Baldwin County, AL
Housing, jobs, water, deposits and federal obligations for this county, each figure with the release it came from. Internal point 30.66, -87.75.
Assembled 2026-10-19. Read the brief.
- 82nd pct · 527th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 100th pct · 1st of 67 Alabama counties · median $177,293
- counties in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 21st pct · 2,407th of 3,062 US counties · median +2.9%
- 21st pct · 53rd of 67 Alabama counties · median +2.4%
- counties in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 65th pct · 470th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 96th pct · 2nd of 27 Alabama counties · median $1,378
- counties in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 89th pct · 332nd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 92nd pct · 6th of 67 Alabama counties · median 10,118
- counties in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 48th pct · 1,656th of 3,221 US counties · median $1,039
- 54th pct · 31st of 67 Alabama counties · median $1,024
- counties in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
- 88th pct · 368th of 3,063 US counties · median 4.2
- 100th pct · 1st of 67 Alabama counties · median 3.3
- counties in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
Typical home value divided by the average annual wage of one covered job.
A percentile here is a min-max scaling of average rank: the smallest published value in the cohort is 0 and the largest is 100, and tied values share the average of the ranks they span. It is not the share of entities below the value, so 0 means smallest, not none below. Entities that did not publish the metric are outside the cohort entirely and are counted in neither the rank nor its denominator.
Home values #
Typical home $371,447 (Sep 2026), +0.1% over one year, +16.5% over five
- 82nd pct · 527th of 3,063 US counties · median $230,451
- 100th pct · 1st of 67 Alabama counties · median $177,293
- counties in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Baldwin County, AL | $371,447 · +0.1% 1-yr |
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of homes in the 35th to 65th percentile, smoothed and seasonally adjusted; a model estimate of value, not a sale price. Data through Zillow Research.
Rents #
Typical rent $1,701/mo (Sep 2026), +2.1% over one year; price-to-rent 18.2
- 65th pct · 470th of 1,358 US counties · median $1,506
- 96th pct · 2nd of 27 Alabama counties · median $1,378
- counties in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Baldwin County, AL | $1,701/mo · +2.1% 1-yr |
Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), smoothed, all homes and multifamily; price-to-rent = typical home / (typical rent × 12).
What the typical home costs to carry #
Principal and interest of $2,057 a month on $371,447 at 7.40%, against an average weekly wage worth $4,476 a month: 46.0% of one job’s pay.
- payment = P·r / (1 − (1+r)^−n), P = $371,447 × 80% = $297,158, r = 7.40%/12 (Freddie Mac PMMS via FRED, 2026-10-15), n = 360 → $2,057/mo principal and interest
- wage share = payment / (avg weekly wage $1,033 × 52 / 12 = $4,476) = 46% of one average job's pay (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all covered jobs)
- years of wages = $371,447 / ($1,033 × 52) = 6.9
- price-to-rent = $371,447 / ($1,701 × 12) = 18.2
The wage is one covered job’s average, not a household’s income, so this is the share of a single paycheque and not a mortgage underwriting ratio.
Estimate. Principal and interest on the typical home with 20% down over 30 years at this week's Freddie Mac average rate; compared with the average weekly wage of all jobs covered by unemployment insurance in the area (BLS QCEW), which is pay per job, not household income.
Jobs & wages #
89,486 jobs at 9,789 employers (2026 Q1); +3.3% jobs and +3.8% average weekly wage over the year
- 89th pct · 332nd of 3,221 US counties · median 8,232
- 92nd pct · 6th of 67 Alabama counties · median 10,118
- counties in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metro: Rank context is unavailable: the manifest lists 1 counties in the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metro; fewer than 5 is too few to rank.
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Baldwin County, AL | 89,486 jobs · $1,033/wk · +3.3% YoY |
| NAICS sector | Jobs | Avg weekly wage | Location quotient | Jobs over the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 15,172 | $765 | 1.74 | +2.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | 14,987 | $531 | 1.86 | +1.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 11,453 | $1,131 | 0.85 | +1.4% |
| Construction | 6,273 | $1,376 | 1.34 | +0.7% |
| Manufacturing | 4,380 | $1,397 | 0.61 | +7.1% |
| Administrative and waste services | 4,226 | $851 | 0.83 | +3.5% |
| Professional and technical services | 3,382 | $1,521 | 0.55 | +5.3% |
| Real estate and rental | 2,655 | $993 | 1.94 | +11.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 2,626 | $1,806 | 0.77 | +6.7% |
| Other services | 2,550 | $916 | 0.95 | +2.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 2,162 | $2,218 | 0.59 | +5.0% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 2,102 | $552 | 1.43 | +13.5% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, all ownerships, total covered employment in the quarter's third month; over-the-year changes as published. Suppressed cells stay blank.
Drought #
No drought class at this point (USDM covers the United States only)
Sites found: 5, searched within 0 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 0 km away are not.
US Drought Monitor current week; the highest class of any polygon containing the point.
