Cottondale is a community in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, home to about 2,632 people across 3.4 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 35453.
Homes sold for a median of $163 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Mostly Tuscaloosa; part is in Cottondale
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Cottondale. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Cottondale’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)45 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Atlanta, GA175 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Houston, TX526 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Cottondale; 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.
It’s the 188th largest of 591 towns in Alabama by population.
Tuscaloosa County grew from 36,147 residents in 1900 to 227,036 in 2020.
Tuscaloosa 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 35°F. About 57.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Northport 2 S, AL weather station (12 miles away).
84,004 jobs at 4,189 businesses in Tuscaloosa County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
7 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Cottondale.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 2 |
|---|---|
| Mental health providers | 4 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 1 |
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.
Grocery stores
Counts are within about 1.5 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.
Public schools here are run by Tuscaloosa County, Tuscaloosa City. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottondale Elementary SchoolCottondale | Pre-K–5 | 438 | Public | 4.1 mi |
| DavisEmerson Middle SchoolCottondale | 6–8 | 397 | Public | 4.1 mi |
| Eastwood Middle SchoolCottondale | 6–8 | 711 | Public | 4.0 mi |
| Paul W Bryant High SchoolCottondale | 9–12 | 1,134 | Public | 4.1 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscaloosa Christian SchoolCottondale | Pre-K–12 | 320 | Baptist | 3.9 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.
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Shares ZIP codes with Tuscaloosa and Coaling.
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.