Overview
Mobile County is home to 413,162 residents (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), making it one of Alabama's largest counties. Its population ranks higher than 95% of U.S. counties and 97% of Alabama counties. Situated on the Gulf Coast at the mouth of the Mobile River, the county anchors a metro area built around its port, one of the busiest in the nation.
The median household income sits at $58,119 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), which falls below the national median of roughly $75,000 but lands in the upper third within Alabama, ranking higher than 67% of counties statewide. The poverty rate is 16% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), higher than about 70% of U.S. counties. That combination of a large population and below-average income defines much of the county's economic profile.
The median age is 38.4 years (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), younger than roughly 77% of U.S. counties. A labor force of 188,135 workers (BLS LAUS, 2025) and an unemployment rate of just 2.8% suggest a tight job market, even as incomes lag behind national figures. The county also carries one of the highest disaster counts in the country, with 40 FEMA-declared disasters (FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026), ranking above 96% of all U.S. counties.
Demographics
Mobile County skews younger than most of the country. That median age of 38.4 years (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) places it in the bottom quarter nationally and in the youngest 15% of Alabama counties.
The racial composition reflects the county's Deep South location. White residents make up 55.3% of the population, while Black residents account for 35.9% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). That Black population share ranks higher than 93% of U.S. counties. Asian residents represent 2.1%, a figure that, despite seeming small, ranks above 84% of counties nationally. Hispanic residents make up 3.3%, and Native American residents 0.3% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023).
Educational attainment stands at 25.2% of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). That rate ranks above 65% of U.S. counties and 82% of Alabama counties. For a Gulf Coast county of this size, the figure reflects the presence of the University of South Alabama and several other higher education institutions in the area.
Education
Per-pupil spending in Mobile County is $11,934 (Education Data Portal, 2020), well below the national average of roughly $15,000. That figure ranks lower than 84% of U.S. counties. Total enrollment across the county's schools is 57,448 students (Education Data Portal, 2021), one of the largest student populations in the state, ranking higher than 94% of counties nationally and 97% within Alabama.
The student-teacher ratio is 20.6 to 1 (Education Data Portal, 2021), considerably higher than the national average of about 15.5 to 1. Only 3% of U.S. counties have a higher ratio. Larger class sizes combined with lower spending per student point to resource constraints across the school system.
The graduation rate is 85.6% (Education Data Portal, 2019), slightly below the national average of approximately 87%. That rate ranks in the bottom 40% nationally and the bottom 21% within Alabama. The gap between enrollment size and per-student funding is worth watching. A county educating this many students at this spending level faces different pressures than smaller districts with comparable budgets.
Economy & Employment
The unemployment rate in Mobile County is 2.8% (BLS LAUS, 2025), lower than 86% of U.S. counties. The labor force totals 188,135, with 182,822 employed and 5,313 unemployed (BLS LAUS, 2025). Those labor force numbers rank higher than 94% of counties nationally, reflecting the county's role as a regional employment center.
Incomes tell a different story. The median household income of $58,119 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) sits in the bottom third of U.S. counties. Per capita income is $32,032 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), ranking higher than only 39% of counties nationally but above 75% of Alabama counties. The state context matters here: Alabama's income levels run lower than most of the country, and Mobile County performs relatively well within that frame.
The poverty rate of 16% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) means roughly one in six residents lives below the poverty line. That rate is higher than 70% of U.S. counties but lands in the lower third within Alabama, where poverty rates tend to run higher than the national norm.
IRS data from 2021 shows 179,840 tax returns filed, with a total adjusted gross income of $11.6 billion and an average AGI of $64,645 per return (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021). Average total income per return was $65,214 (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021). The gap between median household income and average AGI per return suggests income concentration at the top of the distribution, a common pattern in metro-anchored counties.
The mean commute time is 24 minutes (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), shorter than about 36% of U.S. counties. Most workers aren't driving far, which keeps transportation costs moderate relative to earnings.
Housing & Cost of Living
The median home value in Mobile County is $176,600 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), sitting almost exactly at the national midpoint, higher than 51% of U.S. counties. Within Alabama, that value ranks above 73% of counties. For a Gulf Coast metro area, housing remains comparatively accessible.
Median gross rent is $1,021 per month (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), higher than 75% of U.S. counties and 88% of Alabama counties. That rent figure, measured against a median household income of $58,119, means the typical renter household spends roughly 21% of income on rent. That's below the 30% threshold commonly used to define housing cost burden, though lower-income renters face tighter math.
The county has 185,413 total housing units, with 24,906 sitting vacant (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). The vacancy rate of 13.4% is higher than 56% of U.S. counties. High vacancy in a county of this size can mean anything from seasonal units to deteriorating housing stock in older neighborhoods. The number of vacant units alone, ranking above 97% of counties nationally, reflects the county's large housing inventory more than an unusual emptiness rate.
Fair market rent data from HUD (HUD Fair Market Rents, 2026) was collected for Mobile County, though bedroom-specific breakdowns are not available in the current dataset.
Health & Wellness
Health outcomes in Mobile County run worse than most of the country on several key indicators. The obesity rate is 39% (CDC PLACES, 2023), higher than 58% of U.S. counties. High blood pressure affects 39.6% of the adult population (CDC PLACES, 2023), a rate higher than 89% of counties nationally. Diabetes prevalence stands at 14.1% (CDC PLACES, 2023), also above 89% of U.S. counties.