Reservoirs #
No reservoir gauges within 150 km (or the camera is above the gauge altitude)
Sites found: 0, searched within 150 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 150 km away are not.
Σ(capacity × percent full) / Σ capacity over TWDB reservoirs within 150 km. Texas only; elsewhere USGS reservoir elevation/storage is listed without a capacity to normalise by.
Stream gauges #
40 gauges · 0 flooding · 1 with quality panels averaging 50 % · 13 stale
Sites found: 40, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| BAYOU SARA AT SARALAND, ALA | stage 3.25 ft · quality 50 % (2) | 36 km |
| STYX R NR LOXLEY, AT SMITHS SIDING, ALA | stage 3.99 ft | 14 km |
| FISH RIVER NEAR SILVER HILL AL | flow 58.6 ft³/s | 14 km |
| D'OLIVE CREEK NEAR BRIDGEHEAD, AL | flow 6.53 ft³/s · STALE | 14 km |
| TIAWASEE CREEK NEAR BRIDGEHEAD, AL | flow 4.63 ft³/s · STALE | 14 km |
| STYX RIVER NEAR ELSANOR, AL. | flow 170.0 ft³/s | 20 km |
| FISH RIVER NEAR MARLOW, AL | flow 332.0 ft³/s | 21 km |
| MAGNOLIA RIVER AT US 98 NEAR FOLEY, ALABAMA | flow 22.5 ft³/s | 28 km |
| PERDIDO RIVER AT BARRINEAU PARK, FL | flow 283.0 ft³/s | 29 km |
| STYX RIVER AT SEMINOLE, ALA | stage 9.34 ft | 31 km |
USGS latest readings screened against EPA freshwater criteria (DO ≥ 5 mg/L, pH 6.5–9, conductance, turbidity, temperature); NWS flood categories where a NWPS gauge is co-located.
Groundwater #
18 wells in 2 named aquifers: Coastal lowlands aquifer system, Surficial aquifer system
Sites found: 18, searched within 75 km of this place’s internal point. That is a disc around a point, not the area itself: sites outside the boundary are included, and sites inside it further than 75 km away are not.
| Site | Reading | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal lowlands aquifer system | depth 4.69 ft · 2026-10-18 | 30 km |
| USGS-303208087241101 | depth 93.9 ft · 1973-12-10 | 35 km |
| USGS-305450087264002 | depth 73.2 ft · 1973-10-30 | 41 km |
| USGS-305450087264001 | depth 88.8 ft · 1973-10-30 | 41 km |
| USGS-303614087190901 | depth 91.6 ft · 1981-09-17 | 41 km |
| USGS-303610087165001 | depth 87.1 ft · 1984-07-24 | 45 km |
| USGS-303558087155501 | depth 47.3 ft · 1984-09-29 | 46 km |
| USGS-303108087162301 | depth 81.2 ft · 1982-09-27 | 48 km |
USGS latest daily water levels. A single latest reading says where the table is, not which way it is moving; select a well for its 365-day trace.
Water stress #
low (0.18)
Σ wᵢ·termᵢ / Σ wᵢ = 0.35×0.00 + 0.2×0.50 / 0.55
Banks & federal dollars #
$6.7 bn in deposits at 90 offices of 32 banks (SOD June 2026); HHI 903, unconcentrated. $2.3 bn federal obligations in FY2026 (direct payments $2.0 bn, grants $341.5 m), $25,892 per covered job
| Item | Value | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Regions Bank | $1.5 bn · 21.9% share · 9 offices | |
| PNC Bank, National Association | $722.4 m · 10.7% share · 8 offices | |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $595.6 m · 8.8% share · 5 offices | |
| Baldwin, AL | $2.3 bn FY2026 · $25,892/job | |
| MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS | $1.9 bn · top recipient FY2026 |
| Institution | Deposits | Share | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regions Bank | $1,471,339,000 | 21.9% | 9 |
| PNC Bank, National Association | $722,365,000 | 10.7% | 8 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association | $595,561,000 | 8.8% | 5 |
| Renasant Bank | $413,256,000 | 6.1% | 7 |
| Centennial Bank | $397,769,000 | 5.9% | 5 |
| United Bank | $393,001,000 | 5.8% | 9 |
| Bryant Bank | $390,790,000 | 5.8% | 3 |
| SouthState Bank, National Association | $333,711,000 | 5.0% | 2 |
| Hancock Whitney Bank | $235,155,000 | 3.5% | 3 |
| First Horizon Bank | $228,678,000 | 3.4% | 1 |
Deposit concentration is 903 across 32 banks, which the 1995 Department of Justice bank merger screen calls unconcentrated.
HHI = Σ (share %)² over 32 banks with deposits in the county = 21.9² + 10.7² + 8.8² + … (29 more) = 903
FDIC Summary of Deposits: deposits at every insured office as of June 30, annual; HHI is the sum of squared county deposit shares (DOJ 1995 bank merger screen: 1000 / 1800). USAspending: obligations by place of performance for the latest complete federal fiscal year (Oct 1 to Sep 30), what agencies committed, not what they paid out; recipients are legal entities. Per-job divides obligations by BLS QCEW covered employment.
