Affordable Opelika Storage Units

Moving and storage go hand in hand. Whether traveling across town or the country, moving is an exciting and fresh start. While Storage Rentals of America is here to help you with all your storage needs, we also want to help you get familiar with the area. That's why we put together this resource guide for Opelika.

About Opelika, AL

The population of Opelika is 30,995, according to the U.S. 2020 Census. The town is the county seat of Lee County. It is a part of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan area, which has a total population of 150,933 who live there.

The first settlers came to the area in 1832. In the 1870s, the Montgomery & West Point Railroad brought lots of railroad workers to the town. The train was used mostly to haul unprocessed cotton to the north.

The population increased rapidly between 1870 and 1900. During this time, it was like a wild west town. Drunk railroad workers firing their pistols in saloons were so dangerous that the railroad company recommended passengers duck down in the train cars as they passed through town.

For most of the city’s history, until 2004, it was known for its textile mills. A surge of capital investment started in 2005. This brought new companies to the area that expanded the commercial operations to manufacturing, light assembly, and auto parts distribution.

What to do in Opelika, AL

Opelika has wonderful amenities and attractions:

• Feature: Monkey Park is a nice city park near the Southern Union State Community College. Kids love it. It has statues of monkeys, picnic and play areas, and a miniature, child-sized train to ride on.
• Museum: Local history can be discovered at the Museum of East Alabama in Opelika.
• Community Center: The Opelika Sportsplex & Aquatics is on the northeast side of town. It is a great place to swim, work out, and play sports like pickleball.
• Siddique Nature Park: This nature preserve is west of the town. It is near the RTJ Golf Trail at Grand National, which is part of Opelika Resort & Spa.

Working in Opelika, AL

The Opelika local economy depends on education, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail industries. The unemployment rate of 3.8% is lower than the state average. The median household income is $51,074 per year, which is about $18,000 lower than the national average of $69,021. Opelika's predicted job growth rate for the next decade is strong at 37.8%, compared to the national average of 33.5%. Commuting to work in this town takes an average of 19 minutes.

The industries offering the most jobs are construction (5.0%), education (12.7%), government (5.0%), healthcare (9.9%), hospitality services (6.4%), plastics/rubber manufacturing (4.1%), and textile mills (4.1%).

Opelika, AL Neighborhoods

Opelika has many fancy neighborhoods for those looking to buy a home for the median price of $250,000 to $350,000. These pricey neighborhoods include East Lake/Springwood, Indian Lakes, North Gate, and Wyndham Gate/ Hamilton Hills.

Here are the desirable neighborhoods with homes under $250,000.

• Beans Mill / Salem: The median real estate price is $248,718, which is lower than fancier neighborhoods in the city but still more expensive than 69.9% of Alabama. Most homes are owner-occupied. The houses are medium to large with three to five bedrooms.
• Alta Vista: This neighborhood is downtown at the city center. The median real estate price is $243,527. Most of the homes in this downtown area have two or three bedrooms. Houses and apartments are available to rent for around $1,219 per month.
• Opelika West: This area is to the west of Opelika. It includes the Auburn University Regional Airport. The median real estate price is $210,670. Rental homes are available for an average monthly rental price of $1,142.
• Ridge Road / Geneva Historic District: This area is east of Opelika city center. The median real estate price is $204,856. Most homes are modern construction built after 1970, except for the historic buildings in the Geneva district. The average rent is $1,162 per month. The vacancy rate is 16.8%, which makes it easy to find a place to rent.

Opelika, AL School District

Opelika City Schools manages the public schools. The district spends $11,340 each year per student. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17 to one.

Opelika has eight private schools. The best private schools in the town are The Chanticleer Learning Center (6th to 12th), Auburn Classical Academy (K to 7th), and Trinity Christian School (K to 12th).

Auburn University is near Opelika. There are five other colleges within a 50-mile radius.

Moving to Opelika, AL Resource Guide

Opelika’s city government has a mayor and five people serving on the City Council. These officials are elected to serve for four-year terms. The City Council meets twice every month on the first and third Tuesdays.

Opelika’s Parks and Recreation Department maintains the city parks and facilities. One of the features that kids love is the miniature train rides. The Opelika Pickleball Facility and other activities and aquatics at the Sportsplex are popular. There are lots of community resources to enjoy.

The Park Bench Magazine is a terrific way to learn about upcoming events. It is free to download and published every quarter so that you can plan your event schedule in advance. There are celebrations for all the major holidays and live music in the park for Spring, Summer, and Fall Festivals.

Opelika, AL Housing

The median home price in Opelika is $331,100. This price has been trending up by 10.7% year-over-year. It is a buyer’s market with more homes listed for sale than buyers who are interested. Real estate prices are predicted to be flat until the mortgage rates come back down.

The cost of living in Opelika is 4% higher than other cities in Alabama and 8% lower than the national average for America.