Best Places35761, AL Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 35761, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. This page is for people who live here or already know they want to. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
35761 ranks 7,528th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on low property taxes by a wide margin, and taxes are the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in 35761
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
35761's strengths and weaknesses
Where 35761 ranks high
- Low property taxBetter than 97% of zip codes
- State infrastructureBetter than 87% of zip codes
- Crime safetyBetter than 83% of zip codes
- Cheap childcare$639 a month, better than 81% of zip codes
- Low vacancyBetter than 81% of zip codes
Where 35761 ranks low
- Low income/sales/gas taxBetter than only 14% of zip codes
- Short commute30.3 minutes each way, better than only 27% of zip codes
- WalkabilityBetter than only 27% of zip codes
- Nice weatherabout 71 pleasant days a year, better than only 28% of zip codes
- BikingBetter than only 31% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 35761
A household needs to earn about $63,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 35761 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $86,075, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses 35761's effective rate of 0.28%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 6 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 35761
35761's age mix sits close to the national median.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 35761.
Who works in 35761, and how
Work in 35761 centers on manufacturing and health care & social. Unemployment is low, and employment has held roughly flat.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 85%
- Work from home 14%
- Transit, walk, or bike 1%
Life in 35761
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 35761.
What the weather is like in 35761, month by month
35761 sees roughly 71 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 90 degrees. January highs sit near 51, with lows near 33. The comfortable stretch runs April, May, September, and October.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 41° | 33° |
| April | 73° | 60° | 49° |
| July | 90° | 79° | 70° |
| October | 76° | 62° | 51° |
Flying in and out of 35761
The nearest airport, Huntsville International-Carl T Jones Field, is about 25 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Nashville International, about 87 miles away.
The best schools in and around 35761
Schools across 35761 average a B−, better than 55% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Riverton Elementary SchoolA− · 58% proficient
- Lynn Fanning Elementary SchoolB− · 40% proficient
- Hazel Green Elementary SchoolC+ · 37% proficient
Top middle schools
- Moores Mill Intermediate SchoolA− · 53% proficient
- Buckhorn Middle SchoolB− · 42% proficient
Top high schools
- Buckhorn High SchoolC · 35% proficient
- Hazel Green High SchoolC− · 29% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 35761 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
35761 measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare 35761 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 35761
Is 35761 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 35761 ranks 7,528th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on low property taxes, state infrastructure, and low crime, and lowest on taxes and long commutes. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 35761 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $260,405. The overall cost of living runs about 16% below the national average. Set against a $86,075 median income, cost of living beats 79% of zip codes.
Is 35761 safe?
Yes, 35761 is safer than 83% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $200 per resident a year.
Compare 35761 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 35761. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 35761 represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
35761 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 35761: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 35761: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 35761: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 35761: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
35761 detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.