Population 47,486 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Opelika
Household size in Opelika
| Period | Opelika | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.40 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.47 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.61 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.48 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.09 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Opelika run small, averaging 2.48 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Since 2006–10, household size has crept up from 2.40, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the center.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Opelika
| Period | Opelika | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.4 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.3 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.2 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.7 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.3 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
At 40.7, the median age in Opelika is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has climbed from 37.4 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the west and oldest in the north.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Opelika
| Period | Opelika | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.6% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.4% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.7% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.6% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are just as common in Opelika as they are nationally: 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 2.1 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Opelika
Renters in Opelika
| Period | Opelika | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.0% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.2% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.6% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.9% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Opelika rent their homes (28.9%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 42.8% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 3.2 points, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Opelika
| Period | Opelika | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.0% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.8% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.8% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Opelika is close to the national rate: 10.8% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in Alabama as a whole (13.5%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged down 0.9 points, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Opelika
| Period | Opelika | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1992 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +6 | +6 |
Opelika has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1992, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1985 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the south, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Opelika
| Period | Opelika | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $705 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $718 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $843 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $997 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$292 | +$375 | +$606 |
The median renter in Opelika pays $997 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $292 a month from 2006–10, a 41% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 28.9% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the east; the highest are in the north.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Opelika
Bachelor's degrees in Opelika
| Period | Opelika | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.4% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.8% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.4% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 34.0% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.5 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
About a third of adults 25 and older in Opelika (34.0%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share is higher than in Alabama as a whole (29.0%). The share with a degree has risen 11.5 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Opelika
| Period | Opelika | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.4% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.6% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.4% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.4% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.0 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Opelika have finished high school as nationally: 88.4%, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 9.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Opelika
| Period | Opelika | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.4% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.2% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Opelika than nationally: unemployment was 4.2%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 4.8 points, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Opelika compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opelika | 2.48 | 40.7 | 11.6% | 28.9% | 10.8% | 1992 | $997 | 34.0% | 88.4% | 4.2% |
| Pepperell | 2.78 | 34.7 | 5.4% | 34.9% | 14.4% | 2008 | $1,200 | 62.3% | 90.3% | 1.0% |
| Roanoke Junction | 3.52 | 39.5 | 11.6% | 17.1% | 20.9% | 1989 | $839 | 16.1% | 84.9% | 12.5% |
| Auburn | 2.63 | 30.8 | 8.6% | 47.6% | 17.4% | 1998 | $1,267 | 55.8% | 95.7% | 3.3% |
| Mount Jefferson | 2.28 | 42.2 | 3.2% | 27.4% | 6.6% | 1999 | $511 | 23.4% | 96.9% | 6.1% |
| Farmville | 3.00 | 41.9 | 1.4% | 0.2% | 6.9% | 2002 | $1,596 | 61.9% | 88.8% | 0.0% |
| Oak Bowery | 2.50 | 49.0 | 0.6% | 18.1% | 18.1% | 1990 | $941 | 32.8% | 86.0% | 0.0% |
| Tillery Crossroads | 2.54 | 41.3 | 7.8% | 22.7% | 23.3% | 1990 | $903 | 18.5% | 92.8% | 3.6% |
| Waverly | 2.90 | 42.9 | 3.7% | 9.6% | 6.4% | 1999 | $1,601 | 55.0% | 94.7% | 1.9% |
| Cusseta | 2.45 | 48.6 | 14.7% | 18.1% | 27.3% | 1987 | $976 | 22.4% | 93.3% | 1.5% |
| Salem | 2.64 | 43.2 | 7.5% | 10.9% | 15.2% | 1997 | $1,010 | 24.9% | 88.5% | 2.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Attleboro, MA · Austell, GA · Bountiful, UT · Columbus, MS · Brighton, MI · Brunswick, GA · Brunswick, OH · Butler, PA · Cape Girardeau, MO · Casselberry, FL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Opelika. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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