ZIP Code 35218 — Birmingham city, AL Demographics & Data

ZIP code 35218 covers Birmingham, AL in Jefferson County with a population of about 6,628.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 40.1 (near the U.S. median).

It sits in telephone area codes 205, 659; U.S. House district AL-7; the BIRMINGHAM (ANN & TUSC) media market.

Birmingham, AL sits in a university / college context (near miles college (1.9 mi)). Expect stronger interest in student housing, rentals, walkability, transit, and a younger adult age mix versus typical suburban ZIPs.

Median household income in ZIP 35218 is about $30,966 — about 59% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 30.9%; unemployment rate near 10.9%; 9.0% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 24.7 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Retail trade, Healthcare, and Transportation; about 4.1% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 11.1 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $79,500 — about 77% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $591 (about 49% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 36.5% (about 28.9 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 35218 in Birmingham, AL, a household would need roughly $22,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $511. That sits below the local median household income ($30,966), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Birmingham city, AL as Relatively High (composite score 97.6), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (98.1) and wildfire (79.1). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Birmingham city, AL show little to no average snow and around 56.6 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 211 for ZIP 35218 (Birmingham city, AL) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.