Opelika is a city located in Lee County Alabama. Opelika has a 2024 population of 34,403. It is also the county seat of Lee County. Opelika is currently growing at a rate of 2.48% annually and its population has increased by 10.7% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 31,079 in 2020.
The average household income in Opelika is $75,687 with a poverty rate of 17.43%. The median age in Opelika is 39.6 years: 38 years for males, and 40.8 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Opelika was:
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 17,628 | 56.21% |
| Black or African American | 11,456 | 36.53% |
| Two or more races | 1,064 | 3.39% |
| Asian | 976 | 3.11% |
| Other race | 165 | 0.53% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 49 | 0.16% |
| Native American | 23 | 0.07% |
White
Black or African American
Two or more races
Asian
Other race
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Native American
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | 12,295 | 2.5 | 69.5 | 30.5 |
| Married | 5,407 | 3.09 | 84.6 | 15.4 |
| Non Family | 4,403 | 1.13 | 56.3 | 43.7 |
| Female | 1,948 | 3.69 | 56.5 | 43.5 |
| Male | 537 | 3.47 | 72.1 | 27.9 |
3.21
Average Family Size
2.5
Average Household Size
69.5%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 9th to 12th Grade | 1,317 | 6.05% |
| Associates Degree | 1,831 | 8.41% |
| Bachelors Degree | 4,507 | 20.69% |
| Graduate Degree | 2,620 | 12.03% |
| High School Graduate | 5,950 | 27.32% |
| Less Than 9th Grade | 1,086 | 4.99% |
| Some College | 4,470 | 20.52% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 11,902 | 11,367 | 5,296 |
| Black | 8,142 | 6,895 | 1,336 |
| Asian | 772 | 545 | 357 |
| Hispanic | 680 | 389 | 41 |
| 2+ Races | 482 | 293 | 89 |
| Islander | 49 | 49 | 0 |
| Other Race | 24 | 11 | 6 |
| Native American | 23 | 23 | 15 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among native american people with a rate of 100%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among native american people with a rate of 65.22%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelors Degree | $53,009 | $57,636 | $52,568 |
| Graduate Degree | $70,952 | $80,026 | $66,850 |
| High School Graduate | $31,140 | $33,953 | $24,033 |
| Less Than 9th Grade | $32,518 | $34,577 | $17,014 |
| Overall | $41,301 | $47,206 | $35,472 |
| Some College | $40,242 | $57,882 | $32,810 |
$41,301
Average Earnings
$47,206
Average Male
$35,472
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
92.19% of Opelika residents speak only English, while 7.81% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 4.46% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 11,240 | 3,530 | 31.41% |
| White | 16,430 | 1,595 | 9.71% |
| Hispanic | 2,006 | 371 | 18.49% |
| Multiple | 1,062 | 203 | 19.11% |
| Asian | 976 | 32 | 3.28% |
| Native | 23 | 16 | 69.57% |
| Other | 162 | 10 | 6.17% |
17.43%
Overall Poverty Rate
12.68%
Male Poverty Rate
21.94%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Opelika is Native, with 69.57% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Opelika is Asian, with 3.28% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.69%. Among those working part-time, it was 13.52%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 26.71%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 22.48% |
| High School | 19.99% |
| Some College | 17.31% |
| Bachelors or Greater | 5.11% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
|---|---|
| Female Unemployed | 45.65% |
| Male Unemployed | 37.37% |
| Female Employed | 9.46% |
| Male Employed | 4.48% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| Families | $77,131 | $94,685 |
| Households | $55,218 | $75,687 |
| Married Families | $96,604 | $-999,999,999 |
| Non Families | $29,606 | $40,325 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
46.7%
Overall Marriage Rate
50.0%
Male Marriage Rate
43.6%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
1,870
Number of Veterans
1,645
Male Veterans
225
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
|---|---|
| Vietnam | 621 |
| First Gulf War | 542 |
| Second Gulf War | 460 |
| Korea | 146 |
| World War II | 8 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
|---|---|
| 65 to 74 | 650 |
| 35 to 54 | 472 |
| 75+ | 336 |
| 55 to 64 | 288 |
| 18 to 34 | 124 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,135 | 8.04% |
| Black | 596 | 6.77% |
| 2+ Races | 80 | 13.94% |
| Hispanic | 72 | 7.69% |
| Asian | 51 | 6.36% |
| Native American | 8 | 34.78% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
2.76%
Veteran Poverty Rate
28.05%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
59%
Labor Force Participation
56%
Employment Rate
5.1%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
65.55%
Born in Opelika
95.54%
Native Born
4.46%
Foreign Born
2.66%
Non Citizen
1.8%
Naturalized
95.54% of Opelika residents were born in the United States, with 65.55% having been born in Alabama. 2.66% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.
Year | Population | Growth | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2029 | 38,558 | 831 | 2.2% |
| 2028 | 37,727 | 831 | 2.25% |
| 2027 | 36,896 | 831 | 2.3% |
| 2026 | 36,065 | 831 | 2.36% |
| 2025 | 35,234 | 831 | 2.42% |
| 2024 | 34,403 | 831 | 2.48% |
| 2023 | 33,572 | 801 | 2.44% |
| 2022 | 32,771 | 1,177 | 3.73% |
| 2021 | 31,594 | 515 | 1.66% |
| 2020 | 31,079 | 157 | 0.51% |
| 2019 | 30,922 | 256 | 0.83% |
| 2018 | 30,666 | 349 | 1.15% |
| 2017 | 30,317 | 461 | 1.54% |
| 2016 | 29,856 | 391 | 1.33% |
| 2015 | 29,465 | 357 | 1.23% |
| 2014 | 29,108 | 424 | 1.48% |
| 2013 | 28,684 | 578 | 2.06% |
| 2012 | 28,106 | 659 | 2.4% |
| 2011 | 27,447 | 961 | 3.63% |
| 2010 | 26,486 | 0 | 0% |
| 2000 | 23,498 | 1,376 | 6.22% |
| 1990 | 22,122 | 226 | 1.03% |
| 1980 | 21,896 | 2,869 | 15.08% |
| 1970 | 19,027 | 3,349 | 21.36% |
| 1960 | 15,678 | 3,383 | 27.52% |
| 1950 | 12,295 | 3,808 | 44.87% |
| 1940 | 8,487 | 2,331 | 37.87% |
| 1930 | 6,156 | 1,196 | 24.11% |
| 1920 | 4,960 | 226 | 4.77% |
| 1910 | 4,734 | 489 | 11.52% |
| 1900 | 4,245 | 542 | 14.64% |
| 1890 | 3,703 | 458 | 14.11% |
| 1880 | 3,245 | -35,313 | -91.58% |