Population
208,013
2025
+7.1% since 2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025), 2025. Resident population, July 1 estimate.
Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area: population growth, jobs and income
The Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area gained 1,956 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+0.9%).
The Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area had an estimated 208,013 residents in 2025, up 7.1% (13,711 more people) since 2020.
Data as of 2025 · updated
Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now.
Headline numbers
Net domestic migration
+553
2025
2.7 per 1,000 residents
+6,692 in total, 2021–2025
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025), 2025. People moving in from other U.S. counties minus people moving out.
Unemployment rate
2.6%
2025
−0.3 pts since 2019
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2025. Annual average unemployment rate.
New homes permitted (calendar 2025)
1,581
2025
−16.0% since 2024
7.6 per 1,000 residents
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.
Median household income
$63,649
2020–24
+20.3% since 2016–20
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–24. American Community Survey 5-year estimate.
Private-sector employment
56,112
2023
+17.1% since 2018
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023. Paid employees of private employers in mid-March (County Business Patterns).
Net migration (IRS tax returns)
+355
2022–23
Source: IRS Statistics of Income, U.S. Population Migration Data, 2022–23. People on tax returns moving in minus moving out, U.S. and abroad; the sum of the member counties (moves between them cancel out).
Population, migration, employment, permits, unemployment and income are the figures each agency publishes for the area itself (OMB Bulletin 23-01 delineation; ACS 2016-20 and CBP 2018 use the delineation of their year). IRS migration is the sum of the member counties.
What the numbers say
Net domestic migration added 553 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out.
Private employers had 56,112 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +17.1% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).
Unemployment averaged 2.6% in 2025, 0.3 points lower than in 2019 (before the pandemic).
Builders were authorized to start 1,581 new homes in 2025, or 7.6 per 1,000 residents.
Median household income was $63,649 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +20.3% since 2016–20.
Population growth over five years ranks 3rd of 13 Alabama metro areas and 65th of 387 U.S. metro areas.
IRS tax-return data for 2022-2023 show a net gain of 355 people (the sum of its counties).
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How it ranks
| Measure | Among U.S. metro areas |
|---|---|
| Population growth | 65th of 387 |
| Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents | 142nd of 387 |
| Private-sector job growth | 26th of 377 |
| Median household income | 295th of 364 |
| Lowest unemployment rate | 10th of 364 |
| New homes permitted per 1,000 residents | 60th of 387 |
1st = highest (lowest for unemployment), against areas with a figure for the same period.
Fastest-growing metro areas in Alabama · Fastest-growing metro areas in the U.S.
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Counties in this metro area
Lee County, AL drove the change: of the 13,711 residents the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area gained from 2020 to 2025 (the sum of its counties), it added 15,043, while Macon County, AL lost 1,332 residents.
| County | Role | Residents2025 | Share of residents2025 | Change2020–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County, AL | Central | 189,881 | 91.3% | +15,043 (+8.6%) |
| Macon County, AL | Outlying | 18,132 | 8.7% | −1,332 (−6.8%) |
Census Bureau population estimates (July 1). Shares are of the member counties' total; a share of the change shows only when every county moved the same way. – means no figure for the common period.
Nearby and similar metro areas
Next to this metro area
Similar in size
Questions
Is the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area growing?
Yes. Its population grew 7.1% between 2020 and 2025, about 13,711 more people (Census Bureau population estimates).
Which county in the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area is growing fastest?
Lee County, AL. Its population grew 8.6% between 2020 and 2025, the fastest of the 2 member counties (Census Bureau population estimates).
How many people moved to the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area?
On net, about 553 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate). International migration is not in this figure.
What is the unemployment rate in the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area?
It averaged 2.6% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).
What is the population of the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area?
About 208,013 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.
Lee County data alerts
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Cite or reuse these figures
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The licence covers these headline figures only. The county reports, data files and data packs are not licensed for reuse beyond section 4 of the terms.
Sources and method
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns
- IRS Statistics of Income, U.S. Population Migration Data
Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.
Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.