Depression affects 22.7% of adults (CDC PLACES, 2023), which actually lands in the lower 37% nationally. Poor mental health days run at 18.1% (CDC PLACES, 2023), below the national midpoint. Physical health fares similarly: 13.3% of adults report frequent poor physical health days (CDC PLACES, 2023), ranking in the lower 41% of counties.
Preventive care shows some bright spots. Annual checkup rates hit 78.1% (CDC PLACES, 2023), higher than 83% of U.S. counties. Cholesterol screening rates reach 84.1% (CDC PLACES, 2023), above 71% of counties nationally. Residents are seeing doctors. The chronic disease burden persists despite that access.
The uninsured rate is 10.5% (CDC PLACES, 2023), right at the national midpoint. Within Alabama, the county performs better than about 79% of counties on cholesterol screening. The pattern is clear: high engagement with preventive care, but chronic conditions that are driven as much by diet, environment, and economic factors as by whether people see a doctor.
Climate & Natural Disasters
Mobile County has 40 federal disaster declarations on record (FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026), higher than 96% of U.S. counties. Most of them are hurricanes. Since 1969, the county has taken enough direct hits and near-misses that a slow storm season feels like the exception.
The climate reflects the geography. Average annual temperature is 69.9°F (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025), with highs averaging 78.8°F and lows at 61.1°F. Those mild lows are higher than 97% of U.S. counties. Annual precipitation reaches 64 inches (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025), more than 98% of counties nationally. Very few counties anywhere in the country are wetter.
Snow almost never happens. The county averages 3.8 inches per year (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025), less than 79% of U.S. counties. The 1993 Snowstorm of the Century was unusual enough to earn a federal emergency declaration and still gets referenced locally.
The recent disaster record is dense. Hurricane declarations came in 2017, 2018, twice in 2020, and again in September 2024. That's five hurricane events in seven years. The 2020 season alone triggered four separate federal actions, three of them hurricane-related.
Property buyers and insurers here should treat that history as baseline, not worst case. Flood maps, wind mitigation requirements, and insurance availability all reflect a risk profile that hasn't moderated.
Financial Profile
Mobile County's economy is large in absolute terms but delivers middle-of-the-road results per household. The county's 179,840 tax returns generated $11.6 billion in adjusted gross income (IRS SOI, 2021), higher than 92% of U.S. counties for total income. Average AGI landed at $64,645 (IRS SOI, 2021), which ranks 58th nationally. A big economy, spread across a lot of people.
That gap between aggregate size and per-person income is worth holding onto. Mobile ranks 94th nationally for the number of returns filed but only 33rd for median household income. High volume, modest averages.
The FDIC data tells a different story. The county recorded just 2 bank branches and $62.9 million in total deposits (FDIC, 2023), higher than only 4% and 7% of U.S. counties. For a county this size, those figures are unusually low, and the gap between banking presence and income activity suggests these figures reflect a narrow slice of local deposit institutions rather than the full financial infrastructure.
Social Security reach is significant. The county has 95,675 OASDI beneficiaries (SSA, 2024), ranking 95th nationally. That's a function of both population size and the county's elevated poverty rate, which is higher than 70% of U.S. counties. A substantial share of household income here flows from federal transfer programs, not wages.
The trajectory is tied to whether Mobile can convert its port-driven economic activity into broader wage growth. The aggregate numbers are there. Closing the gap between total income and average income per filer is where the harder work sits.
Key Comparisons
Mobile County's profile splits along two axes: size and wealth. On size metrics, the county consistently ranks in the top 5% nationally. Population (95th), labor force (94th), total housing units (95th), school enrollment (94th), and tax returns filed (94th) all confirm its status as a major population center.
Income and economic well-being tell a different story. Median household income ranks higher than only 33% of U.S. counties. Per capita income sits at the 39th mark nationally. The poverty rate, at the 70th mark, means most U.S. counties have lower poverty. These gaps between population rank and income rank are significant.
Within Alabama, the picture improves. Median household income ranks above 67% of the state's counties. Per capita income rises to the 75th mark. Educational attainment, at 82%, sits near the top of the state. Mobile County is one of Alabama's more resourced counties, even as it lags nationally.
Health comparisons are mixed. High blood pressure and diabetes rates rank above 89% of counties nationally, while depression and mental health metrics fall closer to the middle. Preventive care engagement ranks well above average, with annual checkups at the 83rd mark.
The disaster count, higher than 96% of U.S. counties, reflects the geographic reality of sitting on the Gulf Coast. Housing vacancy ranks above 97% nationally by raw count, though the vacancy rate itself is closer to average.
On education spending, the county ranks in the bottom 16% nationally for per-pupil expenditure, while carrying a student-teacher ratio higher than 97% of counties. The graduation rate, at 85.6%, sits just below the national average.
Data Sources
- Census ACS 5-Year, 2023: Population, income, housing, demographics, education attainment, commute times, poverty rate
- BLS LAUS, 2025: Unemployment rate, labor force, employment counts
- CDC PLACES, 2023: Health metrics including obesity, diabetes, mental health, insurance coverage, preventive care
- HUD Fair Market Rents, 2026: Data not available for Mobile County
- FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026: Disaster declarations and history
- IRS Statistics of Income, 2021: Tax returns, adjusted gross income, total income
- FDIC Summary of Deposits, 2023: Bank branch counts and total deposits
- NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025: Temperature and precipitation averages
- SSA OASDI, 2024: Social Security beneficiary counts
- USDA Census of Agriculture, 2022: Data not available for Mobile County
- Education Data Portal, 2021: Per-pupil spending, enrollment, student-teacher ratio, graduation rate