2023 Best Places to Live in the Mobile Area

• Town in Alabama

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  Rating 4.42 out of 5  78 reviews

Current Resident: Fairhope is an amazing little coastal town in south Alabama. Wonderful schools, friendly people and a beautiful town! Downtown if very well kept and always has seasonal flowers on almost every street corner. There are sidewalks throughout most of the town which makes it easy to get out and exercise and enjoy the amazing weather! Fairhope is known for its beauty. But, I must say it is phenomenal during the Christmas season! The entire downtown is decorated. Twinkling trees line the streets. Every year Fairhope has a special tree lighting ceremony for the season! People come from all over to see this! You will even see "southern snow" falling! Although Fairhope is one of the fastest growing places in the southeast, it still has that small-town feeling. Fairhope is a must-see town for all!... Read 78 reviews

• grade A

• grade A+

• Population 21,825

• Suburb of Mobile, AL

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  Rating 4.24 out of 5  34 reviews

Current Resident: The town is beautiful and the people are friendly. However, there is not much added to the town. There is room for growth. Instead of building businesses, more and more houses are being built.... Read 34 reviews

• grade A

• grade A minus

• Population 9,720

• Town in Alabama

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  Rating 4.14 out of 5  64 reviews

Current Resident: Id like to see Thomas Hospital expand since it is the only hospital that is local in this area. We have a freestanding ER but it is not a hospital, technically. I'd love to see more jobs, less crime, updates on the neighborhood "Lake Forrest", maybe add a Krogers or Sprouts for healthy living, less fast food, houses costing less.... Read 64 reviews

• grade A

• grade A

• Population 27,088

• Suburb of Mobile, AL

• grade A

• grade A

• Population 2,043

• Suburb in Alabama

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  Rating 3.67 out of 5  9 reviews

Current Resident: We love living in Orange Beach! The school system is amazing and the small community is wonderful. Everything you need in one town.... Read 9 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A minus

• Population 7,847

• Suburb of Mobile, AL

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  Rating 4.7 out of 5  10 reviews

Current Resident: Satsuma is the perfect small town. With an approximate population of just over 6,000, Satsuma is nestled just a hop and a skip away from Mobile. Though the rankings slightly change every year, Satsuma is generally rated in the top ten safest towns in Alabama. Since 2012, Satsuma has been separated from Mobile County Public School System. The separation has allowed the town to be more directly involved in school activities. Satsuma High School and Robert E. Lee Elementary School were declared 2018 CLAS School of Distinction award, and Governor Ivey personally visited Lee Elementary to announce a $1.5 million early education grant. Since then, our official Pre-K school has been up and running. There are many good things going on in Satsuma and many exciting things to come!... Read 10 reviews

• grade B+

• grade A minus

• Population 6,704

• Suburb of Mobile, AL

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  Rating 4.33 out of 5  6 reviews

Current Resident: Even though Loxley is growing quickly, I love the small-town feel of this wonderful place. I know and love my neighbors, and everyone I meet is friendly and warm. Those who run our city have done an excellent job of managing our area’s rapid growth and finding ways to make that growth beneficial for our community. My family especially loves the parks and the library!... Read 6 reviews

• grade B+

• grade B

• Population 3,566

• Suburb of Mobile, AL

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  Rating 3.93 out of 5  40 reviews

Current Resident: I have lived in Saraland all of my 17 years of life. I have always been in the best schooling my while life. I have always been involved with my church and have made such amazing friends. One of the many places I love about Saraland is the small coffee shop we have called Mokas. Mokas is a small business that serves some of the best coffee in Alabama in my opinion. They have an amazing space on the inside for students or workers to study and be on their computers. It is a great space to get some quiet while enjoying a great cup of coffee. Something unique about Saraland is that we have our own public school system. We have schools in the area but they are not apart of the school system. I have loved living here because of the community and the beautiful areas to visit nearby. Mobile is very close by so there are so many close things to do without using too much gas.... Read 40 reviews

• grade B+

• grade A

• Population 15,942

• Town in Alabama

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  Rating 4.27 out of 5  33 reviews

Current Resident: I am being asked to rate my experience with Gulf Shores, Alabama and the first word that comes to mind is "amazing" for many reasons, but there are a few that I can list. My first reason is the location and the closeness to other businesses like grocery stores, restaurants, hair and nail salons and much more. Second, the beautiful white beaches are just too beautiful to imagine. My family has lived on the Coast their whole life and it has been a vacation staple since I was born. The last thing is that we are a beach town and weather in the Summer can be difficult to navigate. It is important to be able to get off of the island as soon as you can should an evacuation order be issued. We live close to the one way out and that is of huge importance to me and to others that live here. Gulf Shores is my home and a beautiful place to live. I hope by my review above that you may want to visit too.... Read 33 reviews

• grade B

• grade A minus

• Population 14,712

• Town in Alabama

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  Rating 3.93 out of 5  59 reviews

Current Resident: Foley is a small town that borders a beach town. It is quickly growing, building and expanding and has changed much in the last 10 years to where it's almost unrecognizable. A lot of the change is great for the economy and growth, but the infrastructure is not being being expanded at the same time to handle it, neither are the roadways with all of the additional traffic that this small beach area now supports, so it can be difficult at times. It is a great place to live, however, clean, with lots of things to do and of course, close to the beach.... Read 59 reviews

