ZIP Code 35904 — Gadsden city, AL Demographics & Data

ZIP code 35904 covers Gadsden, AL in Etowah County with a population of about 13,571.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 40.6 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 256, 938; U.S. House district AL-3; the BIRMINGHAM (ANN & TUSC) media market.

Median household income in ZIP 35904 is about $40,915 — about 46% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 26.4%; unemployment rate near 8.9%; 11.4% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 22.3 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Manufacturing, Healthcare, and Retail trade; about 2.6% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 12.6 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 $100,100 — about 71% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $514 (about 56% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 69.9% (about 4.5 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 35904 in Gadsden, AL, a household would need roughly $28,000 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 $643. That sits below the local median household income ($40,915), 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 Gadsden city, AL as Relatively Moderate (composite score 87.3), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (87.5) and wildfire (72.7). 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 Gadsden city, AL show little to no average snow and around 57.6 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 432 for ZIP 35904 (Gadsden 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.