Baldwin County, Alabama: commercial real estate data.
Baldwin County, Alabama has a population of 246,989 across 1,590 square miles, up 12.9 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $13.45 bn in 2024, 6,409 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 234 7(a) approvals worth $165.6 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Baldwin County
How many people live in Baldwin County
- Population246,989
- Households98,574
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$78,775
- Median age43.9
- Median gross rent$1,277 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$316,900
- Home value to household income4.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher33.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over177,628
- Population under 1852,190
- Share under 1821.1 percent
- Population 65 and over53,523
- Share 65 and over21.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64141,276
- Civilian labor force117,463
- Unemployment rate3.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.3 percent
- Rank by population among Alabama counties4th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents291st
Baldwin County is the 4th largest of 67 Alabama counties by population. A median home costs 4.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.7 percent against 21.1 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Baldwin County
Is Baldwin County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base12.88 percent
- Census 2020 base population231,767
- Births, 20242,505
- Deaths, 20242,655
- Natural change, 2024-150
- Net domestic migration, 20246,570
- Net international migration, 20241,075
- Total net migration, 20247,645
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202427,126
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents90th
The county has grown 12.88 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Baldwin County
Where people moving to Baldwin County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving7,773
- People arriving, from those returns14,916
- Adjusted gross income arriving$720.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$92,632
- Largest single originBaldwin County Non-migrants (83,833 households)
- Largest single destination (83,833 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin County Non-migrants | 83,833 | 172,625 | $7.80 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 3,599 | 7,201 | $353.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,790 | 3,643 | $184.3 m |
| Mobile County | 996 | 1,821 | $74.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 927 | 1,821 | $79.7 m |
| Other flows - West | 573 | 1,141 | $60.9 m |
| Escambia County | 456 | 841 | $26.0 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 309 | 596 | $29.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Baldwin County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Baldwin County
What the Baldwin County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$13.45 bn
- County GDP, 2023$12.72 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.7 percent
- GDP change over five years53.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among Alabama counties7th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents351st
- GDP per resident$54,441
Output grew 5.7 percent in the latest year and 53.3 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Baldwin County
Who employs people in Baldwin County
- Covered employment, annual average85,118
- Establishments reporting8,757
- Average annual pay$51,157
- Average weekly wage$984
- Sector 44-45, employment14,980
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$38,604
- Sector 72, employment14,327
- Sector 72, average annual pay$28,446
- Sector 62, employment11,003
- Sector 62, average annual pay$57,259
- Sector 23, employment5,859
- Sector 23, average annual pay$70,798
- Sector 56, employment4,185
- Sector 31-33, employment4,089
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 14,980 | 1,132 | $38,604 |
| Sector 72 | 14,327 | 772 | $28,446 |
| Sector 62 | 11,003 | 998 | $57,259 |
| Sector 23 | 5,859 | 957 | $70,798 |
| Sector 56 | 4,185 | 573 | $43,463 |
| Sector 31-33 | 4,089 | 296 | $65,180 |
| Sector 54 | 3,086 | 1,004 | $76,619 |
| Sector 81 | 2,451 | 551 | $48,580 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 14,980 jobs, 17.6 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Baldwin County
What businesses operate in Baldwin County
- Establishments, all industries6,409
- Employment at those establishments72,022
- Annual payroll$3.25 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Baldwin County
What is being built in Baldwin County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20243,883
- Declared construction value permitted$1.22 bn
- Single family units authorised3,394
- Multifamily units authorised489
- Multifamily share of units12.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$315,129
- Units authorised per 1,000 households39.4
Multifamily is 12.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Baldwin County
How much SBA lending happens in Baldwin County
- 7(a) approvals recorded234
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$165.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$707,540
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,017,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,958
- Jobs per approval12.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active62
- Distinct industries receiving approvals120
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms33
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter180
- Franchise loans46
- Franchise share of approvals19.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (13)
- Most active lenderLive Oak Banking Company (18)
- 504 approvals recorded74
- 504 gross approval dollars$51.7 m
- Average 504 approval$698,703
- Median 504 approval$550,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval10.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.2
- Most active CDCSouthern Development Council (29)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals76.0 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$217.3 m
The average approval of $707,540 sits well above the median of $250,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 14.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Baldwin County
Do SBA loans in Baldwin County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded32
- Paid in full26
- Charged off6
- Charge off rate on resolved loans18.8 percent
- Status: Paid in full26
- Status: Exempt from disclosure156
- Status: Charged off6
- Status: Cancelled36
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed10
Of the 32 loans that have reached a final outcome, 18.8 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Baldwin County
Which parts of Baldwin County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending16
- DAPHNE, approvals44
- FOLEY, approvals37
- Fairhope, approvals35
- Orange Beach, approvals31
- GULF SHORES, approvals29
- SPANISH FORT, approvals18
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| DAPHNE | 44 | $22,775,800 |
| FOLEY | 37 | $28,633,700 |
| Fairhope | 35 | $21,268,300 |
| Orange Beach | 31 | $40,395,700 |
| GULF SHORES | 29 | $16,324,100 |
| SPANISH FORT | 18 | $13,122,400 |
| Robertsdale | 13 | $5,199,900 |
| Summerdale | 5 | $5,958,500 |
DAPHNE accounts for 44 approvals against 37 in FOLEY. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Baldwin County
How big is Baldwin County
- Land area1,590 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Alabama counties1st of 67
- Width, east to west37.8 mi
- Height, north to south74.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land155
- Establishments per square mile4.03
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Baldwin County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Baldwin County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population246,989
- Households98,574
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$78,775
- Median age43.9
Common questions
Baldwin County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Baldwin County, Alabama?
246,989, in 98,574 households, ranking 4th of 67 Alabama counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Baldwin County growing?
The population has grown 12.88 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 2,505 births against 2,655 deaths, with net migration of 7,645. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Baldwin County?
$78,775. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $316,900, which is 4.0 times income, and median gross rent is $1,277 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Baldwin County?
6,409 establishments, employing 72,022 people with an annual payroll of $3.25 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Baldwin County?
Average annual pay is $51,157, or $984 a week, across 85,118 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Baldwin County?
234 7(a) approvals totalling $165.6 m since FY2020, across 62 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 74 504 approvals worth $51.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Baldwin County get paid back?
Of the 32 loans that have reached a final outcome, 26 were paid in full and 6 charged off, a charge off rate of 18.8 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Baldwin County?
3,883 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.22 bn. Multifamily was 12.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Baldwin County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Baldwin County come from?
The largest single origin is Baldwin County Non-migrants, with 83,833 households. Arriving households report an average income of $92,632 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Baldwin County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Baldwin County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.