When did you move to Baldwin County?

This area of the Gulf Coast, older than the state of Alabama itself, retains its deep roots in agriculture and pristine coastal waterways with multi-generational farmland and homeownership, but chances are that most of the people you encounter daily are transplants.

Baldwin County is now the sixth-fastest growing metro area in the United States, up one spot from the last time U.S. Census numbers were updated, based on 2023-2024 population growth. Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance's (BCEDA) "Baldwin by the Numbers" shows the increase in the state's largest county by size's rate of population growth at 3% for 2023-2024 in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Leading the nation is Ocala, Florida, at 4%, followed by neighbor Panama City-Panama City Beach, Florida, and Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, each at 3.8%, Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida, at 3.5 % and Provo-Orem-Lehi, Utah, also at 3%.

Baldwin County's population estimate for 2025, according to Census data, is 265,813. That represents 30.3% growth from 2014 to 2024. In 2015, the county was home to 202,939 people, according to JobsEQ data aggregated by BCEDA.

For the decade of 2014-2024, Baldwin was tied with Limestone County, which includes the Huntsville MSA, for the fastest-growing county in Alabama at 30.7%.

Baldwin, however, is the leader for total population growth, according to Census data.

POPULATION GROWTH BY CITY

While Daphne remained the largest municipality in Baldwin County at 31,200, followed by Foley (26,248), Fairhope (25,731), Gulf Shores (17,377) and Spanish Fort (11,185), more people are moving to central Baldwin both in terms of total numbers and percentage.

The leader in total growth since 2010 is Foley (10,821), followed by Fairhope (9,381) then Daphne (9,366), and the leader in percentage growth since 2010 is Silverhill (221.5%), followed by Loxley (173.2%), Summerdale (79.2%) and Foley (70.1%).

After the boom since 2010, a more recent data set shows that while Silverhill remained at 189.2% percentage growth since 2020, no other city grew at a rate higher than 40%. Loxley saw a 36% growth rate since 2020, followed by Foley (26.5%), Gulf Shores (13.8%) and Fairhope (13.3%).

Across the county, the age group the grew at the highest rate from 2010 to 2023 was age 35-44 (34.9%), followed by age 20-34 (31.7%) and age 10-19 (30.4%).

JOB AND WORKFORCE GROWTH

Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL MSA ranks in the top 1% of U.S. MSAs in wage and salary growth, leading the state in business establishments per capita for 2024.

Baldwin County's top sectors for job growth from 2020 to 2024 are arts, entertainment and recreation (31.9%), construction (29.1%) and professional, scientific and technical services (25.8%).

The county has a lower unemployment rate than the U.S. and ranks 10th of 203 small U.S. MSAs in an overall ranking for best small places for business and careers, according to Forbes via BCEDA.

While 82,817 people are living and working in Baldwin County, 25,723 commute outside of the county to work, and 14,515 commute inbound.

The top industries for wage growth, from 2019 to 2024, were management of companies and enterprises (68.6%), retail trade (65.5%) and administrative and support services (41.5%).

HOME SALES

In 2022, central Baldwin led in home sales, but the Eastern Shore led in 2023 and 2024, according to Baldwin REALTORS data aggregated by BCEDA. Total home sales were the lowest in 2024 (6,396) since 2020, with the most coming in 2021 (9,702).

Last year, the average home sale price was $493,753, with home spending an average of 69 days on the market.

FUTURE GROWTH

Baldwin County's population is projected to grow by around 30,000 in five years and reach nearly 334,000 in 2037.

Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL MSA is projected to have the highest population growth percentage by 2035 at 21.6%, followed by Huntsville, AL MSA at 17.9%.

For more, go to www.baldwineda.com/baldwin-by-the-numbers.