Opelika, AL
Photo: MoxieTowns
- College Town: A college or university shapes the population, culture, and economy.
- Remote Strong: Remote-work ready: broadband, workspaces, and a business climate that suits working from here.
About the town
Small town charm near a busy college town.
Opelika, Alabama exudes a delightful blend of Southern charm and modern growth, with nearly 31,000 residents calling it home. Nestled in east-central Alabama, it’s a stone’s throw from Auburn University and offers easy access to the Atlanta metro. Opelika’s historic downtown, emerging craft breweries, and inviting green spaces make it an appealing destination for those seeking a welcoming, community-focused small town with big opportunities.
This town is best for
- Creative Incubator Spirit
- Golfers who want 54 holes down the road
- Auburn families who want their own downtown
Is this your MoxieTown?
Does this town check your boxes?
Pick a lens. The reading, its signals, and the next move change with it, and the lens stays with you down the page.
Through the Discover lens
Fifty-four holes on a lake, a single malt smoked over pecan wood, and a songwriters festival in the downtown rooms
Play 54 holes on a 600-acre lake at Grand National, the Robert Trent Jones Trail stop that hosts the NCAA championships, then drive two miles into a downtown that still runs along the tracks. John Emerald Distilling smokes its single malt barley over peach and pecan wood on North Railroad Avenue, Red Clay Brewing pours next door, and the Opelika Songwriters Festival fills the downtown rooms each spring. Spring and fall are the seasons; July is for the Sportsplex pool.worth weighing
Through the Prosper lens
A city growing 2.8 percent a year, a Main Street program, fiber to the door and a university seven miles west
Opelika is growing faster than almost any MoxieTown, from 30,995 people in 2020 to 35,765 in 2025, and the downtown has the storefronts to catch it. Opelika Main Street runs the district and its calendar, fiber from Point Broadband and AT&T reaches most of the city, and the FCC map shows every carrier at full strength in town. Median household income within three miles runs about $60,000 and the wealth index 62, ESRI estimates, so the money is in the region, not the ring: Auburn University, founded 1856, is seven miles west, Atlanta 100 miles up I-85. A business here sells to students, faculty, golfers and the new subdivisions; price for all four.worth weighing
Through the Dwell lens
A Level III trauma center two miles out, schools rated 5 to 8, and a $258,000 median home
East Alabama Medical Center, a Level III trauma center with a 34-bed emergency department, is two miles from the courthouse square. The schools on GreatSchools run from 5 to 8: Opelika Middle rates 8, the high school 5, and the primary and intermediate schools between. ESRI puts the median home within three miles near $258,000 and 59 percent of homes owner-occupied, estimates both, with a renter share that reflects the college next door. Winters bring an inch of snow and lows near 38. It suits families who want a downtown of their own near Auburn, entrepreneurs, and retirees who golf. You have to love college football here, or soon you will.
The unique magic ingredients
Sparks & Vibes
Three courses, 54 holes, on a 600-acre lake two miles from downtown: Grand National is the Robert Trent Jones Trail stop that hosts the NCAA Division I men's and women's championships, with the Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort & Spa on the grounds.
John Emerald Distilling makes a single malt from barley smoked over peach and pecan wood at 706 North Railroad, Red Clay Brewing is at 704, and Whistle Stop Bottle & Brew at 830: a block that drinks local.
The Opelika Songwriters Festival has staged a spring weekend of writers in the rooms of historic downtown since 2019; the eighth edition runs April 1 to 4, 2027.
Municipal Park runs free rides on its miniature train every Tuesday evening from May through July during the Summer Swing concerts, and the playground is open the rest of the year.
The city's Sportsplex & Aquatics Center has an indoor and an outdoor pool, 33 fenced pickleball courts, an outdoor amphitheater and a disc golf course on SportsPlex Parkway.
The way we see it, Sparks are the places, events, and activities that you remember about a MoxieTown, the ones that set them apart, the ones they are known for, and make a lasting impression.
Vibes, on the other hand, are that all-over feeling you get from a place, its unique ambiance.
The Vibe
Southern Innovation
Brick storefronts along the tracks, a single malt distillery beside a brewery, and a university seven miles down the road.
The Downtown Scene
Downtown Opelika is a grid of Victorian brick on either side of the railroad, with South 8th Street and Railroad Avenue as the two main blocks. Zazu Gastropub and Café One Twenty Three face each other on 8th, Side Track pours coffee on South Railroad, Sneak & Dawdle opens its speakeasy door at 7, and the Museum of East Alabama keeps 5,000 artifacts near the courthouse square. Loft apartments sit over the storefronts. Parking is free.
When you visit
Quick Tips for When You Go.
