Updated October 2026
Auburn or Opelika? It's one of the questions I hear most from people moving to East Alabama, and it's a fair one. The two cities sit side by side in Lee County and share a lot of daily life, but they don't share a price point.
Here's the short answer. In July 2026, the median sold price for a residential home was $336,487 in Opelika and $494,087 in Auburn, per the Lee County Association of REALTORS®. If budget leads your search, Opelika gave buyers a lower middle price that month. If you need an address in the Auburn City Schools district, work on campus, or want the most homes to choose from, Auburn's larger inventory may matter more to you than the price difference. After that, it comes down to your commute, the school district that serves a specific address, and the kind of house you want.
The Bottom Line
- Price: Opelika's July 2026 median sold price was lower than Auburn's, and Auburn's median rose faster from July 2025 (by our math, 14.5% in Auburn versus 2.6% in Opelika).
- Choice: Auburn had more homes on the market than Opelika in July 2026, and both cities had more than a year earlier.
- Pace: Opelika sold more homes than in July 2025, while Auburn sold fewer.
- Before you decide: check property taxes, school assignment, and commute for the exact address. Compare individual loan quotes and budget for insurance, mortgage insurance if applicable, HOA charges, and maintenance, not just the purchase price.
Auburn vs Opelika housing market, July 2026
For association figures in this section, city names follow the Lee County Association of REALTORS® AUBURN and OPELIKA report columns. MLS figures come from a separate closed-sale analysis; Auburn sales are assigned using the MLS Auburn Area boundary, not the mailing address. Every comparison is July 2026 against July 2025.
Home prices
Auburn's residential median sold price was $494,087 in July 2026, up from $431,625 in July 2025, according to the Lee County Association of REALTORS®. That's a 14.5% increase by our math. Opelika's median moved from $327,845 to $336,487, a 2.6% increase by our math.
Chart 1. Residential median sold price, Auburn and Opelika, July 2025 vs July 2026. Source: Lee County Association of REALTORS® monthly housing statistics, AUBURN column, July 2025; Lee County Association of REALTORS® monthly housing statistics, AUBURN column, July 2026; Lee County Association of REALTORS® monthly housing statistics, OPELIKA column, July 2025; Lee County Association of REALTORS® monthly housing statistics, OPELIKA column, July 2026.
Averages tell a slightly different story. Per the Lee County Association of REALTORS®, Auburn's average sold price climbed from $471,966 in July 2025 to $543,162 in July 2026. Opelika's average slipped from $395,607 to $368,406, even as its median rose. A median is the middle sale. An average gets pulled around by a few high-dollar closings, so I lean on the median when I'm comparing cities.
Price per square foot is where it gets interesting. According to our analysis of Lee County MLS closed-sale records, single-family homes in Auburn sold for a median $200.86 per square foot in July 2026, up from $194.03 a year earlier. In Opelika, the median was $190.54 per square foot, up from $179.00. By our math, that's a 3.5% rise in Auburn and a 6.4% rise in Opelika.
The single-family median prices per square foot are closer together than the residential median sold prices, but these measures cover different groups of sales. Size, condition, and sales mix may contribute to the price gap; these summary measures cannot isolate their effects or show how much each contributes. A citywide median isn't the price of the same house in two places. Before you decide Opelika is the "cheaper" city, compare two homes of similar size, age, and condition. If this is your first purchase, my guide to buying your first home in Auburn walks through the steps from preapproval to closing.
How much choice you'll have, and how fast homes sell
Per the Lee County Association of REALTORS®, Auburn had 442 residential homes on the market in July 2026, compared with 320 in July 2025. That's 38.1% more by our math. Opelika had 285, up from 234, or 21.8% more. New listings in Auburn rose from 117 to 147, while Opelika's went from 112 to 109.
Chart 2. Residential homes on the market, Auburn and Opelika, July 2025 vs July 2026. Source: Lee County Association of REALTORS® monthly housing statistics, AUBURN column, July 2025; Lee County Association of REALTORS® monthly housing statistics, AUBURN column, July 2026; Lee County Association of REALTORS® monthly housing statistics, OPELIKA column, July 2025; Lee County Association of REALTORS® monthly housing statistics, OPELIKA column, July 2026.
Sales went in opposite directions. According to the Lee County Association of REALTORS®, Auburn sold 114 residential homes in July 2026, down from 136 in July 2025 (16.2% fewer by our math). Opelika sold 94, up from 86 (9.3% more by our math). Average days on market rose in both cities: Auburn went from 49 to 54 days, and Opelika went from 51 to 62 days.
The middle of the market moved a little differently. According to our analysis of Lee County MLS closed-sale records, the median single-family home in Auburn spent 22 days on the market in July 2026, compared with 23 in July 2025. In Opelika, the median was 34 days, up from 27.
In my experience, more homes on the market alongside fewer closings gives buyers more room to compare and to take a second look before writing an offer. That was the setup in Auburn in July. It isn't a promise of a discount on any particular house, and it's one month, not a forecast. If you already own a home here and you're moving across town, timing matters on both ends. Here's how I think through whether to sell before you buy.
New construction vs existing homes
New construction played a big role in Opelika. Per the Lee County Association of REALTORS®, Opelika recorded 50 new-construction sales and 44 existing-home sales in July 2026, compared with 44 and 42 in July 2025. Auburn recorded 46 new-construction sales and 68 existing-home sales, down from 56 and 80.
