Data / Rankings / Housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US) / Cities in Alabama

Cities in Alabama by housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US)

Gulf Shores, AL had the highest housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US) of 66 cities in 2022, at 51.3%. Pelham, AL had the lowest, at 2.7%. The median was 11.4% and the figure for Alabama was 15.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest51.3Gulf Shores, AL
Lowest2.7Pelham, AL
Median11.466 cities
Alabama15.8History

Top 40 cities, 2022

Gulf Shores, AL: 51.3 %Gulf Shores, AL51.3Prichard, AL: 23.6 %Prichard, AL23.6Tuscaloosa, AL: 23.3 %Tuscaloosa, AL23.3Troy, AL: 23 %Troy, AL23Gadsden, AL: 21.1 %Gadsden, AL21.1Birmingham, AL: 20.6 %Birmingham, AL20.6Selma, AL: 20 %Selma, AL20Anniston, AL: 19.1 %Anniston, AL19.1Talladega, AL: 18.9 %Talladega, AL18.9Valley, AL: 18.4 %Valley, AL18.4Bessemer, AL: 17.2 %Bessemer, AL17.2Alexander City, AL: 17.1 %Alexander City, AL17.1Auburn, AL: 16.6 %Auburn, AL16.6Eufaula, AL: 16.3 %Eufaula, AL16.3Dothan, AL: 15.4 %Dothan, AL15.4Montgomery, AL: 15.2 %Montgomery, AL15.2Center Point, AL: 14.8 %Center Point, AL14.8Mobile, AL: 14.4 %Mobile, AL14.4Phenix City, AL: 13.7 %Phenix City, AL13.7Florence, AL: 13.6 %Florence, AL13.6Rainbow City, AL: 13.6 %Rainbow City, AL13.6Jasper, AL: 13.4 %Jasper, AL13.4Ozark, AL: 13 %Ozark, AL13Russellville, AL: 12.9 %Russellville, AL12.9Boaz, AL: 12.9 %Boaz, AL12.9Enterprise, AL: 12.5 %Enterprise, AL12.5Scottsboro, AL: 12.3 %Scottsboro, AL12.3Spanish Fort, AL: 12.2 %Spanish Fort, AL12.2Hartselle, AL: 11.9 %Hartselle, AL11.9Fort Payne, AL: 11.9 %Fort Payne, AL11.9Fairhope, AL: 11.8 %Fairhope, AL11.8Foley, AL: 11.6 %Foley, AL11.6Leeds, AL: 11.5 %Leeds, AL11.5Homewood, AL: 11.3 %Homewood, AL11.3Hueytown, AL: 11.2 %Hueytown, AL11.2Clay, AL: 11 %Clay, AL11Jacksonville, AL: 10.8 %Jacksonville, AL10.8Sylacauga, AL: 10.4 %Sylacauga, AL10.4Saraland, AL: 10.4 %Saraland, AL10.4Opelika, AL: 9.9 %Opelika, AL9.9Gulf Shores, AL: 51.3 %Gulf Shores, AL51.3Prichard, AL: 23.6 %Prichard, AL23.6Tuscaloosa, AL: 23.3 %Tuscaloosa, AL23.3Troy, AL: 23 %Troy, AL23Gadsden, AL: 21.1 %Gadsden, AL21.1Birmingham, AL: 20.6 %Birmingham, AL20.6Selma, AL: 20 %Selma, AL20Anniston, AL: 19.1 %Anniston, AL19.1Talladega, AL: 18.9 %Talladega, AL18.9Valley, AL: 18.4 %Valley, AL18.4Bessemer, AL: 17.2 %Bessemer, AL17.2Alexander City, AL: 17.1 %Alexander City, AL17.1Auburn, AL: 16.6 %Auburn, AL16.6Eufaula, AL: 16.3 %Eufaula, AL16.3Dothan, AL: 15.4 %Dothan, AL15.4Montgomery, AL: 15.2 %Montgomery, AL15.2Center Point, AL: 14.8 %Center Point, AL14.8Mobile, AL: 14.4 %Mobile, AL14.4Phenix City, AL: 13.7 %Phenix City, AL13.7Florence, AL: 13.6 %Florence, AL13.6Rainbow City, AL: 13.6 %Rainbow City, AL13.6Jasper, AL: 13.4 %Jasper, AL13.4Ozark, AL: 13 %Ozark, AL13Russellville, AL: 12.9 %Russellville, AL12.9Boaz, AL: 12.9 %Boaz, AL12.9Enterprise, AL: 12.5 %Enterprise, AL12.5Scottsboro, AL: 12.3 %Scottsboro, AL12.3Spanish Fort, AL: 12.2 %Spanish Fort, AL12.2Hartselle, AL: 11.9 %Hartselle, AL11.9Fort Payne, AL: 11.9 %Fort Payne, AL11.9Fairhope, AL: 11.8 %Fairhope, AL11.8Foley, AL: 11.6 %Foley, AL11.6Leeds, AL: 11.5 %Leeds, AL11.5Homewood, AL: 11.3 %Homewood, AL11.3Hueytown, AL: 11.2 %Hueytown, AL11.2Clay, AL: 11 %Clay, AL11Jacksonville, AL: 10.8 %Jacksonville, AL10.8Sylacauga, AL: 10.4 %Sylacauga, AL10.4Saraland, AL: 10.4 %Saraland, AL10.4Opelika, AL: 9.9 %Opelika, AL9.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Gulf Shores, AL51.3+0.1 pts
2Prichard, AL23.6-1.4 pts
3Tuscaloosa, AL23.3-1.4 pts
4Troy, AL23-1.5 pts
5Gadsden, AL21.1-0.7 pts
6Birmingham, AL20.6+0.2 pts
7Selma, AL20-2.3 pts
8Anniston, AL19.10 pts
9Talladega, AL18.9+0.3 pts
10Valley, AL18.4-0.2 pts
11Bessemer, AL17.2-2.2 pts
12Alexander City, AL17.1-0.2 pts
13Auburn, AL16.6-0.6 pts
14Eufaula, AL16.3+1.5 pts
15Dothan, AL15.4-0.3 pts
16Montgomery, AL15.2-0.2 pts
17Center Point, AL14.8+1.7 pts
18Mobile, AL14.4-0.5 pts
19Phenix City, AL13.7-0.7 pts
20Florence, AL13.6-0 pts
21Rainbow City, AL13.6-3.1 pts
22Jasper, AL13.4+0.7 pts
23Ozark, AL13-0 pts
24Russellville, AL12.9-1.9 pts
25Boaz, AL12.9-0.4 pts
26Enterprise, AL12.5+2.6 pts
27Scottsboro, AL12.3-1.4 pts
28Spanish Fort, AL12.2+0.4 pts
29Hartselle, AL11.9+1.1 pts
30Fort Payne, AL11.9-2.9 pts
31Fairhope, AL11.8-0.5 pts
32Foley, AL11.6-1.3 pts
33Leeds, AL11.5+0.4 pts
34Homewood, AL11.3-1.1 pts
35Hueytown, AL11.2+0.4 pts
36Clay, AL110 pts
37Jacksonville, AL10.8-1.4 pts
38Sylacauga, AL10.4-0.2 pts
39Saraland, AL10.4-1.3 pts
40Opelika, AL9.9+0.4 pts
41Athens, AL9.9+1.4 pts
42Pell City, AL9.8-2.2 pts
43Oxford, AL9.7-0.3 pts
44Cullman, AL9.3+0.3 pts
45Albertville, AL8.4+0.2 pts
46Huntsville, AL8+0.2 pts
46Pike Road, AL8-0.5 pts
48Decatur, AL7.8-0.3 pts
49Daphne, AL7.6+0.6 pts
50Irondale, AL7.5+0.4 pts
51Vestavia Hills, AL7.3-0.4 pts
52Millbrook, AL6.9-0.3 pts
53Prattville, AL6.4+0.8 pts
54Mountain Brook, AL6.4+0.7 pts
55Hoover, AL6.4-1.3 pts
56Muscle Shoals, AL6.3-1.6 pts
57Helena, AL6.1-0.1 pts
58Northport, AL5.7-3.8 pts
59Chelsea, AL4.7-2.1 pts
60Moody, AL4.6-1.7 pts
61Alabaster, AL3.9-0.5 pts
62Trussville, AL3.9-0.6 pts
63Gardendale, AL3.9+0.4 pts
64Calera, AL3.2+0.3 pts
65Madison, AL3-0 pts
66Pelham, AL2.7-0.3 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units.

