Median Age
52 Years
Largest Age Group
60-69 Years
Approximately 18% of Residents
Under 20
17%
Over 65
30%
Gulf Shores
Gulf Shores, AL Area Guide
Avg Rent
$1,261
Population
23,076
Renter Mix
32% Rent
One of the most popular vacation spots on the Gulf Coast
Coastal
•
Beach
•
Tourism
•
Family-Friendly
•
Nightlife
•
Restaurants
•
Located on Alabama’s Gulf Coast, Gulf Shores is a popular vacation destination, as well as a family-friendly beach town. The Gulf Shores Public Beach is a busy, yet relaxing retreat for swimming, sunbathing, and scenic walks on the shore. Gulf State Park features even more beaches, as well as trails, a golf course, tennis courts, and a fishing pier that features beautiful views of the ocean.
Along the shore, you’ll find laid-back, beachy restaurants and bars like Bahama Bob’s Beach Side Café, the Hangout, Shrimp Basket, and De Soto’s Seafood Kitchen. Although the sandy shoreline is a major attraction for Gulf Shores, there are other kid-friendly amenities around town like Johnnie Sims Park Pavilion, Pirate’s Island Adventure Golf, and the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo. Apartments and single-family homes range from affordable to upscale in Gulf Shores, so there’s something for every renter.
Explore the City
It's a beautiful day at the Ballyhoo Festival in Gulf Shores, AL.
The Ballyhoo Festival has juried art booths for festival goers to peruse
Arts showing live demonstrations at the Ballyhoo Festival.
Ballyhoo Festival has food trucks on the East end.
There are food options at the Ballyhoo Festival also.
A circle is formed to view the traditional Native American Dances at the Ballyhoo Festival.
Demographics
Median Household Income
$56,246
Average: $77,077
Education
8,733
Residents Have a Degree
Job Market
10,978
Workers Employed
Age Distribution
Get a sense of this area's population profile.
Housing Distribution
Gulf Shores has more homeowners than renters.
Renters
32%
Non-Renters
68%
Education Distribution
Review this city's overall education levels.
Bachelor's or Higher
30%
Other Education
70%
Getting Around
Explore how walkable, bikeable, drivable, and transit-friendly Gulf Shores, AL is for everyday living.
Somewhat Walkable
Walkability
20
/ 100
Exceptionally Drivable
Drivability
90
/ 100
Somewhat Bikeable
Bikeability
20
/ 100
Scores provided by
Schools
Public
Grades PK-5
1,062 Students
Public
Grades 6-8
589 Students
Public
Grades 9-12
768 Students
School data provided by
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
Data provided by
GreatSchools.org
© 2026. All rights reserved.
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
Data provided by
GreatSchools.org
© 2026. All rights reserved.
Points of Interest
Shopping Centers
Parks and Recreation
- Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo
- Gulf State Park
- Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
Airports
- Pensacola International
- Mobile International
Top Apartments in Gulf Shores
Houses for Rent in Gulf Shores
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Methodology
† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.
Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.
Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in February 2026.
Demographic information comes from Neustar and combines detailed address data with U.S. Census and American Community Survey statistics to produce reliable local estimates.