Photo: Please attribute this image as the work of "DiscoverWithDima." · CC BY-SA 4.0Gulf Shores spent more per resident in 2022 than 100% of similar cities
Gulf Shores’ city government spent $37.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, about $2,367 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau.
What stands out about how Gulf Shores is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
Who’s in charge in Gulf Shores
From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.
Council members and agencies: gulfshoresal.gov ↗
Gulf Shores’ meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on gulfshoresal.gov ↗.
About $2,367 per resident a year, or $6.48 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$3,005 per resident in 2022: more than 100% of them
Gulf Shores’ day-to-day spending in 2022 ($3,005 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 25 Alabama cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,222, and the middle half spent $976–$1,756. Gulf Shores spent more than 100% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Alabama cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Gulf Shores itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is down 6% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Gulf Shores reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $3,005 · 2023: $2,367. Per resident it went from $3,005 to $2,367 (down 21%), partly because the Census population behind it changed from 13,166 to 15,736.
full-time in March 2025, up from 306 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $1,206 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.32% of the home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Gulf Shores’ rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Gulf Shores’ Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Gulf Shores →
One full-time city employee for every 47 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (15,736).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Gulf Shores City School District
Gulf Shores’ K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,489 per pupil, $7,931 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Alabama districts overall: 31% local, 53% state, 16% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Gulf Shores’ votes are counted by county
Alabama reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Gulf Shores alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Baldwin County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican78.4%95,798 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat20.4%24,934 votesOthers: 1.2% (1,517 votes).
Most votes in Baldwin County: Donald J Trump
Alabama: Trump 64.6%, Harris 34.1%
100% of Gulf Shores lies in Baldwin County. Every 2024 race in Baldwin County is on the county’s page.
Baldwin County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Gulf Shores.
- 1Your cityMayorRobert Craftas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
- 2Alabama HouseState representatives
- 3Alabama SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Alabama
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Gulf Shores compares with the towns next door
Gulf Shores spent $3,005 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $2,427 to $7,842. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Foley | $2,427 | $794 |
| Orange Beach | $7,842 | $1,468 |
| Gulf Shores | $3,005 | $1,206 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Gulf Shores’ government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Gulf Shores’ government
How much does Gulf Shores spend per resident?
About $2,367 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $3,005 was more than 100% of 25 Alabama cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Gulf Shores?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,206 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.32% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.38% across Alabama. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see gulfshoresal.gov.
Who is the mayor of Gulf Shores?
Robert Craft, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on gulfshoresal.gov.
How did Gulf Shores vote in 2024?
Alabama counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Gulf Shores alone. Baldwin County, where 100% of Gulf Shores lies, voted Trump 78.4%, Harris 20.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Gulf Shores?
337 full-time and 48 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.4M (about $29.1M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Gulf Shores in the state legislature?
State Senate District 32 (Chris Elliott) and State House District 95 (Frances Holk-Jones). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Gulf Shores’ government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →