36542 ZIP Code — Gulf Shores, AL

Baldwin County, Alabama

ZIP code 36542 is located in Gulf Shores, Alabama, within Baldwin County. It covers approximately 51.99 square miles and serves a population of 17,089 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 251.

About ZIP code 36542

The housing stock consists of a significant share of large multi-unit buildings. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $323,900. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 69%.

The gap between median ($63,305) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 40% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with arts, entertainment, and food service as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 39% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

17,089

population

51.99

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

36542 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 36542

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 36542. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Gulf Shores	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

36511 Bon Secour (4 mi) 36555 Magnolia Springs (8.1 mi) 36535 Foley (8.6 mi) 36561 Orange Beach (14 mi) 36532 Fairhope (14.3 mi) 36580 Summerdale (14.5 mi) 36576 Silverhill (16.5 mi) 36530 Elberta (17.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	17,089
Population density	329 / sq mi
State FIPS	01
County FIPS	003

Geography
Land area	51.99 sq mi
Water area	22.53 sq mi
Latitude	30.2831
Longitude	-87.7998
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	251

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	48.4%	41.5%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	30.6%	30.5%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	16.1%	21.3%	18.0%
Over $200k	4.9%	6.6%	4.4%

Demographics & statistics

17,089

Population

329

People per sq mi

50.0

Median age

$63,305

Median household income

$41,979

Per capita income

$323,900

Median home value

$1,182

Median monthly rent

69.2%

Home ownership

8.0%

Poverty rate

2.1%

Unemployment

15,908

Housing units

38.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

143

Under 5

173

247

5–9

298

410

10–14

495

602

15–19

727

277

20–24

334

865

25–34

1,045

871

35–44

1,051

1,131

45–54

1,367

536

55–59

647

641

60–64

774

1,396

65–74

1,686

359

75–84

433

263

85+

318

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,524	14.8%
18 and over	14,565	85.2%
65 and over	4,455	26.1%
Median age	50.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 88.9%

Hispanic or Latino 3.2%

Two or more races 2.7%

Black or African American 2%

Other race 1.6%

Asian 1.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%

Group	Count	%
White	15,705	88.9%
Hispanic or Latino	569	3.2%
Two or more races	476	2.7%
Black or African American	357	2%
Other race	281	1.6%
Asian	188	1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	82	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	48.4%	41.5%	48.3%
$50k – $100k	30.6%	30.5%	29.3%
$100k – $200k	16.1%	21.3%	18.0%
Over $200k	4.9%	6.6%	4.4%

Under $10k 2.2%

$10k–$15k 6.7%

$15k–$25k 3.5%

$25k–$35k 11.1%

$35k–$50k 15.6%

$50k–$75k 17.0%

$75k–$100k 14.7%

$100k–$150k 15.3%

$150k–$200k 6.8%

$200k+ 7.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.2%
$10k–$15k	6.7%
$15k–$25k	3.5%
$25k–$35k	11.1%
$35k–$50k	15.6%
$50k–$75k	17.0%
$75k–$100k	14.7%
$100k–$150k	15.3%
$150k–$200k	6.8%
$200k+	7.2%
Median income	$63,305

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.7%

$50k–$100k 0.5%

$100k–$150k 2.8%

$150k–$200k 6.8%

$200k–$300k 32.4%

$300k–$500k 31.9%

$500k–$1M 21.9%

$1M+ 0.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$323,900
Median rent / month	$1,182
Owner occupied	69.2%
Renter occupied	30.8%
Vacant	57.6%
Single-family detached	44.5%
Large apartment buildings	29.4%
Mobile homes	1.3%
Median rooms	4.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.35

