36874 ZIP Code, Salem, AL
36874 is a ZIP code in Salem, Alabama — mostly in Lee County (95% of its land), with smaller parts in Russell County. It covers 112 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 36877, 36870 and 36804. 9,096 people live here in 3,643 households. It is rural, with fewer than 100 people per square mile, and most homes are owner-occupied (91%). Median household income is $66,986, close to the Alabama median of $63,999; the median age is 49.0, older than most ZIP codes.
Quick facts
- Mailing city: Salem, AL
- County: Lee County
- Land area: 112 sq mi
- Population: 9,096
- Median household income: $66,986
- Carrier routes: 8 (4,250 homes)
Key figures
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Residents | 9,096 |
| Households | 3,643 |
| Median household income | $66,986 |
| Income per person | $36,621 |
| Median age | 49 |
| Homeowners | 90.7% |
| Median home value | $194,900 |
| Median rent | $1,074 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.0% |
| Average commute (minutes) | 30.1 |
| Households with kids under 18 | 22.7% |
| Moved in the past year | 4.1% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.1% |
| Broadband internet | 90.0% |
| Speak a non-English language at home | 1.8% |
Household income
| % of households | Value |
|---|---|
| <$10K | 4.8% |
| $10–15K | 3.8% |
| $15–25K | 9.9% |
| $25–35K | 5.5% |
| $35–50K | 13.6% |
| $50–75K | 17.9% |
| $75–100K | 12.3% |
| $100–150K | 20.5% |
| $150–200K | 6.3% |
| $200K+ | 5.4% |
Age
| % of all residents | Value |
|---|---|
| <10 | 10.8% |
| 10–19 | 8.8% |
| 20–24 | 5.7% |
| 25–34 | 13.1% |
| 35–44 | 6.8% |
| 45–54 | 15.9% |
| 55–64 | 14.9% |
| 65–74 | 13.6% |
| 75+ | 10.4% |
Tenure
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Owned, with mortgage | 37.8% |
| Owned outright | 41.4% |
| Rented | 7.9% |
| Vacant | 12.9% |
Type of building
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Detached house | 69.7% |
| Townhome | 0.0% |
| 2–4 units | 0.0% |
| 5–19 units | 0.0% |
| 20+ units | 0.2% |
| Mobile / other | 30.1% |
Businesses in 36874
81 business establishments with 606 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).
- Construction: 18
- Other Services (except Public Administration): 12
- Retail Trade: 9
- Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services: 7
- Manufacturing: 6
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 6
- Wholesale Trade: 5
- Transportation and Warehousing: 5
EDDM carrier routes
36874 has 8 USPS carrier routes with 4,250 residential and 41 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.
Carrier routes in 36874
36874 has 8 USPS carrier routes (8 rural (R)) with 4,250 residential and 41 business mailboxes. Routes range from 128 homes (R008) to 681 homes (R003); the median route has 574 homes. The Census counted 3,643 households in 36874 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.
| Homes per route | Routes |
|---|---|
| 1–249 | 1 |
| 250–499 | 1 |
| 500–749 | 6 |
| 750–999 | 0 |
| 1,000–1,499 | 0 |
| 1,500+ | 0 |
Best routes in 36874 for…
Most businesses
For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.
- Route R006 — USPS business mailboxes 12, 619 homes
- Route R002 — USPS business mailboxes 10, 542 homes
- Route R005 — USPS business mailboxes 6, 605 homes
- Route R007 — USPS business mailboxes 4, 473 homes
- Route R003 — USPS business mailboxes 3, 681 homes
Select these 5 routes on the route map
Every carrier route in 36874
| Route | Type | Homes | Businesses | Est. median income | Est. owners | Est. families with kids | Est. moved in past year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R001 | Rural | 676 | 1 | $54,469 | — | — | — |
| R002 | Rural | 542 | 10 | $85,086 | — | — | — |
| R003 | Rural | 681 | 3 | $68,481 | — | — | — |
| R004 | Rural | 526 | 3 | $75,000 | — | — | — |
| R005 | Rural | 605 | 6 | $51,837 | — | — | — |
| R006 | Rural | 619 | 12 | $93,072 | — | — | — |
| R007 | Rural | 473 | 4 | $75,000 | — | — | — |
| R008 | Rural | 128 | 2 | $55,276 | — | — | — |
Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 36874 on the EDDM route map.
How route demographics are estimated
Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates
The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).
How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method
We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.
Margins of error
Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.
Different years
USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.
Why some routes show identical figures
Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.
Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Nearby ZIP codes
- 36877 — Smiths Station city, AL (5.7 mi)
- 36870 — Phenix City city, AL (7.3 mi)
- 36804 — Opelika city, AL (8.9 mi)
- 31904 — Columbus city, GA (11 mi)
- 36867 — Phenix City city, AL (11.2 mi)
- 31808 — Columbus city, GA (11.9 mi)
- 36869 — Phenix City city, AL (12.7 mi)
- 36854 — Valley city, AL (13 mi)
Areas that include 36874
- Salem, AL ZIP codes — 1 ZIP code
- Lee County ZIP codes — 14 ZIP codes
- Alabama ZIP code data
Where it ranks
- No. 1 of 12: highest share of owner-occupied homes in Lee County
- No. 1 of 13: highest median age in Lee County
Mail every home in 36874
Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.
EDDM guides
ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 36874, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
Frequently asked questions
- What city is 36874 in?
- 36874 is a Salem, AL mailing address. None of its land lies inside a Census-defined city or community.
- What county is 36874 in?
- 36874 is mostly in Lee County (95% of its land), with smaller parts in Russell County.
- What is the population of 36874?
- About 9,096 people (±977), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 9,173.
- What is the median household income in 36874?
- $66,986 (±$8,164), compared with $63,999 for Alabama as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
- How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 36874?
- 8 USPS carrier routes with 4,250 residential and 41 business mailboxes (4,294 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
- What ZIP codes are near 36874?
- The closest, measured center to center: 36877 (5.7 mi, Smiths Station), 36870 (7.3 mi, Phenix City), 36804 (8.9 mi, Opelika), 31904 (11 mi, Columbus), 36867 (11.2 mi, Phenix City) and 31808 (11.9 mi, Columbus).
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.