Lee County · Alabama · South · 33k residents
Opelika, AL: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Opelika: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Alabama median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,076/wk. Alabama's corporate income tax rate is 6.5%. Commercial electricity averages 13.6¢/kWh.
Compare Opelika side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,076/wk
Corporate income tax
6.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
36.4%
Commercial electricity
13.6¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Opelika's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
78/100
Heating
Ranks Opelika's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $241,800 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $150 |
| Property tax rate | 0.4% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $712/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $937/mo |
| State & local income tax | 4.41% |
| Sales tax | 9.3% |
| Corporate income tax | 6.5% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,076/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.4% |
| Commercial electricity | 13.6¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 24.8/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $120,310 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $78,040 |
| Wage: General manager | $103,380 |
| Wage: Customer service | $35,810 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $34,900 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $49,210 |
| Wage: Electrician | $53,860 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $29,140 |
| Cost of living index | 81 |
| Groceries index | 97 |
| Utilities | $190/mo |
| Transit pass | $45/mo |
| Gas price | $2.95/gal |
| Healthcare index | 92 |
| Childcare (per child) | $750/mo |
| Median household income | $65,004 |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% |
| Population | 33k |
| Crime index | 55/100 |
| School rating | 4.3/10 |
| Walkability | 30/100 |
| Disaster risk | 80/100 |
| Avg. commute | 25 min |
| Sunny days / year | 215 days |
| July high | 90°F |
| January low | 33°F |
| Annual snowfall | 0 in |
| Home price YoY | +3.4% |
| Home price MoM | +0.1% |
| Rent YoY | +5.4% |
| Rent MoM | +0.6% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | +2.4% |
| Building permits YoY | +4.6% |
| Ocean coast | 169 mi |
| Big lake | 34 mi |
| Mountains | 65 mi |
| Major airport | 88 mi |
| Ski resort | 237 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Auburn, AL · 81k
- Phenix City, AL · 38k
- Montgomery, AL · 197k
- Millbrook, AL · 17k
- Prattville, AL · 39k
Similar size
- Gadsden, AL · 33k
- Alabaster, AL · 34k
- Northport, AL · 31k
- Enterprise, AL · 30k
- Daphne, AL · 29k
Real listings in Opelika
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Opelika a good place to run a business?
- Alabama's corporate income tax rate is 6.5%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,076/wk; commercial electricity averages 13.6¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Opelika, AL?
- Opelika indexes at 81 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $937/mo and a acs median home value of $241,800.
- How much does a house cost in Opelika?
- The acs median home value in Opelika is $241,800 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Opelika?
- A two-bedroom in Opelika rents for about $937/mo.