Muscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, home to about 16,951 people across 17 square miles. Its ZIP code is 35661, and parts of 35646 and 35674 are in Muscle Shoals too.
Homes sold for a median of $164 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Mostly Muscle Shoals; also Sheffield
Part is in Muscle Shoals, part in Leighton
Mostly Tuscumbia; part is in Muscle Shoals
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Muscle Shoals. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Muscle Shoals’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
Are you a local agent who knows Muscle Shoals well? Agents who advertise here will be able to write the guide. Advertise on OfferBacked
| Nearest major airport | Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)96 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL)1 mile away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Nashville-Davidson, TN110 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL490 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Muscle Shoals; 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.
Muscle Shoals had 16,275 residents in the 2020 census, up 36% since 2000.
It’s the 40th largest of 591 towns in Alabama by population.
Colbert County grew from 22,341 residents in 1900 to 57,227 in 2020.
Colbert County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 90°F in summer, and winter lows average 29°F. About 58.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Muscle Shoals Wtp, AL weather station (about a mile away).
23,237 jobs at 1,268 businesses in Colbert County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
184 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Muscle Shoals.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 15 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 18 |
| Dentists | 13 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 61 |
| Mental health providers | 28 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 35 |
| Optometrists | 1 |
| Chiropractors | 13 |
| Pharmacies | 14 |
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 (5 nearby)
Grocery stores (5 nearby)
Pharmacies (4 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums
Theaters and performance venues
Counts are within about 3 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 1923.
Colleges and universities
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 Muscle Shoals City. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howell Graves PreschoolMuscle Shoals | Pre-K–K | 356 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Highland Park Elementary SchoolMuscle Shoals | 1–2 | 236 | Public | 1.8 mi |
| Webster Elementary SchoolMuscle Shoals | 1–2 | 234 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| McBride Elementary SchoolMuscle Shoals | 3–5 | 647 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Muscle Shoals Middle SchoolMuscle Shoals | 6–8 | 642 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Muscle Shoals Career AcademyMuscle Shoals | 9–12 | — | Career and Technical | 0.7 mi |
| Muscle Shoals High SchoolMuscle Shoals | 9–12 | 864 | Public | 0.8 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
Buying or selling around Muscle Shoals? 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 Tuscumbia, Leighton, Sheffield and Littleville.
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.