Opelika, Alabama Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Opelika, AL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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C
Education Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Opelika | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,165 | 5,083,438 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 450.6 | 97.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.24% | 0.62% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.6 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 11,704 | 1,996,169 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Opelika grew by 16.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 28,165 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Opelika is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.7% of residents. That is 0.2 points above Alabama as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,108 21.7% +0.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,067 21.5% +0.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,806 20.6% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,782 17.0% -1.0 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Alabama, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.1% of the people living in Opelika and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% Alabama 51.5%
- Men 48.9% Alabama 48.5%
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Economy
Opelika has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Opelika | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,721 | $64,544 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.35% | 4.68% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% | 4.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Opelika is about 6% lower than in Alabama.
Housing
| Metric | Opelika | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $157,478 | $160,474 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $888 | $1,007 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.3% | 70.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Opelika is about 14.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $888 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Opelika spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 150 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Opelika | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.1 | 22.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.1 | 44.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 150 | 184 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,664 | $5,717 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.0% | 8.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,739 | 8,636 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,253 | 1,193 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Opelika is 18 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in Alabama.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Opelika has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Opelika | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.9% | 24.9% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.36 | 2.48 | 2.53 |
Health
Opelika has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Opelika | Alabama Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.9 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.6% | 23.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.9% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
Opelika, AL Compared With Nearby Cities
How Opelika, AL compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opelika, AL | 28,165 | $60,721 #1/2 | $157,478 #2/2 | 18.1 min #2/2 |
| Auburn, AL | 68,130 | $55,465 | $286,410 | 15.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Opelika, Alabama.
What is the population of Opelika, Alabama?
About 28,165 people live in Opelika, Alabama, in 11,704 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Opelika, Alabama urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Opelika, Alabama has 451 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 5.2 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Opelika, Alabama?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($157,478 against $60,721), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $888 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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