How many renters live in Gulf Shores, Alabama?
The City of Gulf Shores has 15,178 people living in 6,981 households.
There are 4,332 renters living in 2,358 renter households in this City. Renters make up 28.54 percent of the population living in Gulf Shores.
What is the rental market like in Gulf Shores, Alabama?
There are an estimated 14,331 housing units in the Gulf Shores area. Of these, 6,175 units are rental homes, making up 43 percent of the housing market. For every renter household in Gulf Shores, Alabama, there are 3 rental units.
What is the vacancy rate for rentals in Gulf Shores?
The rental vacancy rate in Gulf Shores is 61 percent. This is a higher than average vacancy rate. When rental vacancy rates are high it means that there are a lot of available units and rents tend to be lower.
How many rental units are in Gulf Shores for each bedroom size?
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Gulf Shores
| Studio | One-Bedroom | Two-Bedroom | Three-Bedroom | Four+ Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | 450 | 1,192 | 581 | 101 |
Occupied Rental Units by Size in Gulf Shores
A large number of apartments in Gulf Shores have two or fewer bedrooms. Seniors and young professionals especially may have more success finding an apartment that meets their needs.
How many renter households in Gulf Shores are overburdened by housing costs?
Among renter households in this market, 47 percent have housing cost burden. Further, 27 percent of households are extremely rent overburdened. When renters pay too much for their housing, it leaves little money for other necessities like food, clothes, or medicine.
The federal government says that renters are cost-burdened if they pay more than a third of their monthly income for rent and utilities.
How Much Is Rent in Gulf Shores
Depending on size, the Fair Market Rent - HUDs measurement of the cost of an average housing unit - ranges from $1,051 to $2,114. FMRs are updated annually by HUD for every city and county nationwide.
| Bed Size | 2024 Fair Market Rents |
| Studio | $1,051 |
| One BR | $1,056 |
| Two BR | $1,362 |
| Three BR | $1,670 |
| Four BR | $2,114 |
2024 Fair Market Rents in Gulf Shores, Alabama
How many units are rented at Fair Market Rent (FMR) in Gulf Shores?
Renters with a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher must select a home that is at or below the area’s Fair Market Rent. Markets with a large share of units above FMR tend to have longer search times to find a qualified unit, while those with a large share of units below FMR tend to have more choices and shorter search times. The share below FMR can vary by size of unit, as shown in the table below.
These are the approximate number of units renting below the FMR in this market:
| Unit Size | Count of Units Below FMR | Percentage of Total Units Below FMR |
| Studio | 3 | 9 percent |
| One BR | 238 | 53 percent |
| Two BR | 592 | 50 percent |
Rental Units Below FMR in Gulf Shores, Alabama
How many affordable rental units are in Gulf Shores?
There are a variety of federal affordable housing programs serving households in Gulf Shores, Alabama including the following:
| Federal Program | Unit Count |
| Low Income Housing Tax Credit | 327 |
| USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing | 67 |
Tracked Units by Federal Program in Gulf Shores, Alabama
Rental units may be funded in part by multiple federal programs.
Income Based Apartments in Gulf Shores, Alabama
Gulf Shores features 50 income based apartments. Tenants of income based apartments typically pay no more than 30% of their income towards rent and utilities.
Low Rent Apartments in Gulf Shores, Alabama
There are 233 rent subsidized apartments that do not provide direct rental assistance but remain affordable to low income households in Gulf Shores.
Housing Choice Vouchers in Gulf Shores, Alabama
On average, Section 8 Housing Choice vouchers pay Gulf Shores landlords $0 per month towards rent. The average voucher holder contributes $0 towards rent in Gulf Shores.
The maximum amount a voucher would pay on behalf of a low-income tenant in Gulf Shores, Alabama for a two-bedroom apartment is between $1,226 and $1,498.
Sourced from federal housing data and AffordableHousingOnline.com research.
