Perdido Beach


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 Beach Mouse is named for the town.

History 

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 Perdido Beach, Baldwin County, is seen during the Perdido Beachmark 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 

Perdido Beach's population according to the 2010 Census was 581. Of that number, 96.2 percent of respondents identified themselves as white, 2.9 percent as two or more races, 2.1 percent as Hispanic or Latino, 0.2 percent as African American, 0.2 percent as Native American, and 0.2 percent as Asian. The town’s median household income, according to 2010 estimates, was $61,181, and the per capita income was $25,570.

Employment 

According to 2010 Census estimates, the work force in Perdido Beach was divided among the following industrial categories:

· Construction (31.7 percent)
· Retail trade (29.7 percent)
· Manufacturing (17.8 percent)
· Educational services, and health care and social assistance (11.4   percent)
· Public administration (5.0 percent)
· Professional, scientific, management, and administrative and waste   management services (2.5 percent)
· Transportation and warehousing and utilities (1.0 percent)
· Other services, except public administration (1.0 percent)

Education  Anglers at a public beach on Perdido Key Perdido Key

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.

Additional Resources 

Baldwin County Heritage Book Committee. The Heritage of Baldwin County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, Inc., 2001.

James P. Kaetz
Auburn University


Published February 17, 2013
Last updated March 29, 2013