ZIP Code 35603: Population, Income, Housing

State: AL

Total population: 32,179 Household income: $81,490 Rent: $910

Overview

Total population

32,179

Rent

$910

Year built

1992

Household income

$81,490

Per capita income

$42,141

Poverty rate

7.3%

Unemployment rate

N/A

Household size

2.4 persons

Rent over 30% of income

31%

Note: Rent, income, and year built are shown as median values, while household size is shown as an average (see explanations below).

ZIP data use Census ZCTAs, which closely match USPS ZIP Codes in most cases (see FAQ for details).

Data are sourced from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, 2024 release — the latest dataset currently available. New 5-year estimates are published annually, about 6–12 months after the end of each reference year.

Demographics

State

Alabama

County

Morgan County

City

Decatur

Total population

32,179

Adults over 25

22,534

Total households

13,175

Household size

2.4 persons

Note: Rent, income, and year built are shown as median values, while household size is shown as an average (see explanations below).

ZIP data use Census ZCTAs, which closely match USPS ZIP Codes in most cases (see FAQ for details).

Income & Poverty

Household income

$81,490

Per capita income

$42,141

Poverty rate

7.3%

Unemployment rate

N/A

Rent over 30% of income

31%

Note: Rent, income, and year built are shown as median values, while household size is shown as an average (see explanations below).

ZIP data use Census ZCTAs, which closely match USPS ZIP Codes in most cases (see FAQ for details).

Housing

Rent

$910

Year built

1992

Households that rent

26.1%

Households that own

73.9%

Rooms per home (all homes)

6.3

Note: Rent, income, and year built are shown as median values, while household size is shown as an average (see explanations below).

ZIP data use Census ZCTAs, which closely match USPS ZIP Codes in most cases (see FAQ for details).

Race

White

74.4%

Black

14.8%

Asian

1.1%

Two or more races

4.5%

Note: Rent, income, and year built are shown as median values, while household size is shown as an average (see explanations below).

ZIP data use Census ZCTAs, which closely match USPS ZIP Codes in most cases (see FAQ for details).

Ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino

7.6%

Not Hispanic or Latino

92.4%

Note: Rent, income, and year built are shown as median values, while household size is shown as an average (see explanations below).

ZIP data use Census ZCTAs, which closely match USPS ZIP Codes in most cases (see FAQ for details).

Commute

Commute rate

12,882 (90.8%)

Commute time to work

23 mins

Work from home

1,307 (9.2%)

Note: Rent, income, and year built are shown as median values, while household size is shown as an average (see explanations below).

ZIP data use Census ZCTAs, which closely match USPS ZIP Codes in most cases (see FAQ for details).

Education

Less than high school

29.5%

High school graduate or GED

29.9%

Some college or associate degree

12.3%

Bachelor’s degree or higher

28.3%

Note: Rent, income, and year built are shown as median values, while household size is shown as an average (see explanations below).

ZIP data use Census ZCTAs, which closely match USPS ZIP Codes in most cases (see FAQ for details).

Comparison of ZIP Code 35603 with: Morgan County, AL Decatur, AL Alabama United States

ZIP 35603

Total population32,179

Rent$910

Year built1992

Household income$81,490

Per capita income$42,141

Poverty rate7.3%

Unemployment rateN/A

Morgan County, AL

Total population124,471

Rent$864

Year built1983

Household income$68,845

Per capita income$35,920

Poverty rate13.5%

Unemployment rate2.6%

Decatur, AL

Total population57,361

Rent$896

Year built1977

Household income$61,563

Per capita income$34,685

Poverty rate13.1%

Unemployment rate2.9%

Alabama State

Total population5,086,768

Rent$1,007

Year built1986

Household income$63,999

Per capita income$36,087

Poverty rate15.6%

Unemployment rate3.1%

United States

Total population334,922,499

Rent$1,413

Year built1980

Household income$80,734

Per capita income$44,673

Poverty rate12.5%

Unemployment rate4%

Metric	ZIP35603	CountyMorgan, AL	CityDecatur, AL	StateAlabama	CountryUnited States
Total population	32,179	124,471	57,361	5,086,768	334,922,499
Rent	$910	$864	$896	$1,007	$1,413
Year built	1992	1983	1977	1986	1980
Household income	$81,490	$68,845	$61,563	$63,999	$80,734
Per capita income	$42,141	$35,920	$34,685	$36,087	$44,673
Poverty rate	7.3%	13.5%	13.1%	15.6%	12.5%
Unemployment rate	N/A	2.6%	2.9%	3.1%	4%

View the full multi-level comparison →

Summary for 35603

Rent & Income

In 35603, the typical monthly rent is $910 and the typical household income is $81,490. Rent here is similar to Decatur and lower than Alabama, and household income is higher than both Decatur and Alabama. The estimated poverty rate is 7.3%, which is lower than in both Decatur and Alabama.

Housing & Affordability

This ZIP Code is primarily owner-occupied, with renters accounting for about 26.1% of households. Around 31% of renters are cost-burdened, indicating a moderate level of rent pressure.

Education & Employment

Educational attainment is moderate, with about 28.3% of adults holding a bachelor’s degree or higher.