• grade B

• grade B

• Population 20,170

• Town in Alabama

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  Rating 3.65 out of 5  17 reviews

Current Resident: Robertsdale is an overall welcoming community. It offers diverse opportunities to those who are willing to accept a challenge.... Read 17 reviews

• grade B

• grade B

• Population 6,603

• City in Alabama

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  Rating 3.54 out of 5  529 reviews

Current Resident: I like living in mobile, besides the traffic it is a beautiful neighborhood.there are a lot of things to see and do.most of the stores and restaurants are within walking distance.Their are also museums, hiking trails, flower gardens, and also the museum to learn about ships and planes In the war. There are a lot of old homes and businesses that can shed some light on the history of the area. Most of the people I’ve met are very nice and would give the shirt off their back. So in my case I would recommend living in mobile al.... Read 529 reviews

• grade B

• grade C+

• Population 187,445

• Suburb of Mobile, AL

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  Rating 3.7 out of 5  10 reviews

Current Resident: I think Theodore can be a very interesting place at times. Where I live has plenty of places to eat within a ten minute or less drive. This city is especially beautiful at night because the moon and stars illuminate so brightly. However, there is not much entertainment here. The city next to Theodore, Mobile, has movie theatres, laser tag facilities, trampoline parks, and more. This is beneficial because entertainment areas for parents or kids are not that far away even though it is in another city. Some parts of Theodore are more rural than other areas. Some people plant their own food and have their own farm animals such as horses, cows, goats, chickens, and more. Most houses around here have plenty of yard space for children to play or for people to have family events. The neighborhood I live in is great because of how unified the community is and how willing they are to share with one another.... Read 10 reviews

• grade B minus

• grade C+

• Population 5,949

• Suburb of Mobile, AL

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  Rating 4.27 out of 5  15 reviews

Current Resident: Nice, clean friendly family oriented area. Only change is more food restaurants and more to do for teengers... Read 15 reviews

• grade B minus

• grade C+

• Population 4,969

• Suburb of Mobile, AL

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  Rating 3.5 out of 5  6 reviews

Current Resident: Central shopping area, Wal-Mart, Lowe's, office depot within two blocks. We need some more restaurants.... Read 6 reviews

• grade B minus

• grade C+

• Population 18,313

• Town in Alabama

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  Rating 4.57 out of 5  7 reviews

Current Resident: This is a wonderful community to live in. Despite being 15 minutes away from Mobile or Pascagoula, I welcome the distance as the cities/bigger towns are getting worse regarding traffic and crime. Retiring, starting a family, whatever life path you are on, Grand Bay is a place you should consider!... Read 7 reviews

• grade B minus

• grade C+

• Population 3,433

• Town in Alabama

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  Rating 3.23 out of 5  13 reviews

Current Resident: Bay Minette has all the goodness of small-town living--youth sports, walking trails, clean streets, a responsive city government--while being close enough to larger communities to accommodate any shopping desires you may have. We have manufacturing industries and great schools, plenty to do for a variety of ages and interests.... Read 13 reviews

• grade C+

• grade B minus

• Population 7,824

• Suburb of Mobile, AL

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  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Current Resident: It is a very Rual area, very quiet, and safe city. There isnt a high crime rate, and police are quick to respond in any event.... Read 1 review

• grade C+

• grade C+

• Population 2,764

• Suburb of Mobile, AL

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  Rating 3.64 out of 5  14 reviews

Current Resident: The community is engaged more with the kids in providing them with great educational resources and fun events to attend seasonally. I love supporting education so our youth will have the opportunity to build a great future in leadership and workplace professionalism. I support Chickasaw City Schools to help fund students' education.... Read 14 reviews

• grade C+

• grade D+

• Population 6,421

• Suburb of Mobile, AL

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Nearby Resident: super southern, crabbing, and catching fish and shrimp. very bayou like. lots of big shrimping people and large boats... Read 1 review

• grade C

• grade B minus

• Population 2,520

• Suburb of Mobile, AL

• •
  Rating 2.71 out of 5  34 reviews

Current Resident: It's a small town with plenty of potential for growth. Prichard is a unique town with very interesting and talented people.... Read 34 reviews

• grade C minus

• grade C minus

• Population 19,645

• Town in Alabama

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  Rating 2.5 out of 5  2 reviews

• grade B+

• grade B

• Population 1,443

• Town in Alabama

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  Rating 4.14 out of 5  7 reviews

Current Resident: Summerdale is a wonderful place to live! It is quiet & peaceful. The neighborhoods are very clean & quaint. Most houses are well kept, with beautiful plantation & gardens. The people of Summerdale really take care of each other. It reminds me of what things use to be like! I would like to see more cultures & race represented here. The majority of Summerdale is white, I would like to see more in inclusion here.... Read 7 reviews

• grade B

• grade B

• Population 1,512

• Town in Alabama

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  Rating 4.4 out of 5  5 reviews

Current Resident: Very nice close-knit community. The festivals and seasonal parades are great! The elementary school is very safe. Barely any crime and the police department cares about the residents. What's great is you are not in the city, but near it if you want those big-city opportunities.... Read 5 reviews

• grade B

• grade B

• Population 704

• Town in Alabama

• grade B minus

• grade B minus

• Population 1,771