Federal obligations #
USAspending place-of-performance obligations for FY2026, by awarding agency.
| Awarding agency | Obligations |
|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | $1,596,619,204 |
| Department of Transportation | $335,017,702 |
| Department of Veterans Affairs | $282,607,377 |
| Department of Education | $55,998,157 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | $13,520,988 |
| Department of Housing and Urban Development | $10,108,349 |
| Department of Agriculture | $9,692,472 |
| Department of Homeland Security | $5,627,107 |
| Federal Communications Commission | $4,032,647 |
| Department of Justice | $2,801,676 |
| Department of Health and Human Services | $2,044,562 |
| Department of the Interior | $1,147,678 |
That is $25,892 per covered job, against 89,486 jobs in the 2026 Q1 QCEW quarter.
per job = FY2026 obligations $2.3 bn / 89,486 covered jobs (BLS QCEW 2026 Q1, all ownerships) = $25,892
USAspending obligations are recorded where the work is performed, so a prime award performed here is counted here even when the recipient is headquartered elsewhere. Recipients are legal entities, never people.
National context, not this county #
These are United States, single-gauge, single-state and port series. None of them is keyed to this county.
| Series | Latest | As of | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River at Memphis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Mississippi River at St. Louis, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Ohio River at Louisville, stage · ft | 17.95 | 2026-10-18 | -2.6% |
| Missouri River at St. Joseph, stage · ft | not published | not published | |
| Colorado River below Hoover Dam, flow (Hoover releases) · ft³/s | 5,170.00 | 2026-02-05 | -25.3% |
| Texas reservoirs, statewide percent full · % | 72.20 | 2026-10-19 | +0.0% |
| Laredo truck crossings, monthly · trucks | 258,700.00 | 2026-08-01 | -0.4% |
| Los Angeles + Long Beach container volume, annual · TEU | 10,513,167.00 | 2023-01-01 | -13.5% |
| Containerships waiting for a berth, all US ports · ships | 7.00 | 2026-10-13 | +133.3% |
| Shanghai to Los Angeles container rate · $ per 40 ft box | 7,848.00 | 2026-09-01 | +14.9% |
| US diesel retail price · $ per gallon | unavailable | not published | |
| WTI crude oil, spot · $ per barrel | 101.91 | 2026-10-14 | +1.0% |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate · % | 7.40 | 2026-10-15 | +0.0% |
| Housing starts, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,275.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.6% |
| Building permits, annual rate · thousands of units | 1,403.00 | 2026-08-01 | -2.1% |
| Case-Shiller US home price index · index, Jan 2000 = 100 | 337.31 | 2026-07-01 | +0.1% |
| Unemployment rate · % | 4.20 | 2026-09-01 | +2.4% |
| US goods and services trade balance, monthly · $ millions | -105,572.00 | 2026-08-01 | -13.7% |
| Retail sales excluding food services, monthly · $ millions | 652,115.00 | 2026-09-01 | +0.7% |
The indicator registry has no county-keyed series and no geographic selection: every entry is national, a named gauge, a single state or a port. They are here as the backdrop the county's own numbers move against, and they are never this county's readings.
What changed #
Baldwin County, AL: 11 findings, 1 at a watch level and 10 noted
watchBaldwin County, AL's typical asking rent of $1,701 scores 65 on the 0-to-100 scale across US counties but 96 across Alabama counties, a gap of 31 points.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 31 = |65 across US counties - 96 across Alabama counties|
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
noteBaldwin County, AL's average weekly wage was 3.8% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +3.8 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteBaldwin County, AL's covered employment was 3.3% higher than the same quarter a year earlier in 2026 Q1, on BLS QCEW's published over-the-year change.
Period 2026 Q1.Show the arithmetic
- +3.3 % = BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change for 2026 Q1, as published
- the newest QCEW file carries no year-earlier level, so no move from one level to another is printed
BLS QCEW over-the-year percent change, as published
noteBaldwin County, AL's typical asking rent fell 0.3% from $1,706 in August 2026 to $1,701 in September 2026, on Zillow ZORI.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- -0.3% = (1700.6743495322373 - 1706.4728004662504) / 1706.4728004662504 × 100
- 1700.6743495322373 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-09
- 1706.4728004662504 = Zillow ZORI, 2026-08
noteBaldwin County, AL's typical home value of $371,447 ranks 1st of 67 Alabama counties, against a median of $177,293.
Period 2026-09.Show the arithmetic
- 100 on the 0-to-100 scale across 67 Alabama counties that published home.latest
position among the entities that published this metric this period; not an official level
Read all 11 findings in the full brief
Every finding is produced by a fixed rule table and a fixed sentence for each rule. Nothing here is generated prose.