ZIP 35603 — Rent vs Household Income

ZIP 35603 — Poverty

How ZIP 35603 compares in Alabama (29 ZIP Codes)

Metric	This ZIP	Rank	Starts from	State range
Rent	$910	4 / 29	from lower rent	$820 – $1,542
Household income	$81,490	10 / 29	from higher income	$29,152 – $124,516
Poverty rate	7.3%	8 / 29	from lower poverty	2.6% – 43.5%

Rankings are calculated among ZIP Codes in Alabama with total population > 30,000 (year 2024).

Detailed Ranking Explanation for ZIP Code 35603

Rent

Rent-wise, this area comes 4th out of 29 ZIP Codes in Alabama. At the state level, values extend from $820 in ZIP 35630 up to $1,542 in ZIP 35749.

Household income

Looking at income levels, ZIP Code 35603 holds the 10th out of 29 ZIP Codes. In Alabama as a whole, the range goes from $29,152 in ZIP 35401 up to $124,516 in ZIP 35226.

Poverty rate

Regarding poverty rate, ZIP Code 35603 ranks 8th out of 29 ZIP Codes. Statewide, values range from 2.6% in ZIP 35173 up to 43.5% in ZIP 35401.

💰 Rent in ZIP Code 35603 (with Utilities)

Estimated Monthly Rent: $910 ℹ️ What’s Included:
✅ Base rent, electricity, gas, water/sewer, and heating fuels
❌ Not included: internet, cable TV, renter's insurance, parking

💡 What does this rent estimate mean?

Explanation: This estimate shows what renters typically pay each month for housing — including the apartment or home and essential utilities like heat, water, and electricity.

Included in this number: Rent plus electricity, gas, water/sewer, and heating fuel.

Not included: Internet, cable, parking, renter’s insurance, or furniture rental.

Note: This cost does not depend on the number of people living in the home.

👨‍👧‍👦 Household Income in ZIP Code 35603

Annual Household Income: $81,490

💡 What does Household Income mean?

Definition: This represents the middle value of all household incomes in the ZIP code — half of households earn less, and half earn more.

Includes: wages, salaries, self-employment income, Social Security, pensions, investments, unemployment, public assistance, and rental income.

Does NOT include: capital gains, non-cash benefits (like food stamps), or tax refunds.

Household = any group of people (or a single person) living in the same housing unit.

Example: A couple earning $40,000 and $30,000 together have a household income of $70,000. If that's in the middle of all local incomes, it's the value shown here.

📉 Poverty Rate in ZIP Code 35603

Estimated Rate: 7.3%

💡 What does the Poverty Rate represent?

Definition: The percentage of people in this area living below the federal poverty threshold.

How it works: The threshold is a dollar amount set by the U.S. Census Bureau that varies by family size and age. If a household's income is below that level, everyone in it is included in this rate.

Example: In a town of 10,000 people, if 1,500 have incomes below the poverty line, the poverty rate is 15%.

Note: This statistic only includes people living in households; it does not count those in student housing, military barracks, or nursing homes.

🏘️ Renter vs. Owner Households in ZIP Code 35603

In ZIP Code 35603, households that rent: 3,439 (26.1%)

📊 What does the renter household percentage reveal about this ZIP Code?

Household Type	Count	Share
Renter-Occupied	3,439	26.1%
Owner-Occupied	9,736	73.9%

Definition: This is the percentage of households that rent their home rather than own it. It includes only occupied housing units.

Why it matters: Areas with a high share of renter households often have younger populations, higher mobility, and different housing needs compared to mostly owner-occupied areas.

Example: If 65% of homes in an area are renter-occupied, it means 65 out of every 100 households rent their home.

📉 Renters Spending Over 30% of Income on Rent in ZIP Code 35603

In ZIP Code 35603, cost-burdened renters (households spending over 30% of income on housing): 1,067 (31%)

🏚️ What Does It Mean When Renters Spend Over 30% of Their Income on Housing?

Household Group	Households	Share
Cost-burdened renters (over 30%)	1,067	31%
Other renter households	2,372	69%
Total renter households	3,439	100%

Shares are calculated as a percentage of renter households.

This shows how many renters in the ZIP code are considered cost-burdened — meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing (rent and basic utilities).

It’s a sign that housing might be unaffordable in the area or that lower-income residents may be struggling with rent.

Data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

📊 Education Levels in ZIP Code 35603

Less than High School: 6,641 people (29.5%)

Includes adults who did not complete high school.

High School Graduate or GED: 6,728 people (29.9%)

Includes adults whose highest education is a high school diploma or GED.

Some College or Associate Degree: 2,778 people (12.3%)

Includes adults who attended college without completing a bachelor’s degree (some college or associate degree).

Bachelor’s Degree or Higher: 6,387 people (28.3%)

Includes adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (bachelor’s, master’s, professional, or doctoral degree).

👥 Total Adults (25+): 22,534

ℹ️ Have questions about how these statistics are calculated? See our data methodology & FAQs

Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates (U.S. Census Bureau) — unemployment rate from BLS. Some values are derived metrics.