Population
Opelika
31,944
Dalton
34,402
Median Income
Opelika
$58,763
Dalton
$61,236
Home Value
Opelika
$213,700
Dalton
$203,100
Rent
Opelika
$947
Dalton
$924
Crime Rate
Opelika
5.60
Dalton
2.43
Cost of Living
Opelika
95.7
Dalton
97.1
Avg Temp
Opelika
N/A
Dalton
N/A
Unemployment
Opelika
5.1%
Dalton
4.3%
How Similar Are Opelika & Dalton?
Dalton is Opelika's #15 most similar city
5 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Opelika
31,944
Dalton
34,402
Both cities have similar populations — Opelika at 31,944 and Dalton at 34,402.
Violent Crime
Opelika
5.60
Dalton
2.43
Opelika's violent crime is significantly higher than Dalton's — 57% difference.
Property Crime
Opelika
26.24
Dalton
19.02
Opelika has a 28% higher property crime than Dalton.
Political Leaning
Opelika
63.3%
Dalton
72.0%
Both cities lean Republican, but Dalton has a stronger Republican lean (12% difference).
Unemployment
Opelika
5.1%
Dalton
4.3%
Opelika has a 15% higher unemployment than Dalton.
Median Income
Opelika
$58,763
Dalton
$61,236
Both cities have similar median income — just a 4% difference.
Home Values
Opelika
$213,700
Dalton
$203,100
Both cities have similar home values — just a 5% difference.
Education
Opelika
24.0%
Dalton
14.9%
Opelika has a 38% higher education than Dalton.
Demographics
Opelika
55.4%
Dalton
55.8%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 1% difference.
Cost of Living
Opelika
95.7
Dalton
97.1
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 1% difference.
5 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Opelika and Dalton share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Opelika
0
Dalton
Opelika leads in 4 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Opelika leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDDalton has a fair market rent (1br) of $899 vs $1,077 in Opelika (20% lower). Dalton has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,121 vs $1,181 in Opelika (5% lower). Opelika scores 89.7 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 93.6 in Dalton.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Opelika leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSOpelika has a median property tax of $1,093 vs $1,533 in Dalton (29% lower). Opelika has a owner-occupied of 68.8% compared to 53.7% in Dalton. Opelika has a single-family homes of 70.3% compared to 59.4% in Dalton.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Dalton leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSOpelika has a work from home of 5.9% compared to 3.9% in Dalton. Dalton has a unemployment rate of 4.3% compared to 5.1% in Opelika. Dalton has a government sector of 49.8% compared to 41.4% in Opelika.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — Dalton leads
Source: FBI UCRDalton has a assault rate (per 1k) of 1.59 compared to 4.47 in Opelika. Dalton has a violent crime rate (per 1k) of 2.43 compared to 5.60 in Opelika. Dalton has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.32 compared to 0.55 in Opelika.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Opelika leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauOpelika has a bachelor's degree or higher of 24.0% compared to 14.9% in Dalton. Opelika has a high school diploma or higher of 41.5% compared to 30.7% in Dalton.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSDalton has a population of 34,402, about 1.1x the size of Opelika (31,944). Dalton skews younger with a median age of 33.6 vs 40.2.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Opelika
Dalton
Healthcare
Source: CMS Hospital CompareOpelika: 5 vs Dalton: 2 for with emergency services. Dalton: 3.0 vs Opelika: 2.0 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Opelika leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSOpelika has a public transit of 1.4% compared to 0.0% in Dalton. Opelika has a work from home of 5.9% compared to 3.9% in Dalton. Opelika has a drive alone of 82.4% compared to 78.3% in Dalton.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Opelika, AL
Compare Opelika against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.