Marketing time split by home type too. According to the Lee County Association of REALTORS®, new construction in Opelika averaged 81 days on market in July 2026, up from 49, while existing homes there averaged 40 days, down from 52. In Auburn, new construction averaged 63 days, up from 55, and existing homes averaged 47 days, compared with 46.
According to our analysis of Lee County MLS closed-sale records, new construction made up 51.6% of Opelika's single-family sales in July 2026, compared with 39.3% in Auburn. My read: if you have your heart set on a brand-new build, Opelika's July sales leaned that way. If you'd rather have an established home, existing homes outnumbered new ones among Auburn's July sales.
Figures are closed and listing data for the AUBURN and OPELIKA report columns as of July 2026, compared with July 2025, from the Lee County Association of REALTORS® monthly housing statistics. Separately attributed MLS figures are our analysis of Lee County MLS closed-sale records for Auburn and Opelika for July 2026, compared with July 2025. Market conditions change and past figures are not a prediction.
What it costs to own beyond the price
Freddie Mac's PMMS reports national averages, not separate Auburn and Opelika rates. According to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30-year fixed rate averaged 7.28% for the week of October 1, 2026, up from 7.03% the week before and 6.34% a year earlier. The 15-year fixed averaged 6.60% that same week. Individual quotes depend on borrower, lender, loan, and property factors. Your monthly payment also depends on the purchase price, down payment, loan amount, interest rate, loan term, property taxes, homeowners insurance, and mortgage insurance if applicable. HOA charges and maintenance add to ownership costs. If you're leaving a lower rate behind to make this move, I wrote about what giving up a low mortgage rate really means.
Property taxes are worth checking parcel by parcel. The City of Opelika's property tax page lists an overall total of 54 mills for Opelika, which includes 26 mills for the city, 13.5 mills for Lee County, and 8 mills for the school district. For an Auburn address, ask the Lee County Revenue Commissioner for the millage on that exact parcel before you set your budget. For a wider look at everyday costs, see my cost of living comparison for Auburn, Atlanta, and Birmingham.
Nothing here is legal, tax, or lending advice. Rates shown are national weekly averages and are not a quote, an offer of credit, or a prediction. For terms on your own situation, talk to a licensed lender.
Schools: two separate city districts
Auburn and Opelika each run their own city school district. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the Auburn City district enrolled 9,488 students across 14 schools in 2024–2025. The Opelika City district enrolled 5,377 students across 10 schools that year, with 321.60 full-time-equivalent classroom teachers and a student/teacher ratio of 16.72.
Those numbers describe district size, not quality, and they won't tell you which school serves a given house. A city mailing address doesn't settle school assignment either. Before you make an offer, check the address against the district's own zoning map, either Auburn City Schools or Opelika City Schools, and call the district if anything looks borderline.
Commute and everyday life
Commute is the factor people underestimate. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey, workers living in Auburn averaged 19.9 minutes to get to work, and workers living in Opelika averaged 22.1 minutes. That's how current residents already commute, not a prediction of your drive. My advice: drive your actual route, at the hour you'd actually leave, before you fall in love with a house.
Scale is different too. Opelika had 32,820 residents in the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 five-year estimates, and Auburn had 83,761 in its 2024 one-year estimate. Because those come from different survey periods, read them as a sense of size rather than an exact comparison. Auburn is home to Auburn University, and in my experience the campus calendar shapes traffic and weekends there, especially on game days.
For outdoor time, Chewacla State Park sits on the Auburn side. According to Alabama State Parks, the park covers 696 acres with a 26-acre lake, 36 full-hookup campsites, and 10 primitive sites.
How I'd decide between Auburn and Opelika
This part is my opinion, built from the numbers above and from helping buyers in both cities.
- If budget comes first, start in Opelika. Its July 2026 median sold price was lower, and the per-square-foot figures show how much house that budget buys.
- If you want the widest selection, Auburn had more homes on the market in July 2026, and more of them than a year earlier.
- If you want a brand-new build, Opelika's July sales leaned toward new construction.
- If school district matters, pick the district first, then confirm each address on that district's zoning map.
- If your workday is fixed, test-drive the commute from both cities before you narrow the search.
If you're torn, tour homes in both cities at the same price before you commit. Seeing what the same budget buys side by side settles a lot of debates.
I'm Amy Cotney, a REALTOR® with Roots Real Estate - Investment Development in Auburn. I'm originally from Tallahassee, I studied broadcast journalism and public relations at Troy University, and I now call Auburn home. I help buyers compare homes, prices, and commutes in both cities, and you can learn more about me and how I work. If you're thinking about buying or selling, reach out. I'd love to help.
Sources
- Freddie Mac, Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of October 1, 2026: https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms
- City of Opelika, Property Taxes: https://www.opelika-al.gov/353/Property-Taxes
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 five-year and 2024 one-year estimates, Auburn city, Alabama (via Census Reporter): https://censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US0103076-auburn-al/
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 five-year estimates, Opelika city, Alabama (via Census Reporter): https://censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US0157048-opelika-al/
- National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, Auburn City district, 2024–2025: https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/district_list.asp?Search=1&details=1&InstName=Auburn+City&State=01
- National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, Opelika City district, 2024–2025: https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/district_detail.asp?Search=2&details=1&ID2=0102580&DistrictID=0102580
- Alabama State Parks, Chewacla State Park: https://www.alapark.com/parks/chewacla-state-park
- Lee County Association of REALTORS® monthly housing statistics July 2026
- Lee County Association of REALTORS® monthly housing statistics July 2025
- Analysis of Lee County MLS closed-sale records, July 2026
- Analysis of Lee County MLS closed-sale records, July 2025
