PlainZIP

Orange Beach, AL · standard

ZIP Code 36561

Baldwin County, Alabama — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

5,808
138/sq mi
$98,295
Median income
$574,500
Median home value
43.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Orange Beach pairs an upper-quartile household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 20%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 10%
home value, US ZIPs
138
people per sq mi
70%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 36561 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 36561 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 42.0 square miles in Orange Beach, Baldwin County, Alabama. The area is home to 5,808 residents, producing a population density of 138 people per square mile, and falls within the Chicago time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 36561 against Alabama and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 36561 sits at $98,295 (61% above the Alabama average), while per-capita income is $65,588. The poverty rate stands at 2.7% and the unemployment rate at 3.5%. On housing, the median home value is $574,500 (224% above the state average) with median rent at $1,591 per month, and 70.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 36561 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 43.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 53.4, and the average commute is 25 minutes. We also surface 2 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Baldwin County, so you can benchmark 36561 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →

Top industries in ZIP 36561

Top 5 sectors by establishment count

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 36561.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 36561, Orange Beach, AL · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

5,808

Population

42.0

Area (sq mi)

138

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 36561?

53.4

Median Age

48.1%

Male

51.9%

Female

3.2%

Foreign-Born

White 89.9%
African American 3.5%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.8%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$98,295

Median Household Income

+61% vs state

$65,588

Per Capita Income

2.7%

Poverty Rate

3.5%

Unemployment Rate

25.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 36561 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$98,295 Top 20% higher than 80% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. 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 · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 65.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 43.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

15,926

Total Housing Units

4,467

Occupied Units

11,459

Vacant Units

2.13

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 70.1%
Renter 29.9%

$574,500

Median Home Value

+224% vs state

$1,591

Median Rent

2000

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+6.8%

YoY Change (2024)

385

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+285%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 36561 have increased 6.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +285% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +6.6% 229
2021 +12.8% 258
2022 +22.2% 316
2023 +14.1% 360
2024 +6.8% 385

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 549 business establishments in ZIP 36561, employing approximately 7,053 people with a combined annual payroll of $277,801,000.

549

Businesses

7,053

Employees

$277.8M

Annual Payroll

15

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 103 18.8%
Real estate and rental and leasing 96 17.5%
Accommodation and food services 91 16.6%
Construction 48 8.7%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 47 8.6%
Other services (except public administration) 39 7.1%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 31 5.7%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 21 3.8%
Transportation and warehousing 19 3.5%
Health care and social assistance 19 3.5%
Wholesale trade 10 1.8%
Finance and insurance 9 1.6%
Information 6 1.1%
Educational services 4 0.7%
Management of companies and enterprises 3 0.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 36561 vs 36530 →

ZIP 36561 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 36561 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 36561 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 36561 ranks the highest of 3 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
36530 Elberta, AL 6,873 8.6 mi
36549 Lillian, AL 4,271 11.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Baldwin County

36526 standard
Daphne, AL
Pop: 27,890
36532 standard
Fairhope, AL
Pop: 27,829
36535 standard
Foley, AL
Pop: 26,767
36507 standard
Bay Minette, AL
Pop: 19,090
36542 standard
Gulf Shores, AL
Pop: 12,705
36567 standard
Robertsdale, AL
Pop: 12,672

Related Areas

Baldwin County Orange Beach, AL Alabama

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 36561 in? ▼
ZIP code 36561 (Orange Beach) is located in Baldwin County, Alabama. Baldwin County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/baldwin-al.
What is the population of ZIP code 36561? ▼
ZIP code 36561 in Orange Beach, AL has a population of 5,808 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 36561? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 36561 is $98,295, which is 29% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 36561? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 36561 is $574,500, which is 107% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 36561? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 36561 is White at 89.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 36561? ▼
ZIP code 36561 has 549 business establishments employing approximately 7,053 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 36561? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 36561 are: Retail trade (103), Real estate and rental and leasing (96), Accommodation and food services (91). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 36561? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 36561 increased by 6.8% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 285%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 36561? ▼
In ZIP code 36561, 65.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 43.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 36561? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 36561 is 25.1 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 36561? ▼
In ZIP code 36561, approximately 70.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 29.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 36561? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 36561 is 2.7% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

ZIP Code Research Guides

Reading Census Demographics
How to interpret population, income, and education data from the Census Bureau.
Understanding ZIP Code Data
What ZIP codes are, how ZCTAs differ, and what the data reveals.
Best ZIP Codes for Families
Key factors to evaluate when choosing a family-friendly neighborhood.
ZIP Codes for Relocation
Data-driven tips for evaluating ZIP codes before a move.

Official Data Resources for Orange Beach, AL

Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.

U.S. Census Bureau
Official demographic, economic, and housing data from the American Community Survey.
HUD Fair Market Rents
Department of Housing and Urban Development rental cost estimates by metropolitan area.
FBI Uniform Crime Reports
Official crime statistics compiled from law enforcement agencies nationwide.
FHFA House Price Index
Federal Housing Finance Agency home value trends based on repeat sales and appraisals.

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