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.7%
2010–2019	7.0%
2000–2009	34.9%
1990–1999	18.7%
1980–1989	27.0%
1970–1979	4.6%
1960–1969	4.1%
1950–1959	1.3%
1940–1949	0.1%
1939 or earlier	0.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.5%
1 bedroom	7.5%
2 bedrooms	35.5%
3 bedrooms	39.5%
4 bedrooms	10.9%
5+ bedrooms	4.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.3%
1 vehicle	43.1%
2 vehicles	38.2%
3 or more	16.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.2%
Electricity	95.8%
Propane / LP gas	0.9%
No fuel used	0.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,561	45.9%
Cohabiting couple	331	4.3%
Male householder, no spouse	1,686	21.7%
Female householder, no spouse	2,184	28.1%
Households with children under 18	1,667	21.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,022	38.9%
Average household size	2.20

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	25.0%	27.2%
Married	55.2%	45.9%
Separated	0.5%	0.6%
Widowed	2.3%	8.7%
Divorced	17.0%	17.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.7%

Some HS, no diploma 3.3%

HS graduate 22.8%

Some college, no degree 24.3%

Associate's degree 8.9%

Bachelor's degree 21.9%

Graduate / professional 17.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.0%
Bachelor's or higher	38.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	79	2.4%
Kindergarten	150	4.5%
Elementary school	1,110	33.5%
High school	1,044	31.5%
College / grad school	933	28.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Arts, food & hospitality 18.4%

Retail trade 16.3%

Education & healthcare 13.6%

Professional & management 13.5%

Finance & real estate 12.4%

Construction 6.6%

Public administration 4.5%

Transportation & utilities 3.8%

Other services 3.4%

Information 3.3%

Manufacturing 2.9%

Wholesale trade 0.9%

Agriculture & mining 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	33.6%
Service	22.3%
Sales & office	28.4%
Natural resources & construction	6.4%
Production & transportation	9.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	76.5%
Government	12.1%
Self-employed	11.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.3%
Carpool	5.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	11.9%
Other means	0.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	20.9

Poverty

All people 8.0%

Under 18 years 4.9%

18 and over 8.5%

Married-couple families 3.8%

Female-led households 18.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.3%
Retirement income	32.1%
Supplemental Security	2.8%
Cash public assistance	0.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	31.5%
High blood pressure	35.4%
High cholesterol	36.0%
Diabetes	10.3%
Heart disease	6.7%
Stroke	2.8%
Asthma	8.9%
Arthritis	30.1%
Kidney disease	2.7%
Pulmonary disease	7.1%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.4%
Binge drinking	16.5%
No physical activity	22.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.1%
Depression	25.3%
Fair or poor health	14.3%
Poor mental health	15.1%
Poor physical health	10.0%
No health insurance	12.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.2%
Visited dentist	68.5%
Cholesterol screening	91.1%
Teeth loss	9.9%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,320	9.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	13.3%
Under 18	3.4%
18–64 years	9.0%
65 and over	28.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	71.8%
Public insurance	33.8%
No insurance	13.6%
Uninsured under 19	9.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	16,773	98.2%
Spanish	525	3.1%
Other Indo-European	114	0.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	242	1.4%
Other languages	169	1.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	15,956	93.4%
Born in same state	15,714	92.0%
Born in different state	6,261	36.6%
Foreign born	242	1.4%
Naturalized citizen	1,133	6.6%
Not a US citizen	498	44.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	3,755	22%
Italian	2,203	12.9%
French	2,026	11.9%
Polish	187	1.1%
English	47	0.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	44	0.3%
German	28	0.2%
Norwegian	26	0.2%
Irish	14	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	45.4%
Internet access	97.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 36542

What city is ZIP code 36542 in?

ZIP code 36542 is primarily assigned to Gulf Shores, Alabama.

What county is ZIP code 36542 in?

ZIP code 36542 falls within Baldwin County, Alabama.

Does ZIP code 36542 have an older population?

26% of residents in ZIP code 36542 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 36542 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 36542 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 36542 have a large veteran population?

9% of civilians in ZIP code 36542 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 36542?

The median home value in ZIP code 36542 is $323,900.

What timezone is ZIP code 36542 in?

ZIP code 36542 observes the CST timezone.