ZIP Code 36542 — Gulf Shores city, AL Demographics & Data

ZIP code 36542 covers Gulf Shores, AL in Baldwin County with a population of about 17,335.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 50.6 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 251; U.S. House district AL-1; the MOBILE - PENSACOLA (FT WALT) media market.

Median household income in ZIP 36542 is about $74,861 — about even with the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 10.6%; unemployment rate near 2.4%; 38.2% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 4.5 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Retail trade, Food services, and Education; about 15.7% of workers reporting work-from-home (roughly in line with the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $366,600 — about 5% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,201 (about 3% above the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 68.9% (about 3.5 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 36542 in Gulf Shores, AL, a household would need roughly $101,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $2,355. That is about 35% above the local median household income ($74,861), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Gulf Shores city, AL as Relatively High (composite score 96.7), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are hurricane (99.2) and flood (92.2). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Gulf Shores city, AL show little to no average snow and around 61.1 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 552 for ZIP 36542 (Gulf Shores city, AL) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.