City safety & data profile

OpelikaAL

Opelika, AL is a 30K-resident city in Lee County with a median household income of $65,004.

Lee County, Alabama. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Opelika, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Opelika has a population larger than 62% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $241,800, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

30K
Population
Top 38%
By size
$65,004
Median income
$241,800
Median home
16%
Poverty rate

The read on Opelika

Opelika posts a median household income higher than 30% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Opelika area.

Top 70%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Opelika

Where Opelika income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$65,004 Bottom 30% higher than 30% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. AL $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Opelika, AL beyond the headline numbers

Opelika sits inside Lee County, Alabama, at roughly 32.65°N, -85.38°W. Population 29,527, $65,004 median household income. Median home value $241,800, median rent $950. Poverty rate 16%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Opelika's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 44.1%, then obesity at 42.6%. 1 hospital in/around Opelika, 3/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Opelika from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
29,527
Opelika
Median Income
$65,004
-4% vs avg
Median Home Value
$241,800
+6% vs avg
Median Age
39.9
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Lee County) - Opelika's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
181K+25%
Median Income
$65,824+51%
Median Home Value
$262,200+78%
Poverty Rate
18.9%-14%
Unemployment
3.5%-62%

Economics

Economics indicators for Opelika, AL
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$950/mo
Poverty Rate
16% +13% vs avg
Unemployment 5.6%
Bachelor's Degree+ 36.4%
Work From Home 7.5%
Public Transit 1.1%

Population

White 52.9%
African American 39%
Asian 1.8%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
44.1%
Obesity
42.6%
Short Sleep Duration
39.2%
Physical Inactivity
29.9%
Frequent Mental Distress
17.3%
Diabetes
16.1%
Current Smoking
15.2%
Frequent Physical Distress
14.2%
Binge Drinking
13.2%
Lack of Health Insurance
11.3%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 55.6%
Annual Checkup 81.2%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
10.6%
Coronary Heart Disease
7.1%
Stroke
4.3%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
1
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
3/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
THE EAST ALABAMA HEALTHCARE AUTHORITY
OPELIKA · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Opelika, AL? ▼
Opelika, AL has a population of 29,527 people, located in Lee County, Alabama.
What is the median household income in Opelika? ▼
The median household income in Opelika, AL is $65,004 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 16%.
What is the median home value in Opelika? ▼
The median home value in Opelika, AL is $241,800. Median rent is $950/month.
What are the top health concerns in Opelika? ▼
The top health indicators in Opelika include High Blood Pressure (44.1%), Obesity (42.6%), Short Sleep Duration (39.2%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Opelika? ▼
Opelika has 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Opelika? ▼
The median age in Opelika, AL is 39.9 years. 36.4% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Opelika, AL is located in Lee County, Alabama. With a population of 30K and a $65,004 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and obesity. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Opelika area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Alabama

Real-time AQI for every monitored Alabama location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Auburn, AL 62K Phenix City, AL 38K Columbus, GA 207K LaGrange, GA 30K Alexander City, AL 15K Cusseta, GA 11K Eufaula, AL 13K Newnan, GA 37K
All cities in Alabama → Compare Opelika vs Auburn → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Opelika's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Opelika area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Opelika against Alabama peers on any ranking lens. Explore Alabama

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Lee County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.