Perdido Beach

James P. Kaetz, Auburn University
Perdido Beach is located in southern Baldwin County in the southwest corner of the state on Perdido Bay across from Perdido Key, Florida. "Perdido" means "lost" in Spanish. The town has a mayor/city council form of government. The endangered Perdido Key beach mouse is named for the town.
History
Perdido Beach
During the colonial period, Perdido Bay and Perdido River were used by smugglers avoiding Spanish custom duties, as evidenced by Spanish coins, guns, and other artifacts that have been discovered in the area around present-day Perdido Beach. Modern settlement began in 1892, when Col. L. B. Hatch purchased 32 acres. In 1900, he bought another 313 acres and began to mark off and sell lots for a town he named Perdido Beach. New residents built cottages on the beach front and on Soldier Creek. Early in the development of the town, most peopled accessed the area by water. The primary industries at the time were timber and turpentine. The town's economy now is centered on the tourism and recreation industry. Perdido Beach incorporated in April 2009.
Demographics
According to 2016 Census estimates, Perdido Beach recorded a population of 596. Of that number, 96.6 percent of respondents identified themselves as white, 3.7 percent as Hispanic, 1.7 percent as two or more races, and 0.2 percent as American Indian. The town's median household income was $46,875, and the per capita income was $33,113.
Employment
According to 2016 Census estimates, the workforce in Perdido Beach was divided among the following industrial categories:
  • Educational services and health care and social assistance (24.6 percent)
  • Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services (14.2 percent)
  • Retail trade (13.3 percent)
  • Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (10.0 percent)
  • Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (7.9 percent)
  • Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing (7.1 percent)
  • Manufacturing (6.3 percent)
  • Construction (4.6 percent)
  • Public administration (3.3 percent)
  • Other services, except public administration (2.5 percent)
  • Wholesale trade (2.9 percent)
  • Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and extraction (2.1 percent)
  • Information (1.3 percent)
Education
Schools in Perdido Beach are part of the Baldwin County school system; the town has approximately 500 students and 29 teachers in one elementary school.
Transportation
A beachfront community located on Perdido Bay, Perdido Beach can be reached only by County Road 97, which runs north from the town.
Events and Places of Interest
Perdido Beach is located on Alabama's Gulf Coast and offers residents and visitors easy access to coastal beaches, fishing piers, and recreational areas.

Additional Resources

Baldwin County Heritage Book Committee. The Heritage of Baldwin County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, Inc., 2001.
Published:  February 17, 2013   |   Last updated:  October 7, 2020