Best Places36581, AL Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 36581, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Several measures below read low, and the ranked lists name which ones. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
36581 ranks 29,709th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on low property taxes by a wide margin, and internet speeds rank lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 36581
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.
36581's strengths and weaknesses
Where 36581 ranks high
- Low property taxBetter than 99% of zip codes
- Tree shadeBetter than 98% of zip codes
- Short commute18.8 minutes each way, better than 89% of zip codes
- State infrastructureBetter than 87% of zip codes
- Local economyBetter than 85% of zip codes
Where 36581 ranks low
- Internet speedBetter than only 1% of zip codes
- WalkabilityBetter than only 5% of zip codes
- Disaster safetyBetter than only 7% of zip codes
- Low vacancyBetter than only 8% of zip codes
- Household income$49,208 median, better than only 10% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 36581
A household needs to earn about $51,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 36581 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is only a little above the area's median income of $49,208; the gap is small, which keeps homes within reach of local pay.
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 36581's effective rate of 0.19%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Who lives in 36581
36581 runs younger than the country, though it still carries a larger-than-average share of residents over 65, and households here run larger than average.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 36581.
Who works in 36581, and how
Work in 36581 centers on manufacturing and public administration. Unemployment is close to the national rate, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 94%
- Work from home 4%
- Transit, walk, or bike 2%
Life in 36581
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 36581.
What the weather is like in 36581, month by month
36581 sees roughly 104 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 90 degrees. January highs sit near 59, with lows near 37. The comfortable stretch runs March through May and September through November.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 46° | 37° |
| April | 77° | 63° | 52° |
| July | 90° | 79° | 71° |
| October | 79° | 66° | 55° |
Flying in and out of 36581
The nearest airport, Mobile Regional, is about 50 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Louis Armstrong New Orleans International, about 165 miles away.
The best schools in and around 36581
Schools across 36581 average a C−, better than 26% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- Chatom Elementary SchoolB− · 43% proficient
Top middle schools
- Jackson Middle SchoolD · 20% proficient
Top high schools
- Jackson High SchoolD− · 13% proficient
- Mcintosh High SchoolD− · 13% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 36581 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
36581 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 36581 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 36581
Is 36581 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 36581 ranks 29,709th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on low property taxes, tree cover, and short commutes, and lowest on internet speeds and walkability. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 36581 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $212,000. The overall cost of living runs about 16% below the national average. Set against a $49,208 median income, cost of living beats 11% of zip codes.
Is 36581 safe?
36581 is safer than 29% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $372 per resident a year.
Compare 36581 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 36581. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 36581 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.
36581 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 36581: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 36581: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 36581: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 36581: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
36581 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.