Daphne receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Fairhope
Daphne
Opportunity
77 · Top 11%
vs72 · Top 19%
Growth
72 · Top 14%
vs75 · Top 10%
Climate
84 · Top 10%
vs84 · Top 10%
Physical resilience
29 · Bottom 23%
vs29 · Bottom 23%
Housing affordability
74 · Bottom 40%
vs90 · Top 33%
Access
88 · Bottom 35%
vs89 · Bottom 39%
Economic stability
49 · Bottom 31%
vs66 · Top 38%
Measured values
| Metric | Fairhope | Daphne | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,190 | 29,453 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $94,274 | $87,250 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $53,666 | $42,956 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,632/sq mi | 1,454/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $430,900 | $323,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,689 | $1,388 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 80.4% | 71.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 3.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 53.5% | 42.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.2% | 7.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 259 | 270 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 0.8% | 20.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 89°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 39°F | 39°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 65.8" | 65.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 25 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.7 min | 27.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 48.2 | 38.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.43 | 15.96 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 25.7% | 31.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Fairhope
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Daphne
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Fairhope, AL · Daphne, AL · How this is calculated: methodology