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Opelika, AL

Full City Profile · Alabama · Lee County County

3.3 /5.0
B Good
31,944 Population 520/sq mi density
$58,763 Median Income $33,595 per capita
$213,700 Home Value $302,635 Zillow
$947 Median Rent 29.7% income on rent
62°F Avg Temperature 304 sunny days/yr
644 Violent Crime/100K 5,555 property/100K
B
Overall
3.3 / 5.0
Good overall score based on economy, affordability, safety and education
B+
Economy
3.7 / 5.0
$58,763 median income, 3.1% unemployment
A+
Affordability
4.6 / 5.0
$213,700 home value, $947/mo rent
F
Safety
1.0 / 5.0
644 violent crimes/100K (69% above avg)
B+
Education
3.7 / 5.0
33.5% bachelor's degree or higher

Opelika, AL

At a Glance

Median Income
$58,763
22% below
$33,595 per capita
Home Value
$213,700
24% below
Zillow: $302,635
Median Rent
$947/mo
19% below
29.7% of income on rent
Violent Crime
644/100K
69% above
5,555/100K property
Bachelor's Degree+
33.5%
1% below
88.2% high school+
Unemployment
3.1%
14% below
12.2% poverty rate
Obesity Rate
42.6%
33% above
15.5% smoking rate
Avg Temperature
62°F
304 sunny days/yr

How Opelika Compares to the U.S. Average

Each bar shows Opelika's value as a percentage of the national average (100% = U.S. avg)

Income
78%
Home Value
76%
Rent
81%
Poverty
98%
Bachelor's
99%
Unemployment
86%
Crime
169%
Thin vertical line = U.S. national average (100%)

Is Opelika a Good Place to Live?

B
3.3 / 5.0 — Good
Based on economy, affordability, safety, and education metrics compared to national averages.

Economy & Jobs

Opelika residents earn a median household income of $58,763 , which is 22% below the national average of $75,149. Per capita income is $33,595. The unemployment rate stands at 3.1% (14% below the U.S. rate of 3.6%). 12.2% of residents live below the poverty line. The area is home to 4,362 business establishments, including 421 restaurants.

Housing & Cost of Living

The median home value in Opelika is $213,700 , 24% below the national median of $281,900. Zillow estimates the typical home at $302,635. Median rent is $947/month, with 29.7% of renters spending more than 30% of income on housing. The cost of living index is 88.8 (100 = national average). The median home was built in 1991.

Safety & Crime

Opelika reports 644 violent crimes per 100,000 residents , which is 69% above the national average of 380/100K. Property crime is 5,555/100K. The murder rate is 3.4/100K.

Education

33.5% of adults in Opelika hold a bachelor's degree or higher (1% below the national average). 88.2% have completed high school. Local schools score 5.4/10 in standardized testing.

Climate & Weather

Opelika has an average annual temperature of 62°F (17°C). Winters average 44°F in January while summers reach 79°F in July. The area gets 304 sunny days per year. Annual precipitation totals 55.2 inches. Air quality is rated Good with a median AQI of 41.

Data Overview

People

Population31,944
Median Age40.2 yrs
Density520/mi²
Male / Female49% / 51%
Foreign Born13.6%
Veterans8.2%

Economy

B+
Median Income$58,763
Per Capita$33,595
Unemployment3.1%
Poverty12.2%
County GDP$9,275M
Avg Weekly Wage$1,027

Housing

A+
Home Value$213,700
Rent$947
Ownership68.8%
Zillow$302,635
Housing Units13,644
Rent Burden29.7%

Crime

F
Violent644/100K
Property5,555/100K
Murder3.4/100K
Assault486/100K
Burglary990/100K

Health

Obesity42.6%
Diabetes14.3%
Smoking15.5%
Heart Disease6.1%
Premature Death7,894/100K

Climate

Avg Temp62°F
Sunny Days304/yr
Rain55.2 in/yr
AQI41 (Good)
Elevation814 ft

Education

B+
Bachelor's+33.5%
High School+88.2%
Graduate+12.0%
School Score5.4/10

Community

2024 VoteR 63% / D 35%
Commute21 min
Broadband83.5%
Internet Speed191 Mbps
EV Stations17
Libraries2

Did You Know?

The median home in Opelika was built in 1991.
The nearest airport is Auburn University Regional (4 miles).
The Gini coefficient (income inequality) is 0.513 (U.S. avg: 0.490).
Natural hazard risk is rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA.
14.6% of the population has a disability.
13.6% of residents are foreign-born.
Average internet download speed is 191 Mbps.
There are 421 restaurants in the area.
The county recorded 16 fatal vehicle crashes.
91 declared natural disasters on record.