What is the rental vacancy rate in Gulf Shores, AL?

Name: Vacancy rate in Gulf Shores, AL, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The rental vacancy rate in Gulf Shores, AL is 48.5% (±7.0 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 3.3% (±2.5 points).

7,721 (±533) homes, 50.6% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In Gulf Shores, the rental vacancy rate went from 63.4% in 2015–2019 to 48.5% in 2020–2024 (−14.9 percentage points), a measurable decrease.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 48.5% (±7.0 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 3.3% (±2.5 points)
Vacant homes: 7,721 (±533)

Vacancy in Gulf Shores against Baldwin County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Gulf Shores	Baldwin County	Alabama	United States
Rental vacancy rate	48.5% (±7.0 points)	24.9% (±2.7 points)	7.2% (±0.3 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	3.3% (±2.5 points)	1.7% (±0.6 points)	1.1% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	7,721 (±533)	33,684 (±1,222)	340,018 (±6,268)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In Gulf Shores, the rental vacancy rate is higher than in Baldwin County (24.9%).

It is also higher than in Alabama (7.2%).

It is higher than the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near Gulf Shores

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Gulf Shores
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
Gulf Shores	—	48.5% (±7.0 points)	—
Bon Secour	3.1 mi	0.0% (±12.6 points)	Lower
Orange Beach	6.5 mi	69.3% (±6.5 points)	Higher
Foley	8.5 mi	5.6% (±4.6 points)	Lower
Elberta	9.2 mi	3.6% (±5.4 points)	Lower
Magnolia Springs	9.8 mi	0.0% (±38.0 points)	Lower
Perdido Beach	13 mi	0.0% (±73.6 points)	Not measurably different
Summerdale	14 mi	31.4% (±23.0 points)	Not measurably different
Silverhill	19 mi	0.0% (±44.4 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Bon Secour, AL (0.0%), Foley, AL (5.6%), Elberta, AL (3.6%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Orange Beach, AL (69.3%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Rental vacancy rate across Baldwin County, place by place

Rank	Place	Rental vacancy rate
1	Orange Beach	69.3% (±6.5 points)
2	Gulf Shores	48.5% (±7.0 points)
3	Summerdale	31.4% (±23.0 points)
4	Spanish Fort	16.8% (±14.4 points)
5	Loxley	9.8% (±11.9 points)
6	Daphne	6.6% (±5.5 points)
7	Foley	5.6% (±4.6 points)
8	Fairhope	4.5% (±4.8 points)

Showing 8 of 17 places in Baldwin County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in Gulf Shores

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near Gulf Shores, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Gulf Shores beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near Gulf Shores, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about Gulf Shores

Is it hard to find a rental in Gulf Shores?

The rental vacancy rate in Gulf Shores, AL is 48.5% (±7.0 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

Is the rental market in Gulf Shores tighter than it was?

In Gulf Shores, the rental vacancy rate went from 63.4% in 2015–2019 to 48.5% in 2020–2024 (−14.9 percentage points), a measurable decrease.

How many homes are vacant in Gulf Shores?

An estimated 7,721 (±533) housing units, 50.6% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Gulf Shores city, Alabama (place:32272, in state:01).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.