More on how it is measured
  • Vacant units include those for rent or for sale, rented or sold but not yet occupied, for seasonal, recreational or occasional use, for migrant workers, and other vacant units.
  • United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

This gross rate counts seasonal and other off-market vacant units, so it is much higher than the rental and homeowner vacancy rates of the Housing Vacancy Survey (rental_vacancy_rate and homeowner_vacancy_rate) and cannot be compared with them. Counties with many holiday homes have high rates.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b25002.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in Alabama by housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US), 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b25002.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Alabama by housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US), 2022. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b25002.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/housing-vacancy-rate-all-vacant-units/alabama-cities?period=2022. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in Alabama by housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US), 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b25002.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/housing-vacancy-rate-all-vacant-units/alabama-cities?period=2022.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Alabama by housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US), 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b25002.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/housing-vacancy-rate-all-vacant-units/alabama-cities?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_alabama_by_2022,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Alabama by housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US), 2022}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b25002.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/housing-vacancy-rate-all-vacant-units/alabama-cities?period=2022. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b25002.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Alabama by housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US), 2022
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b25002.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/housing-vacancy-rate-all-vacant-units/alabama-cities?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/housing-vacancy-rate-all-vacant-units/alabama-cities?period=2022.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b25002.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Cities in Alabama by housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which city has the highest housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US)?

Gulf Shores, AL, with 51.3% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US)?

Pelham, AL, with 2.7% in 2022.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25002: vacant housing units as a percentage of all housing units, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Housing vacancy rate, all vacant units (US): other rankings

Cities in Alabama: more rankings