Housing and tax tradeoff: Gulf Shores, Alabama
Gulf Shores, Alabama comes out ahead here on home price. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Orange Beach vs Gulf Shores on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 5 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
Orange BeachGulf Shores
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Orange Beach, Alabama
Orange Beach, Alabama is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on sunshine, weaker on safety.
Potential dealbreaker: Gulf Shores, Alabama
Gulf Shores, Alabama needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on flood risk.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 5,850 | 11,131 |
| Center Elevation | 13 ft(4 m) | 7 ft(2 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $672,385 | $448,572 |
| Median Rent | N/A | $1,721 |
| Median Income | $90,402 | $62,021 |
| Rent Burden | N/A | 33% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 325 days/yr | 325 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 75°F | 75°F |
| Avg. Low | 63°F | 65°F |
| Comfort Score | 82/100Great | 83/100Great |
| Temp Swing | 27°F | 27°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 68"(173 cm) | 64"(163 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 0"(0 cm) | 0"(0 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 422024 modeled avg · 20 days > 100 | Typical: 422024 modeled avg · 20 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Walkability | 27 | 41 |
| Safety Score | 69 / 100 | 71 / 100 |
| School Rating | 9.4/10 | 9.2/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | highHigh Risk |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 77%Cable: 98% | Fiber: 36%Cable: 93% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 51.6 years | 50.4 years |
| College Educated | 40% | 38% |
| Remote Workers | 18% | 12% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move. | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Orange Beach. One featured slot per city | Featured Local Partner ADRealtor Realtor spot available For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Gulf Shores. One featured slot per city |
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