City profile · Alabama · Census ACS 2023

Fairhope, AL

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Fairhope - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

23,360
Residents
$86,509
Median income
$406,500
Median home
$1,345
Median rent (state)

Fairhope - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Fairhope places in the 68th percentile for household income and the 54th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

68th
percentile, household income
78th
percentile, home value
50th
percentile, median rent
54th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Fairhope, AL

23,360 people live in Fairhope, Alabama - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Fairhope brings in $86,509 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.5%. Typical homes in Fairhope are valued around $406,500, and the median resident age is 47.1 years. 53.4% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 52.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 162 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 64% from five years earlier. Fairhope reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1260.6 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 66.0°F with 65.8 inches of precipitation per year.

Living costs in Alabama run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Alabama at 88.8 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,345 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Alabama run around $245, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Fairhope report an average commute of 20.2 minutes, with 80.9% driving alone and 13.6% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 96.7 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

23,360 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Alabama

Median Household Income

$86,509 /yr

Poverty 6.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

88.8 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Alabama average

How does Fairhope compare to other US cities?

Fairhope measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 68% higher than other cities
Home value 78% pricier than other cities
Median rent 50% pricier than other cities
Safety 54% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Alabama, Fairhope ranks #70 of 222 Alabama cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Fairhope's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Alabama, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

68thIncome percentile
54thSafety percentile

68th percentile nationally for median household income · 54th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Fairhope's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Fairhope's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 53 Avg. percentile National median
Fairhope's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Fairhope's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$406,500 22nd percentile more affordable than 22% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). This entry sits in this band. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Fairhope $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Fairhope, AL Fairhope, AL's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Fairhope, AL-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Fairhope, AL median $86,509/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Fairhope, AL's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Fairhope, AL. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 53.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 52.7%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
23,360
Median Income
$86,509
Median Home Value
$406,500
Median Age
47.1
Poverty Rate
6.5%
Labor force participation
52.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
53.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1260.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
108.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1152.0
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
66.0°F
Annual Precipitation
65.8"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
22,000 residents24,000 residents26,000 residents28,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 23,084 residents 26,625 residents ▲ +15.3%
Fairhope's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
162
housing units authorized
Single-Family
162
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
6.9
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 448
2020 308
2021 288
2022 519
2023 536
2024 162

Permit volume decreased 64% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
20.2 minutes
Drive Alone
80.9%
Carpool
3.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.5%
Work from Home
13.6%
Other
1.3%

Based on 9,568 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Alabama - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$138
avg/month
Natural Gas
$62
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$245
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Alabama state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Alabama state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Fairhope sits in

Cost of Living Index
88.8
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,345/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
96.7 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Alabama

Albertville
22,584 people
Foley
22,330 people
Pelham
24,510 people
Mountain Brook
22,160 people
Oxford
22,063 people
Helena
21,452 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Fairhope's 23,360 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Maple Heights, OH
23,350 people
Glassboro, NJ
23,375 people
Watauga, TX
23,336 people
Copiague, NY
23,332 people
Pottstown, PA
23,392 people
Edgewater, FL
23,314 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Fairhope's $86,509 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Caledonia, IL
$86,513 median income
Orange Blossom, CA
$86,500 median income
Fruitville, FL
$86,500 median income
Montgomery, GA
$86,500 median income
South Dennis, MA
$86,500 median income
Rollingstone, MN
$86,500 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Fairhope, AL Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Fairhope, AL - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 88.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 7.1% White 88.3% Black or African American 3.0% Asian 0.6% American Indian 0.7% Native Hawaiian 0.3% Some other race 3.2% Two or more races 4.0% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Fairhope compares to nearby Alabama cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Fairhope (this city) 23,360 $86,509
Albertville 22,584 $57,103
Foley 22,330 $67,346
Pelham 24,510 $91,904
Census ACS 5-year FIPS AL FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Fairhope, AL?

What is the population of Fairhope, AL? +

Fairhope, AL has a population of 23,360 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Fairhope, AL? +

Median annual household income in Fairhope runs $86,509, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Fairhope? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Fairhope; the closest available measure is the Alabama state average, a cost of living index of 88.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Alabama vary by metro area.

Is Fairhope, AL safe? +

Fairhope has a total crime rate of 1260.6 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Fairhope, AL? +

The median home value in Fairhope is $406,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Fairhope? +

Fairhope has an average annual temperature of 66.0°F, 65.8 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.