Orange Beach is a

resort city A resort town, resort city or resort destination is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding area. Sometimes ...

in Baldwin County,

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

, United States. The population was 8,095 at the 2020 census. According to 2023 census estimates, the city is estimated to have a population of 8,534.

Geography

Orange Beach is located on Perdido Key along the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

, and is the easternmost community on Alabama's Gulf Coast, with the community of Perdido Key, Florida bordering it to the east. The city of Gulf Shores is to the west. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Orange Beach has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, with mild-to-warm winters, and hot and humid summers.

Demographics

Perdido Key Florida-Alabama SR 292 west01

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 8,095 people, and 3,793 households, and 2,343 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 14,545 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 91.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.2%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.5% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.0%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.7% from some other races and 5.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population. 15.5% of residents were under the age of 18, 2.1% were under 5 years of age, and 28.5% were 65 and older.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 5,441 people, 2,492 households, and 1,544 families residing in the city. The

was . There were 11,726 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.3%

, 0.6%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

, 0.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 1.4% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. 2.6% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 2,492 households, out of which 21.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.70. In the city, the population was 18.7% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $66,656, and the median income for a family was $69,964. Males had a median income of $54,806 versus $47,019 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $40,153. About 1.2% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 0.0% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

Sports

The city of Orange Beach hosts many sporting events and tournaments at the Orange Beach Sportsplex. The Sportsplex, located north of the Gulf State Park and a short distance from The Wharf, comprises a football/soccer stadium with a seating capacity of 1,500. The facility also has several baseball and softball fields. The Backcountry Trail system through the Gulf State Park has a

trailhead A trailhead is the point where a trail begins or is accessed, where the trail is often intended for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or off-road vehicles. Modern trailheads often contain restrooms, maps, signposts, and distribution centers for ...

located at the Sportsplex. The Sportsplex has hosted the SEC Women's Soccer Tournament on numerous occasions, in addition to the NCAA Division II men and women's soccer tournament. The facility once served as home to the Alabama Lightning of the North American Football League. A high

Ferris wheel A Ferris wheel (also called a big wheel, giant wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondola ...

is located at The Wharf in Orange Beach. Orange Beach is home to the Orange Beach Running Club, which meets every Monday evening to run a 5K.

Education

Orange Beach is part of the Orange Beach City Schools system. Orange Beach Elementary School is the city's only school and serves students in grades kindergarten through sixth grade. Students in grades seven and twelve attend Orange Beach Middle and High School. Previously residents were zoned to Gulf Shores Middle School and Gulf Shores High School in neighboring Gulf Shores. In 2019, these schools separated into the Gulf Shores City Schools district. For the 2019-2020 school year, Orange Beach grade 7-10 students and grade 7-10 students in

unincorporated areas An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

had a choice between remaining with Gulf Shores schools or attending temporary classrooms established by Baldwin County schools. Orange Beach Middle and High opened in 2020. Columbia Southern University is a private, online-only university that is located in Orange Beach, with a campus in Orange Beach on Canal Road and a larger campus on the Beach Express road.

Transportation

Countywide

dial-a-ride Demand-responsive transport (DRT), also known as demand-responsive transit, demand-responsive service,
US National Trans ...

transit service is provided by BRATS, the Baldwin Regional Area Transit System.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Cities in Alabama Populated places established in 1984 Cities in Baldwin County, Alabama Populated coastal places in Alabama Beaches of Alabama