Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Opelika, Alabama
A $214,000 home here costs
$1,734per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,100. The real number is $634 higher every month — 58% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Opelika against Lee County and Alabama
| Measure | Opelika | Lee County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $213,700 | $238,700 |
| Median property tax | $1,093 | $1,183 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.511% | 0.496% |
| Median gross rent | $947 | $999 |
| Population | 31,944 | 177,663 |
The weather behind that power bill
Opelika sits in Lee County, which averages a high of 89.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 35.3°F in its coldest, with 56.49" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,916 cooling and 2,414 heating degree days, which is what sets the $151 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Lee County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Lee County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Opelika?
A $214,000 home in Opelika, Alabama costs approximately $1,734 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,100 principal and interest, $91 property tax, $146 homeowners insurance, $219 utilities and $178 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Opelika?
Opelika has an effective property tax rate of 0.511%, based on a median home value of $213,700 and median real estate taxes of $1,093. That is higher than the Lee County average of 0.496%.
What is the average home price in Opelika?
The median owner-occupied home value in Opelika, Alabama is $213,700, against $238,700 across Lee County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Opelika?
Median gross rent in Opelika is $947 a month, against $1,734 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Opelika — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Alabama.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.