
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
moderate
Price to income
3.83×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Alabama
- 3.03×
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
21.5%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Alabama
- 20.8%
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%-1.8
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
tight
Cap rate proxy
3.66%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Alabama
- 4.37%
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
steady
Net migration
+0.66%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Alabama
- 0.04%+0.62
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%+0.64
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
strong
Permit pipeline
13.07
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Alabama
- 2.50+10.57
- vs U.S.
- 3.52+9.55
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
very tight labor market
Unemployment
2.1%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Alabama
- 2.3%-0.2
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%-1.8
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+56.8%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+2.6%
Median home value
$287,000
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $1,200 | $14,400 | 19.2% |
| 2 BR | $1,345 | $16,140 | 21.5% |
| 3 BR | $1,692 | $20,304 | 27.1% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
2.1%
Median household income
$75,019
What's being built
Total TTM
3,051
Single-family
2,841
2–4 unit
21
5+ unit
189
All 1 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baldwin County | 233,420 | $287,000 | $75,019 | 3,051 | -8.6% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Daphne | 233,420 | $75,019 | 3.83× | 3.66% | +56.8% | 13.07 | 2.1% |
| Tyler, TX | 234,667 | $71,923 | — | — | +47.7% | — | 4.3% |
| Medford, OR | 222,604 | $71,443 | — | — | +32.7% | — | 5.5% |
| Fargo, ND-MN | 251,635 | $75,523 | — | — | +34.6% | — | 2.8% |
| Bellingham, WA | 226,523 | $80,989 | — | — | +49.5% | — | 5.2% |
| Topeka, KS | 232,995 | $68,160 | — | — | +51.1% | — | 3.6% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
+1,548
+0.66% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Mobile County, AL | 996 |
| Escambia County, FL | 456 |
| Jefferson County, AL | 193 |
| Shelby County, AL | 137 |
| Santa Rosa County, FL | 103 |
| Tuscaloosa County, AL | 92 |
Who lives in Daphne
- Median age
- 44
- Bachelor's+
- 32.8%
- Owner-occupancy
- 77.5%
- Vacancy rate
- 26.4%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 41.8%
- Median household income
- $75,019
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.
