Opelika, AL

Census Place

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2024 Population
32,820
US Senator
Tommy Tuberville
Republican Party
US Senator
Katie Britt
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
39.9
0.746% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
16%
6.81% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$65,004
10.6% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$241,800
13.1% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
14,832
0.114% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Opelika, AL reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.3% of the residents in Opelika, AL are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Opelika, AL was $241,800, and the homeownership rate was 69.1%.

Most people in Opelika, AL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Opelika, AL was 2 cars per household.

United StatesAlabamaLee County, ALAuburn-Opelika, ALLee County (West)--Auburn & Opelika Cities PUMA, AL

Population & Diversity

Opelika, AL is home to a population of 32.8k people, from which 96.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.17% of Opelika, AL residents were born outside of the country (1.7k people).

In 2024, there were 1.36 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (16.8k people) in Opelika, AL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 12.4k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 959 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.3%
2024 Citizenship
96.6%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.3% of Opelika, AL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Opelika, AL was 96.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Opelika, AL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Opelika, AL
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    16.8k ± 1.04k
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    12.4k ± 1.02k
  3. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    959 ± 559
7.24%
Hispanic Population
2.38k people

In 2024, there were 1.36 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (16.8k people) in Opelika, AL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 12.4k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 959 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

7.24% of the people in Opelika, AL are hispanic (2.38k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Opelika, AL as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Alabama.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    52,201 ± 5,580 people
  2. Guatemala
    19,759 ± 3,444 people
  3. Korea
    10,633 ± 2,529 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Alabama was Mexico, the natal country of 52,201 Alabama residents, followed by Guatemala with 19,759 and Korea with 10,633.

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Foreign-Born Population

5.17%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
1.7k people
4.91%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
1.57k people

As of 2024, 5.17% of Opelika, AL residents (1.7k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Opelika, AL was 4.91%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Opelika, AL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (2001-)
    642 ± 281
  2. Vietnam
    514 ± 144
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    309 ± 171

Opelika, AL has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.25 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Opelika, AL.

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Economy

The economy of Opelika, AL employs 14.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Opelika, AL were Manufacturing (2,421 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,292 people), and Educational Services (1,872 people), and the highest paying industries were Information ($82,097), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($80,547), and Transportation & Warehousing ($65,823).

Employment

Occupations

14.8k
2024 Value
± 1,079
−0.114%
1 Year decline
± 10.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Opelika, AL declined at a rate of −0.114%, from 14.8k employees to 14.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Opelika, AL, are Management Occupations (1,723 people), Production Occupations (1,508 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (1,341 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Opelika, AL.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Alabama.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Alabama (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

14.8k
2024 Value
± 1,079
−0.114%
1 Year decline
± 10.5%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Opelika, AL declined at a rate of −0.114%, from 14.8k employees to 14.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Opelika, AL, are Manufacturing (2,421 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,292 people), and Educational Services (1,872 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Opelika, AL, though some of these residents may live in Opelika, AL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$54,669
Median earning men ± $5,014
$37,077
Median earning women ± $1,995

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($87,414), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($80,547), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($72,143).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,987), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($48,172), and Construction ($42,266).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Alabama.
Y-Axis
2.1%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.13M people employed in Alabama. This represents a 2.1% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 11.2%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Alabama.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Alabama went to Donald J. Trump with 64.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.1%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.533%).

Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt are the senators currently representing the state of Alabama. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Alabama is currently represented by 7 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Opelika, AL. Showing the available data for Alabama.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (64.6%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (34.1%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Robert Kennedy (0.533%)
    Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Alabama went to Donald J. Trump with 64.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.1%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.533%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Alabama for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Alabama

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Alabama.
Tommy Tuberville
Senator from Alabama2
Assumed office on January 3, 2021
Katie Britt
Senator from Alabama3
Assumed office on January 3, 2023

Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt are the senators currently representing Alabama.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Alabama over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Opelika, AL was $241,800 in 2024, which is 0.727 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $213,700 to $241,800, a 13.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Opelika, AL is 69.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Opelika, AL have an average commute time of 22.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Opelika, AL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$241,800
Median Property Value 2024
±$11,078
$9,300
Median Property Taxes
±$835

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Opelika, AL the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Opelika, AL compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

69.1%
Homeownership
2024
68.3%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 69.1% of the housing units in Opelika, AL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 68.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Opelika, AL compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$65,004
Median Household Income
± $6,526
13.5k
Number of Households
± 1,030

In 2024, the median household income of the 13.5k households in Opelika, AL grew to $65,004 from the previous year's value of $58,763.

The following chart displays the households in Opelika, AL distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Opelika, AL is from Alabama.
0.456
2023 Wage GINI in Alabama
0.458
2022 Wage GINI in Alabama

In 2023, the income inequality in Alabama was 0.456 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.523% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Alabama was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Alabama in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Alabama across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (82.7%)
  2. Worked At Home (7.5%)
  3. Carpooled (6.34%)

In 2024, 82.7% of workers in Opelika, AL drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (7.5%) and those who carpooled to work (6.34%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

22.1 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Opelika, AL have a shorter commute time (22.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.53% of the workforce in Opelika, AL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Opelika, AL compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Opelika, AL distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Opelika, AL have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

16% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Opelika, AL (5.17k out of 32.3k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Opelika, AL is Black, followed by White and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Health

91.2% of the population of Opelika, AL has health coverage, with 48.3% on employee plans, 15% on Medicaid, 14% on Medicare, 12.1% on non-group plans, and 1.77% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Alabama see 1,571 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,571 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2016 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 684 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 25% under 18 years, 19% between 18 and 34 years, 37.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.2% were men and 50.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

8.81%
Uninsured
48.3%
Employer Coverage
15%
Medicaid
14%
Medicare
12.1%
Non-Group
1.77%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Opelika, AL declined by 4.58% from 9.24% to 8.81%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Opelika, AL changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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