Opelika is the small town next to the college town, and the better weekend for it. Arrive Friday and check into a 1913 mansion two blocks from the tracks. Saturday is 54 holes to choose from at Grand National, a single malt tasting on Railroad Avenue, and dinner on 8th Street. Sunday, brunch at Zazu and the train ride at Municipal Park. Come in April for the songwriters or in October for the weather; leave July to the pool.
Foodie Scene
Downtown Opelika eats on two blocks, South 8th Street and Railroad Avenue, with barbecue on Columbus Parkway and a brewery and distillery at the north end of the tracks. Prices run from a coffee counter to a French-influenced dinner, and reservations help on Auburn football weekends.
Comfort food from around the country and a few places beyond it, made from scratch with local produce, on South 8th Street; lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, brunch on Sunday.
Southern cooking with a classic French influence in a fine-dining room downtown, dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 5 and Sunday brunch.
Wood-smoked brisket, ribs, pulled pork and chicken with handmade sauces on Columbus Parkway, Monday through Saturday 10 to 8.
The taproom at 704 North Railroad Avenue, Tuesday through Thursday from 4 and weekends from noon.
A coffee shop on South Railroad Avenue that doubles as the room for pop-ups, art shows and live music, 8 to 4, Tuesday through Sunday.
A speakeasy-style lounge for cocktails, craft beer and wine in the heart of downtown, Wednesday through Saturday from 7.
Memorable Stays
Spring and fall are the seasons: the Songwriters Festival in early April, mild October weekends, and Auburn home games that fill every room for 20 miles. Book early for any Saturday the Tigers are at home.
Five rooms in a 1913 neoclassical mansion on 2nd Avenue, a short walk from the tracks, with a home-cooked breakfast; the romantic choice.
Renovated rooms over the courses and the lake, with the Spa at Grand National and 54 holes out the door, two miles from downtown.
Friday at Heritage House, Saturday on the Lake Course and Railroad Avenue, Sunday brunch at Zazu before the drive to the airport.
Shopping & Strolling
The stroll runs down South 8th Street to the tracks, along Railroad Avenue in both directions and back by 9th Street past the courthouse. Among the stops worth a look: Almost Anything on South 9th for comics, records, coins and antiques; Whistle Stop Bottle & Brew on North Railroad for beer and wine to go and homebrew supplies; John Emerald Distilling two doors down for a bottle of the single malt; and, a short drive out Frederick Road, Botanic, a nursery, market and restaurant in one, with goods from local artists.
Blogs about this MoxieTown
Stories, Tales, & Secrets
Stories about Opelika are on the way.
Found Around Town
Drive times are from downtown Opelika.
Trails & Outdoors
Sports & Recreation
Arts & Culture
Food, Drink & Nightlife
Family & Community
Water Activities
Uncover the treasures around town
Because sometimes you just need to know how close it is
How close is it?
Road miles. Tap a distance for directions, or a name for the map.
A sweet slice of life in Opelika.
Find your tribe
Find Your Tribe
Location is everything when you are moving somewhere new, but so are the people. What follows is a snapshot of the remarkable tapestry of personalities, the numbers first, and our read on them where we say so.
Education
This is a great place to get an overview of the educational offerings of a community. Each family is unique and each child has their own perfect fit, so check out the many options in this town here.
MoxieTowns · Town Snapshot · 2026 Community Data Benchmark
Generations at a glance
Share of population by generation.
Relationship status
Population age 15 and over.
Who owns, who rents
- Owner-occupied 59%
- Renter-occupied 41%
Political outlook
- Leans liberal 21%
- Middle of the road 42%
- Leans conservative 37%
Arts and culture life
Out of every 100 neighbors, how many took part in the last 12 months. One dot is one person.
Compared with the U.S. average
Each bar runs from 0 to 200. The mark is the national average, 100. Left of it is less than typical, right of it is more.
Source: ESRI 2026 Benchmark Report, 3-mile radius. Indexed values benchmarked to U.S. average = 100. Curated by MoxieTowns. The readings beside the index bars are MoxieTowns' interpretation of the ESRI figures.
These figures cannot begin to represent the people you will actually meet. They are a sketch of the tapestry, not the portrait. Every MoxieTown is measured the same way, on a 3-mile radius from the heart of town, and 1 mile when the question is walking distance, so towns compare apples to apples, whoever provides the water or collects the taxes.
Photo credits: about photo, MoxieTowns; Spark photos, Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail; Spark photos, MoxieTowns; downtown photos, MoxieTowns; slice of life photos, MoxieTowns.
SIT BACK AND SCROLL THROUGH THESE SMALL TOWN INSPIRATIONS
Follow along for some MoxieTown magic.
