Mayor Brandon Van Hook, 2021
Semmes’s story
132 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2021 and 2 maps from 1982 on.
- 1894Semmes is settled
Tanner Farmhouse · Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
6,259
2025 Census estimate · +21% since 2020
Typical home
$239K
−0.3% in a year
Household income
$66K
median
Median age
44.5
years
Jobs based here
2,018
Balanced
TownGrade
D−
#178 of 187 in AL
Is Semmes a good place to live?
Semmes earns a D−, ranked 178th of 187 in Alabama, mostly because of safety and incomes. It reports more crime per resident than 98% of U.S. towns, including 34 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. The median household income is $66K, and 22% of residents live below the poverty line. Semmes’ level of property crime is 39.9 per 1,000 residents, where Alabama’s towns sit at 16.9 and U.S. towns at 9.9. Only 25 of Alabama’s 308 towns score lower on cost of living. Semmes has 1 place on the National Register.
How Semmes grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Alabama), ordered by how far Semmes is from typical.
SafetyD−Open →Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listDOpen →Jobs & incomeC−Open →SchoolsC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.9 of 20; 5.9% of households have no car; 1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Cost of livingC+Open →HealthUsa Health HCA Providence Hospital 8.6 miles awayC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsC−Open →History1 notable person born hereDOpen →Civic life1.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market50 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 44.5; 18% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 26 attractions →USS Alabama and 15 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Semmes. Close and well known come first.
Big draw16 mi MuseumUSS Alabama
16 mi MuseumUSS Drum
16 mi MuseumBattleship Memorial Park
14 mi Stadium & arenaMobile Civic Center19 mi Ancient siteOld Mobile Site
39 mi LandmarkFort GainesSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
USS Alabama: USN, Public domain · USS Drum: Jean-Pierre Martin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Battleship Memorial Park: Rennett Stowe from USA, CC BY 2.0 · Mobile Civic Center: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Gaines: Altairisfar, Public domain
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Semmes: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Semmes, and how to reach them.
PowerAlabama Power17.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Mobile, Bd. of W&s Comm. of the water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpFrom the town’s siteTrash and recycling rulesTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Alabama you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMobile County Absentee Elections ManagerMobile County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2024
ZIP codes36575, 36618, 3661336575 65% · 36618 21% · 36613 14%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Semmes.
Semmes is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has added half again as many jobs in ten years, but it reports property crime at about twice the Alabama rate.
OutdoorsC−
0% of Semmes is conserved land
Count the trails in 3 parks and preserves and they come to 12 miles. The biggest park or preserve is Semmes Municipal Park, at 27 acres. Semmes’ density of trails is 0.8 miles per square mile.
#17for trails in AL
0%
conserved · 0 of 10,096 acres
12 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Semmes Municipal Park | 0.1 mi | 27 |
| 2. Semmes Honor Park | — | 2 |
| 3. Camellia Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
24%of AL districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford Christian Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 510 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within AL on state tests and graduation
SafetyD−
Semmes’ grade for safety is a D−
Property crime runs at 39.9 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Alabama rate, most of it theft. Reported crimes fell from 426 to 293 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Semmes is 5.2 per 1,000 residents.
2%of U.S. towns report more crimeD−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Semmes5.2
Alabama3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Semmes39.9
Alabama15
U.S.15.5
2nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
3rd
percentile among AL towns
34
violent crimes reported in 2025
259
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Natural hazards: very high risk in Semmes, mostly hurricanes
FEMA puts 60% of Semmes’s expected hazard losses down to hurricanes, and 25% to inland flooding. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 86% of U.S. communities. Households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 10 declared disasters, most recently in 2023.
86risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland flooding
2
paid flood claims since 2004
10
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Semmes has mild winters and hot summers
July afternoons reach 91°, January nights drop to 40° and snow is almost unheard of.
91°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter42–64°
Spring55–79°
Summer71–91°
Fall57–79°
Nov 25
typical first frost
Mar 3
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
More than half of Semmes’ working residents commute to Mobile
Jobs based here grew from 1,139 in 2013 to 2,018.
Most people who work leave Semmes to do it: just 3% work in town. 23% of residents live below the poverty line in the town. Jobs in Semmes grew by 879 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 2,018. The top destinations are Mobile (54%), Saraland (3%) and Prichard (2%).
3%work in town
| Semmes | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 23% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.6% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $62,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Semmes3%
Mobile54%
Saraland3%
Prichard2%
Daphne2%
11 mi
median commute distance
2,018
jobs based in Semmes
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 37% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC+
Semmes is less healthy than 57% of U.S. towns
Against the 10,138 U.S. towns with household incomes like Semmes’s, it is healthier than 58%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income. Within Alabama it is healthier than 65% of the 187 graded towns: much of Alabama scores lower on these measures.
Semmes: 29% of adults get no exercise outside work. Against the Alabama average, Semmes comes out ahead on 5 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 1. In Semmes, 42% of adults have high blood pressure, and 33% feel lonely.
43%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Semmes | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 43% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 36% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Alabama
5 better26 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Semmes | AL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.2% | 9.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.9% | 13.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.9% | 8.2% |
Usa Health HCA Providence Hospital
8.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
65th
percentile among AL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade C+
Zillow puts the typical Semmes home at about $239K
A home in Semmes typically sold within 50 days of listing. In Semmes, the typical sale closed at 98.1% of the list price. For Semmes, the rent at the middle of the market is $1,057 a month.
$239KZillow home value
| Semmes | Alabama towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,057 a month | $940 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 69% | 73% |
Typical home value
Semmes$239K
Alabama$239K
Market temperature
50
days on market
98.1%
sale-to-list price
−0.3%
value change, 1 year
5
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Semmes
20pages on Semmes
The big questions
SchoolsC−Behind 76% of AL districts · 1 schoolSafetyD−5.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC+Better than AL on 5 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC+$239K typical home · down 0.3% in a yearWork & commuteC−$66K median household income · 2,018 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 86% of U.S. communities · hurricanes
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
5 within 15 miles of the center of Semmes
University of MobileUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Mobile7.2 mi$26,910 tuitionUniversity of South AlabamaUniversity or college · Public · Mobile8.2 mi$10,116 in-state tuitionBishop State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Mobile13.5 mi$5,340 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Semmes residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.
About Semmes
City in Alabama, United States
Semmes (simz) is a city in western Mobile County, Alabama, in the Mobile metropolitan area. It was incorporated in 2011. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,941.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 8.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 217 ft
- ZIP code
- 36575
Semmes’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Semmes.
MobileSemmes
How the neighbors grade
Questions about Semmes
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Semmes, AL a good place to live?
Semmes grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns and #178 of 187 in Alabama. It grades C+ for health, D− for safety and C− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Semmes, AL expensive?
That is 4.1 years of the area's median household income ($58,880 across the Mobile, AL metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.