36874 ZIP Code — Salem, AL

Lee County, Alabama

ZIP code 36874 is located in Salem, Alabama, within Lee County. It covers approximately 111.93 square miles and serves a population of 10,373 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 334.

About ZIP code 36874

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $170,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 90%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $54,478. 44% 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 30 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 20% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 14% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 36874 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

10,373

population

111.93

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

36874 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 36874

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 36874. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Salem	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

36877 Smiths Station (6.8 mi) 36804 Opelika (7.1 mi) 36870 Phenix City (7.8 mi) 31904 Columbus (11.6 mi) 36867 Phenix City (11.8 mi) 31808 Fortson (12.7 mi) 36869 Phenix City (12.8 mi) 36854 Valley (13.2 mi) 36852 Cusseta (13.5 mi) 36801 Opelika (13.7 mi) 31997 Columbus (15 mi) 31993 Columbus (15 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	10,373
Population density	93 / sq mi
State FIPS	01
County FIPS	081

Geography
Land area	111.93 sq mi
Water area	1.59 sq mi
Latitude	32.5694
Longitude	-85.2105
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	43.8%	49.4%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	32.2%	26.7%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	21.4%	19.2%	18.0%
Over $200k	2.6%	4.7%	4.4%

Demographics & statistics

10,373

Population

People per sq mi

44.6

Median age

$54,478

Median household income

$27,025

Per capita income

$170,100

Median home value

$914

Median monthly rent

90.1%

Home ownership

9.6%

Poverty rate

3.7%

Unemployment

4,122

Housing units

20.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

364

Under 5

387

383

5–9

407

221

10–14

235

286

15–19

304

208

20–24

220

672

25–34

713

400

35–44

425

583

45–54

619

373

55–59

396

477

60–64

505

566

65–74

600

246

75–84

261

253

85+

269

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,382	23.0%
18 and over	7,991	77.0%
65 and over	2,195	21.2%
Median age	44.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 76.9%

Black or African American 20.7%

Two or more races 1.2%

Hispanic or Latino 0.9%

Asian 0.2%

Other race 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	8,048	76.9%
Black or African American	2,171	20.7%
Two or more races	129	1.2%
Hispanic or Latino	95	0.9%
Asian	18	0.2%
Other race	7	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	43.8%	49.4%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	32.2%	26.7%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	21.4%	19.2%	18.0%
Over $200k	2.6%	4.7%	4.4%

Under $10k 4.5%

$10k–$15k 5.9%

$15k–$25k 15.1%

$25k–$35k 8.6%

$35k–$50k 13.8%

$50k–$75k 18.0%

$75k–$100k 15.4%

$100k–$150k 11.4%

$150k–$200k 4.7%

$200k+ 2.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.5%
$10k–$15k	5.9%
$15k–$25k	15.1%
$25k–$35k	8.6%
$35k–$50k	13.8%
$50k–$75k	18.0%
$75k–$100k	15.4%
$100k–$150k	11.4%
$150k–$200k	4.7%
$200k+	2.6%
Median income	$54,478

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 14.4%

$50k–$100k 13.3%

$100k–$150k 12.3%

$150k–$200k 17.4%

$200k–$300k 25.2%

$300k–$500k 14.0%

$500k–$1M 3.1%

$1M+ 0.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$170,100
Median rent / month	$914
Owner occupied	90.1%
Renter occupied	9.9%
Vacant	12.9%
Single-family detached	74.2%
Large apartment buildings	1.1%
Mobile homes	24.0%
Median rooms	6.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.68

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	13.9%
2000–2009	26.7%
1990–1999	20.1%
1980–1989	16.4%
1970–1979	9.9%
1960–1969	5.7%
1950–1959	4.7%
1940–1949	1.9%
1939 or earlier	0.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	0.3%
2 bedrooms	19.7%
3 bedrooms	55.9%
4 bedrooms	19.9%
5+ bedrooms	4.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.4%
1 vehicle	23.0%
2 vehicles	38.9%
3 or more	35.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	5.8%
Electricity	83.8%
Propane / LP gas	9.1%
Wood	0.8%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,297	58.5%
Cohabiting couple	153	3.9%
Male householder, no spouse	581	14.8%
Female householder, no spouse	898	22.9%
Households with children under 18	1,011	25.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,468	37.4%
Average household size	2.64

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.8%	22.5%
Married	60.6%	56.1%
Separated	0.6%	0.5%
Widowed	2.0%	14.9%
Divorced	9.0%	6.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.3%

Some HS, no diploma 7.7%

HS graduate 34.7%

Some college, no degree 22.2%

Associate's degree 11.6%

Bachelor's degree 13.0%

Graduate / professional 7.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.0%
Bachelor's or higher	20.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	218	9.6%
Kindergarten	137	6.0%
Elementary school	895	39.4%
High school	624	27.5%
College / grad school	399	17.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.8%

Manufacturing 16.5%

Retail trade 10.7%

Transportation & utilities 10.0%

Finance & real estate 7.9%

Public administration 7.6%

Other services 6.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.0%

Professional & management 5.0%

Construction 4.1%

Agriculture & mining 1.6%

Wholesale trade 1.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	34.4%
Service	17.9%
Sales & office	15.8%
Natural resources & construction	10.1%
Production & transportation	21.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	73.5%
Government	20.5%
Self-employed	6.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	87.9%
Carpool	6.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.2%
Work from home	5.3%
Other means	0.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.3

Poverty

All people 9.6%

Under 18 years 15.3%

18 and over 8.0%

Married-couple families 4.0%

Female-led households 26.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.7%
Retirement income	29.5%
Supplemental Security	6.3%
Cash public assistance	2.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	11.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.2%
High blood pressure	38.8%
High cholesterol	35.0%
Diabetes	11.1%
Heart disease	6.0%
Stroke	3.0%
Asthma	9.3%
Arthritis	27.8%
Kidney disease	2.7%
Pulmonary disease	7.0%
Cancer	6.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.4%
Binge drinking	16.5%
No physical activity	23.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.0%
Depression	25.0%
Fair or poor health	16.3%
Poor mental health	15.5%
Poor physical health	10.5%
No health insurance	14.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.5%
Visited dentist	68.7%
Cholesterol screening	91.1%
Teeth loss	13.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,112	13.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.0%
Under 18	4.9%
18–64 years	13.7%
65 and over	38.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	56.4%
Public insurance	45.0%
No insurance	12.0%
Uninsured under 19	5.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	9,622	92.8%
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)	10,009	96.5%
Born in same state	9,900	95.4%
Born in different state	4,899	47.2%
Foreign born	109	1.1%
Naturalized citizen	364	3.5%
Not a US citizen	346	95.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,780	17.2%
Italian	1,256	12.1%
French	874	8.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	207	2%
Polish	52	0.5%
Dutch	21	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.9%
Internet access	94.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 36874

What city is ZIP code 36874 in?

ZIP code 36874 is primarily assigned to Salem, Alabama.

What county is ZIP code 36874 in?

ZIP code 36874 falls within Lee County, Alabama.

Is ZIP code 36874 mostly owner-occupied?

90% of occupied units in ZIP code 36874 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 36874 have a large retiree population?

44% of households in ZIP code 36874 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 36874 have a large veteran population?

14% of civilians in ZIP code 36874 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 36874?

The median home value in ZIP code 36874 is $170,100.

What timezone is ZIP code 36874 in?

ZIP code 36874 observes the CST timezone.