sq mi

40.1

Median age

$55,728

Median household income

$32,998

Per capita income

$193,800

Median home value

$872

Median monthly rent

63.5%

Home ownership

18.3%

Poverty rate

3.9%

Unemployment

7,407

Housing units

32.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

766

Under 5

828

455

5–9

492

747

10–14

809

666

15–19

721

717

20–24

776

1,559

25–34

1,687

1,411

35–44

1,527

1,313

45–54

1,421

710

55–59

769

744

60–64

805

1,447

65–74

1,565

575

75–84

622

167

85+

180

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	5,009	21.3%
18 and over	18,470	78.7%
65 and over	4,556	19.4%
Median age	40.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 57.3%

Black or African American 36.9%

Two or more races 2.4%

Asian 1.8%

Hispanic or Latino 1.2%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%

Other race 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	13,611	57.3%
Black or African American	8,755	36.9%
Two or more races	577	2.4%
Asian	437	1.8%
Hispanic or Latino	278	1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	49	0.2%
Other race	43	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.2%	49.4%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	29.3%	26.7%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	18.8%	19.2%	18.0%
Over $200k	2.6%	4.7%	4.4%

Under $10k 6.1%

$10k–$15k 9.6%

$15k–$25k 9.7%

$25k–$35k 10.1%

$35k–$50k 11.1%

$50k–$75k 14.3%

$75k–$100k 14.5%

$100k–$150k 13.7%

$150k–$200k 5.7%

$200k+ 5.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.1%
$10k–$15k	9.6%
$15k–$25k	9.7%
$25k–$35k	10.1%
$35k–$50k	11.1%
$50k–$75k	14.3%
$75k–$100k	14.5%
$100k–$150k	13.7%
$150k–$200k	5.7%
$200k+	5.2%
Median income	$55,728

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.9%

$50k–$100k 9.0%

$100k–$150k 11.9%

$150k–$200k 20.4%

$200k–$300k 26.4%

$300k–$500k 15.9%

$500k–$1M 5.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$193,800
Median rent / month	$872
Owner occupied	63.5%
Renter occupied	36.5%
Vacant	12.1%
Single-family detached	66.7%
Large apartment buildings	6.9%
Mobile homes	6.2%
Median rooms	5.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.45

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	2.9%
2010–2019	15.5%
2000–2009	14.2%
1990–1999	15.2%
1980–1989	11.7%
1970–1979	14.5%
1960–1969	11.2%
1950–1959	6.3%
1940–1949	3.1%
1939 or earlier	5.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	7.3%
1 bedroom	4.9%
2 bedrooms	21.1%
3 bedrooms	48.6%
4 bedrooms	15.7%
5+ bedrooms	2.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	9.9%
1 vehicle	35.8%
2 vehicles	32.0%
3 or more	22.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	33.9%
Electricity	63.0%
Propane / LP gas	2.6%
Wood	0.3%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,071	42.5%
Cohabiting couple	265	2.8%
Male householder, no spouse	1,497	15.6%
Female householder, no spouse	3,745	39.1%
Households with children under 18	2,491	26.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,246	33.9%
Average household size	2.39

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	40.8%	32.2%
Married	49.0%	41.4%
Separated	1.1%	1.3%
Widowed	2.4%	8.6%
Divorced	6.6%	16.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.8%

Some HS, no diploma 5.3%

HS graduate 28.2%

Some college, no degree 21.1%

Associate's degree 8.1%

Bachelor's degree 19.8%

Graduate / professional 12.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.0%
Bachelor's or higher	32.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	248	4.6%
Kindergarten	387	7.1%
Elementary school	1,977	36.4%
High school	1,207	22.2%
College / grad school	1,619	29.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.3%

Retail trade 18.0%

Manufacturing 14.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.8%

Professional & management 6.2%

Finance & real estate 5.5%

Public administration 3.6%

Transportation & utilities 3.4%

Other services 2.9%

Information 2.3%

Construction 2.2%

Wholesale trade 1.1%

Agriculture & mining 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	40.8%
Service	17.6%
Sales & office	20.4%
Natural resources & construction	5.8%
Production & transportation	15.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.7%
Government	15.1%
Self-employed	3.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.6%
Carpool	7.8%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	1.3%
Work from home	5.1%
Other means	1.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.6

Poverty

All people 18.3%

Under 18 years 32.4%

18 and over 14.3%

Married-couple families 7.0%

Female-led households 31.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.7%
Retirement income	25.1%
Supplemental Security	7.5%
Cash public assistance	0.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	15.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.8%
High blood pressure	42.5%
High cholesterol	33.8%
Diabetes	13.5%
Heart disease	6.7%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	10.2%
Arthritis	29.0%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	7.9%
Cancer	5.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.5%
Binge drinking	14.5%
No physical activity	28.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.4%
Depression	24.3%
Fair or poor health	20.8%
Poor mental health	16.2%
Poor physical health	12.1%
No health insurance	17.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.6%
Visited dentist	62.4%
Cholesterol screening	90.3%
Teeth loss	16.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,299	7.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.9%
Under 18	2.4%
18–64 years	13.8%
65 and over	32.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	67.6%
Public insurance	39.4%
No insurance	8.9%
Uninsured under 19	3.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	21,885	93.2%
Spanish	329	1.5%
Other Indo-European	200	0.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	129	0.6%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	22,734	96.8%
Born in same state	22,369	95.3%
Born in different state	15,807	67.3%
Foreign born	365	1.6%
Naturalized citizen	745	3.2%
Not a US citizen	395	53.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	2,962	12.6%
French	2,496	10.6%
Italian	1,674	7.1%
German	279	1.2%
Dutch	175	0.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	54	0.2%
English	44	0.2%
Norwegian	13	0.1%
Irish	12	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.8%
Internet access	91.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 36801

What city is ZIP code 36801 in?

ZIP code 36801 is primarily assigned to Opelika, Alabama.

What county is ZIP code 36801 in?

ZIP code 36801 falls within Lee County, Alabama.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 36801?

18% of residents in ZIP code 36801 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 36801 have a large retiree population?

38% of households in ZIP code 36801 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 36801?

The median home value in ZIP code 36801 is $193,800.

What is the population of ZIP code 36801?

ZIP code 36801 has an estimated population of 23,479 residents, with a density of 300 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 36801 in?

ZIP code 36801 observes the CST timezone.