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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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PLACEThriving

Gulf Shores, AL

Thriving overall. Population is the clearest support signal, while housing needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score85out of 100
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79
90
100
68
100

Population

16,401

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+5.7% YoY

79

$13.4B

Output changed +5.7% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth5.1%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

90

2.4%

Unemployment is 2.4% for Latest available.

Vintage date unknown

State avg3.2%
U.S. avg5.2%

Population

+30.7% 5-year

100

16,401

Population moved +30.7% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population5,086,768
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

68

22.8%

Median rent consumes 22.8% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$1.0K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$9.6K per resident

100

$2.2B

$2.2B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$71.6B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$2.2B

$9.6K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$1.6B
2. Department of Veterans Affairs$247.6M
3. Department of Transportation$209.4M

Top recipients

Dollars
1. ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$200.0M
2. COLUMBIA SOUTHERN EDUCATION GROUP, INC.$35.7M
3. COASTAL ALABAMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE$21.8M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

22.8%

of median income

1BR estimate$1,216
2BR estimate$1,602
Median income$78,188
Median home value$382,700

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

16,401

Median age

50.8

Bachelor's degree+

39.9%

Poverty rate

11.5%

Labor force participation

59.1%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.2%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.5%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

Latest available

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-07-30

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+5.5%

GDP CAGR

+8.9%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
202012,550
202114,712
202215,178
202315,785
202416,401
GDP (5 years)
2020$8.8B
2021$9.8B
2022$11.2B
2023$12.7B
2024$13.4B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

202416,401
202517,558 *
202618,435 *

R² = 88.8% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$13.4B
2025$14.9B *
2026$16.1B *

R² = 99.1% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$78,188/yr
Median rent$1,483/mo
Rent share of income22.8%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$23,222/yr
Mortgage share of income29.7%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate2.4%
State avg3.2%
U.S. avg5.2%
Labor force participation59.1%
Poverty rate11.5%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. Latest available.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$382,700
Median monthly rent$1,483
Price-to-rent ratio21.5x

High price-to-rent ratio — renting may be more economical than buying in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateStrong
Composite score87/100
Economic growth79/100
Labor market90/100
Population momentum100/100
Overall stability85/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

Gulf Shores city, Alabama

City/Town

Part of

Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL

Nearby locations

Bon Secour, ALOrange Beach, ALFoley, ALElberta, ALMagnolia Springs, AL