Opelika, Alabama
Among the top 16% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade C, better than 38% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade B+, better than 84% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade F, better than 6% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 79% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade D, better than 20% of US places
- top 6% for annual snowfall
- top 13% for property tax rate
- bottom 1% for violent crime
Opelika is a mid-size city in Alabama with about 31,000 residents. It grades B+ for weather and F for safety & wellbeing. Standout strengths include annual snowfall, property tax rate, and natural disaster risk. It rates lower on sales tax and violent crime.
Official websiteopelika.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Hot, humid summers · Cool winters · Wet
cool
comf.
warm
hot
warm
comf.
cool
78%61%clearovercast
Precipitation 5.4 in3.7 in
muggy 86%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$55k37th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$47kbetter than 43% of US places
Home Value$192k59th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$872better than 55% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$1kbetter than 54% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.51%better than 87% of US places
Income Tax5.00%better than 47% of US places
Sales Tax9.29%better than 8% of US places
Estimated total tax burden9.84%better than 49% of US places
Unemployment5.1%better than 39% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)48°F87th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)82°F87th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation55.2 in90th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days262 daysbetter than 80% of US places
Summer Humidity70°Fbetter than 17% of US places
Comfortable Days85 daysbetter than 58% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk36.1better than 85% of US places
Air Quality53 AQIbetter than 10% of US places
School Quality44.0better than 23% of US places
Violent Crime3496/100kbetter than 1% of US places
Property Crime2777/100kbetter than 9% of US places
Community
Population31,36195th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age39.643rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5589th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9644th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+2046th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)53.2%19th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)35.7%94th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)6.4%63rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)2.9%85th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)1.8%38th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time21 minbetter than 82% of US places
Walkability8.1/20better than 74% of US places
Airport Distance87 mibetter than 44% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access85.1%better than 46% of US places
Amenities Nearby27.42better than 26% of US places
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 30% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Opelika an affordable place to live?
- Opelika is about average in cost. Its cost-of-living index is $47k, better than 43% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Opelika?
- The median home value in Opelika is $192k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Opelika?
- Median household income in Opelika is $55k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Opelika?
- Median gross rent in Opelika is $872 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Opelika safe?
- Opelika is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 3496/100k (better than 1%). Property crime is 2777/100k.
- What is the weather like in Opelika?
- Opelika averages 82°F in July and 48°F in January, with 55.2 in of annual precipitation and about 262 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Opelika?
- Public-school quality in Opelika is below average, scoring better than 23% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Opelika?
- The average one-way commute in Opelika is 21 min.
Other places in Lee County
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Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)