Living in Opelika
Opelika is the seat of Lee County and a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika metro area. It grew up around the railroad: the Montgomery & West Point line reached Opelika in 1848, and the town was chartered in 1854. Opelika counted 30,995 residents in the 2020 census.
Historic Downtown Opelika is on the National Register of Historic Places, anchored by the Lee County Courthouse on Courthouse Square, completed in 1896. Tiger Town, completed in 2005, is the largest retail center in East Alabama.
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National, with its conference center and resort hotel, has hosted national championships. Opelika Municipal Park has a miniature train and the Salem-Shotwell Covered Bridge, and the Victorian Front Porch Christmas Tour is a holiday tradition. Interstate 85 runs along the south end of the city, with U.S. 280 and U.S. 431 also passing through.
Schools
Opelika City Schools serves the city, and Southern Union State Community College has a branch in Opelika.
Shannon in Opelika
Shannon works in Opelika and neighboring Auburn. Her extensive experience in new home construction sales helps buyers choose lots, floor plans and finishes, and twenty-two five-star Google reviews name her. Read them on the homepage.
The Opelika market
Opelika shares Lee County's market, which sits at 3.4 months of supply, still seller-leaning, though active listings are up 33.9% from a year ago. Opelika's median sale price was $339,615 in September, about $90,000 below Auburn's and down 1.1% from a year earlier.
Homes in Opelika took a median of 70 days to sell, 13 days longer than last year, yet sold for about 99% of list price, so well-priced homes are still selling close to asking.
Opelika, September 2026
City of Opelika
- Median sale price
- $339,615Down 1.1% from September 2025
- Median days on market
- 7013 days slower than a year ago
- Sale-to-list price
- 99.0%Up 0.1 points from a year ago
- Sold above list price
- 12.8%Down 1.2 points from a year ago
Lee County, July 2026
All home sales in Lee County, including Auburn and Opelika
- Median sale price
- $399,000Up 3.5% from July 2025
- Homes sold
- 273Up 2.6% from July 2025
- Average days on market
- 552 days slower than July 2025
- Active listings
- 937Up 33.9% from July 2025
- Months of supply
- 3.42.6 in July 2025
- New construction
- 102 sales37.4% of sales; median $446,037, up 11.2%
Opelika offers more home for the money than Auburn next door, and longer market times leave room to negotiate.
Homes are taking longer to sell than last year, but those priced to recent sales are still closing near list price.
Sources: Redfin, Opelika housing market, September 2026 · Alabama Center for Real Estate (ACRE), University of Alabama, Lee County report for July 2026. Figures are for the month shown and change monthly; ask Shannon for the latest numbers on a specific neighborhood or home.
Questions about Opelika
Where is Opelika, Alabama?
Opelika is in Lee County in east Alabama, next door to Auburn, with Interstate 85 along the south end of the city.
Is Opelika the county seat?
Yes. Opelika has been the seat of Lee County since 1866.
How many people live in Opelika?
Opelika counted 30,995 residents in the 2020 census.
Is there golf in Opelika?
Yes. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National is in Opelika, with a conference center and resort hotel.
Who can help me buy or sell a home in Opelika?
Shannon Baker, with LAH Sotheby's International Realty, works with buyers and sellers in Opelika. She is licensed in Alabama and Florida and has more than $100 million in sales volume over the past five years. Call or text her at (850) 420-8678 or email shannon@lahsothebysrealty.com.