Orange Beach is a somewhat small coastal city (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Alabama. With a population of 8,599 people and four associated neighborhoods, Orange Beach is the 86th largest community in Alabama. Orange Beach has seen a significant amount of newer housing growth in recent years. Quite often, new home construction is the result of new residents moving in who are middle class or wealthier, attracted by jobs, a healthy local economy, or other amenities as they leave nearby or far away areas for greener pastures. This seems to be the case in Orange Beach, where the median household income is $97,736.00.

Orange Beach home prices are not only among the most expensive in Alabama, but Orange Beach real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

Also of interest is that Orange Beach has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 22.32% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Another notable thing is that Orange Beach is a major vacation destination. Much of the city’s population is seasonal: many people own second homes and only live there part-time, during the vacation season. The effect on the local economy is that many of the businesses are dependent on tourist dollars, and may operate only during the high season. As the vacation season ends, Orange Beach’s population drops significantly, such that year-round residents will notice that the city is a much quieter place to live.

It is a fairly quiet city because there are relatively few of those groups of people who have a tendency to be noisy. (Children, for example, often can't help themselves from being noisy, and being parents ourselves, we know!) Orange Beach has relatively few families with children living at home, and is quieter because of it. Renters and college students, for their own reasons, can also be noisy. Orange Beach has few renters and college students. But the biggest reason it is quieter in Orange Beach than in most places in America, is that there are just simply fewer people living here. If you think trees make good neighbors, Orange Beach may be for you.

One of the nice things about Orange Beach is that it is nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Because of this, visitors and locals will often go to these areas to take in the scenery or to enjoy waterfront activities.

Being a small city, Orange Beach does not have a public transit system used by locals to get to and from work.

Orange Beach is one of the most well-educated cities in the nation. 40.73% of adults in Orange Beach have at least a bachelor's degree. Compare that to the average community in America, which has just 21.84% with a bachelor's degree or higher.

The per capita income in Orange Beach in 2022 was $61,639, which is wealthy relative to Alabama and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $246,556 for a family of four.

Orange Beach is a somewhat ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Orange Beach home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Orange Beach residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Orange Beach include English, Irish, German, French, and Scottish.

The most common language spoken in Orange Beach is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Slavic languages.