Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Gulf Shores, Alabama
A $367,000 home here costs
$2,752per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,887. The real number is $866 higher every month — 46% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Gulf Shores against Baldwin County and Alabama
| Measure | Gulf Shores | Baldwin County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $367,000 | $287,000 |
| Median property tax | $1,087 | $881 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.296% | 0.307% |
| Median gross rent | $1,363 | $1,211 |
| Population | 15,785 | 239,945 |
The weather behind that power bill
Gulf Shores sits in Baldwin County, which averages a high of 88.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 39.3°F in its coldest, with 65.76" of precipitation a year and 32% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,193 cooling and 1,800 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Baldwin County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Baldwin County
Full Baldwin County cost breakdown · Every county in Alabama
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Gulf Shores?
A $367,000 home in Gulf Shores, Alabama costs approximately $2,752 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,887 principal and interest, $91 property tax, $250 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $306 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Gulf Shores?
Gulf Shores has an effective property tax rate of 0.296%, based on a median home value of $367,000 and median real estate taxes of $1,087. That is lower than the Baldwin County average of 0.307%.
What is the average home price in Gulf Shores?
The median owner-occupied home value in Gulf Shores, Alabama is $367,000, against $287,000 across Baldwin County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Gulf Shores?
Median gross rent in Gulf Shores is $1,363 a month, against $2,752 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Gulf Shores — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Alabama.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.