Bessemer is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, home to about 25,400 people across 40 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 35020 and 35022, and parts of 35023 and 35111 are in Bessemer too.
Homes sold for a median of $106 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 0 of 2 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Bessemer; also Brighton and Lipscomb
Mostly Bessemer; also Birmingham and McCalla
Mostly Hueytown; part is in Bessemer
Mostly McCalla; part is in Bessemer
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Bessemer. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Bessemer’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
Are you a local agent who knows Bessemer well? Agents who advertise here will be able to write the guide. Advertise on OfferBacked
| Nearest major airport | Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)19 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Atlanta, GA150 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Houston, TX553 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Bessemer; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Bessemer had 26,019 residents in the 2020 census, down 12% since 2000.
It’s the 24th largest of 591 towns in Alabama by population.
Jefferson County grew from 140,420 residents in 1900 to 674,721 in 2020.
Jefferson County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 92°F in summer, and winter lows average 34°F. About 55.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 1 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Bessemer 3 Wsw, AL weather station (3 miles away).
341,042 jobs at 16,989 businesses in Jefferson County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
386 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Bessemer’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 57 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 57 |
| Dentists | 67 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 83 |
| Mental health providers | 66 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 44 |
| Optometrists | 5 |
| Chiropractors | 7 |
| Pharmacies | 24 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (6 nearby)
Grocery stores (7 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 4 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1887.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Bessemer City, Jefferson County, Empower Schools of Alabama and others. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abrams Elementary SchoolBessemer | Pre-K–5 | 231 | Public | 4.1 mi |
| Brighton SchoolBrighton | Pre-K–5 | 336 | Public | 6.3 mi |
| Charles F Hard Elementary SchoolBessemer | Pre-K–5 | 364 | Public | 4.4 mi |
| Greenwood Elementary SchoolBessemer | Pre-K–5 | 290 | Public | 3.0 mi |
| Jonesboro Elementary SchoolBessemer | Pre-K–5 | 474 | Public | 2.0 mi |
| Lipscomb Elementary SchoolLipscomb | Pre-K–5 | 221 | Public | 6.0 mi |
| McCalla Elementary SchoolBessemer | Pre-K–5 | 752 | Public | 3.4 mi |
| Oak Grove Elementary SchoolBessemer | Pre-K–5 | 576 | Public | 13.2 mi |
| Westhills Elementary SchoolBessemer | Pre-K–5 | 277 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Concord Elementary SchoolBessemer | K–5 | 400 | Public | 10.4 mi |
| Empower Community SchoolLower SchoolBessemer | K–4 | 201 | Charter | 4.2 mi |
| Empower Community School Upper CampusBessemer | 4–8 | 211 | Charter | 1.1 mi |
| Bessemer City Middle SchoolBessemer | 6–8 | 616 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Oak Grove High SchoolBessemer | 6–12 | 777 | Public | 13.1 mi |
| New Horizon Alternative SchoolBessemer | 7–12 | — | Alternative Education | 3.5 mi |
| Alabama Aerospace and Aviation High SchoolBessemer | 9–12 | 161 | Charter | 3.2 mi |
| Bessemer Center For TechnologyBessemer | 9–12 | — | Career and Technical | 1.6 mi |
| Bessemer City High SchoolBessemer | 9–12 | 760 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| W E DonaldsonBessemer | — | — | Special Education | 16.2 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunnams Private SchoolBessemer | Pre-K–K | 10 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 1.7 mi |
| Harvest Christian SchoolBessemer | Pre-K–12 | 50 | Baptist | 11.1 mi |
| Triumphant Child Care CenterBessemer | TK | 2 | Pentecostal | 3.5 mi |
| New Life Christian School of ExcellenceBessemer | K–5 | 107 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 3.5 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
Buying or selling around Bessemer? Tell us what you need and when. No agents advertise here yet, so we’ll keep your request for up to 30 days and send it to local agents who join. No obligation, and you choose who to work with.
Loading map…
Shares ZIP codes with Hueytown, McCalla, Birmingham, Lake View, Brighton, Helena, Lipscomb, Concord, Rock Creek, Hoover and Woodstock.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.