ZIP Code 35404 — Tuscaloosa city, AL Demographics & Data

ZIP code 35404 covers Tuscaloosa, AL in Tuscaloosa County with a population of about 23,553.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 28.7 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

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

Median household income in ZIP 35404 is about $45,521 — about 39% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 27.3%; unemployment rate near 7.4%; 26.7% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 7.0 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Education, Retail trade, and Manufacturing; about 5.3% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 9.9 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 $175,700 — about 50% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $753 (about 35% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 44.7% (about 20.7 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 35404 in Tuscaloosa, AL, a household would need roughly $48,000 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 $1,129. That is roughly in line with the local median household income ($45,521). 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 Tuscaloosa city, AL as Relatively Moderate (composite score 90.8), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (91.6) and hurricane (81.1). 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 Tuscaloosa city, AL show little to no average snow and around 57.3 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 750 for ZIP 35404 (Tuscaloosa 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.