Baldwin County expects to add 50,000 residents by 2034

Baldwin County’s growth is undeniable and evident in even the most unlikely places, as evidenced by the upcoming milestone in Silverhill.

Under the Code of Alabama (Title 11, Section 11-40-6), incorporated municipalities with fewer than 2,000 residents are referred to as cities, while municipalities with more than 2,000 residents are referred to as towns. The U.S. Census Bureau’s population estimates through July 2023 have Silverhill quickly approaching this benchmark, with the most recent estimates pegging the town at 1,923 residents—nearly double its total from five years earlier (995).

“Silverhill is one of our fastest growing communities, largely because of its location and small-town feel,” said Lee Johnson, executive vice president of the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance (BCEDA). “We expect this trend to continue in the coming years as Central Baldwin grows.”

Baldwin County as a whole is expected to add about 50,000 residents over the next decade, from 249,206 in 2024 to a projected 299,117 in 2034, according to JobsEQ projections. The projected population growth rate for the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metropolitan area (2020-2030) outpaces every other MSA in the state, ahead of next-highest Huntsville, at 8.3%.

Daphne-Fairhope-Foley is also seen as the top metro area for wage growth (2012-2022) after growing 38.4%, with more business establishments per capita than any other area in the state, according to JobsEQ. Forbes has ranked the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley MSA in the top 1% of MSAs nationwide for wage and salary growth.

“Baldwin County is one of the fastest growing MSAs in the United States and we expect to grow approximately 2.5% to 3% annually going forward,” Johnson added. “This demographic shift complements and impacts our economic development strategy to continue to diversify our economy by attracting quality jobs and investment.”

Now with more than 556,000 workers in the labor pool, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that Baldwin County’s growth in college-educated residents is well above the U.S. average. Only Limestone County (31.1%) trails Baldwin (18.7%) in Job EQ’s data on Alabama job growth by county (2017-2023).

The sectors with the greatest employment growth in Baldwin County (2017 Q1-2023 Q1, via JobsEQ) include arts, entertainment and recreation (57.8%); construction (40.7%); professional, scientific and technical services (40%); wholesale trade (31.6%) and real estate (31%).