eMoving to Auburn, AL– Your EZ Homes Search Guide

Auburn is growing and welcoming all generations, making it a perfect choice for anyone looking to put down roots. Known for Auburn University and sports, there’s much more to this charming city. It’s among the best places to live in Alabama, according to Niche.com, and has one of the state’s best-performing school systems. Residents describe it as “pretty” with its historic buildings and large campus, but also as friendly, affordable, and packed with good restaurants.

Ready to make Auburn, Alabama, your new home? Keep reading to discover why Auburn is gaining more national attention. Gain insider knowledge on the local real estate market, plus a few bucket list attractions to check out once you settle in.

Where is Auburn?

Auburn is the county seat for Lee County in east central Alabama. The city is on I-85, which runs between Montgomery, AL, and Atlanta, Georgia. It’s about halfway between Montgomery and Columbus, GA. With its sister city Opelika, Auburn is the urban center for the surrounding towns.

Geographically, it’s at the junction of several zones, so you have some more rocky and rolling terrain in the northeast and flat plains in the South.

About Auburn, AL

Auburn’s history is a series of ups and downs, shaping the resilience of long-time residents and the town’s historic look and vibe.

The surrounding fertile lands were long the home of Native Americans before settlers from Georgia moved in following the Treaty of Cussetta. The sellers founded the town with the intent to create an educational and religious center. In this regard, it flourished throughout the 1840s and 1850s, with around half of its non-enslaved residents living there for the schools.

Auburn University launched in 1859 when it was chartered as the Methodist-based East Alabama Male College, taking the first step in the founder’s mission to form an educational center.

The town flourished before the Civil War, but the war and succeeding years brought on a deep depression that echoed across the state. Many religious centers, schools, and businesses shuttered as the town emptied. Fires destroyed parts of downtown in the 1860s and 1870s, which didn’t help the town’s fortunes.

But the college was also vital in turning around Auburn’s fortunes. The East Alabama Male College transferred to the state in early 1872, which renamed it the Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical College. Growth took off when it became the first University to admit women in the late 1890s. After the turn of the century, Auburn was back in business as an economic center in east-central Alabama.

Unfortunately, the Great Depression again reversed Auburn’s fortunes. Cotton also collapsed around the same time. During this low point, it wasn’t uncommon to see students and residents using a barter economy to support themselves.

World War II and the need for training grounds again brought wealth back into the Auburn area. The campus became a training ground for the technical division of the Armed Forces, and the post-World War II G.I. Bill encouraged education.

Auburn University was officially renamed to what it is today in the 1960s. Connections to Interstate 85 helped encourage its growth and kept the football games in town, which brought in even more tourism.

Recognizing how dependent the city had been on the University, in the 1980s, the town began pushing for diversification of its economy. It started bringing in manufacturing and industrial jobs. It also helps that the local public school system started consistently ranking among the state’s best, which made Auburn attractive to families.

This combination of educational excellence and diversifying the job market are reasons why Auburn has had explosive growth in recent decades. From 2000 to 2020, its population increased by 77% due to the influx of new persons and through annexing surrounding areas. Today around 78,000 people call Auburn home.

Expensive for Alabama but not overall

It may cost just a tad more than other cities in the state but don’t worry. It’s still below the national average! On the Sperling’s Best Places Index, Auburn scores 97.6 overall. The national average is set at 100, and Alabama’s score is 84.1.

What makes Auburn slightly more expensive? Well, residents shell out more for healthcare, utilities, and groceries, but on the bright side, housing is significantly cheaper than other cities nationwide. Just check out these top Auburn neighborhoods.

Plus, Auburn’s thriving economy, thanks in part to Auburn University and its diversification, means there is always a demand for goods and services.

Get ready to sweat

This is the deep South, so if you are not used to humidity, you will be surprised at how it makes temperatures feel different. Since Auburn is in central Alabama, it’s still close enough to the Gulf of Mexico to receive inland waves of warm wet air, leading to ferocious thunderstorms and a high tornado risk during the fall in spring seasons. It also means that when a tropical storm hits the coast, it usually stays together long enough to push some high winds and rains into Auburn.

The same moisture funneling in from the Gulf drops about 53 inches on average, although there is a dry season from the late summer to the early fall.

The trade-off for these hot, sticky summers is mild winters with an early spring. The average snowfall is just under an inch, so Auburn does have some cold snaps, but they won’t linger.

That college town feel

What does it mean to live in a college town? As you drive around the streets, you’ll notice that people tend to look younger. There is more nightlife, and stores tend to stay open longer. You’ll hear interesting discussions in coffee shops and around the grocery store.

College towns are also usually associated with being more open-minded. While Alabama is a politically and socially conservative state, you’ll feel Auburn is slightly more tolerant of different points of view.

These cities also feel seasonal, with increased traffic and wait times during the college semester.

Auburn has a lively atmosphere, especially during the academic year and on big football game days. School spirit and support are everywhere, as it’s hard to separate the town’s growth and culture from the school, given how important it’s been to its history. This is Alabama’s largest college and a top 100 college in the US.

Most notably, Auburn takes its football seriously. The Auburn Tigers have a passionate fan base, and attending a game at Jordan-Hare Stadium is an experience worth trying.

Enjoy the outdoors

Agriculture is essential to the greater Auburn area, but among the farm fields are beautiful natural areas primed for outdoor recreation.

If you can’t go far but want to take a break, walk around the Auburn University Davis Arboretum gardens and nature trails. Residents have around 16 parks in Auburn for playing sports, taking a stroll, cycling, or picnicking. One of these is the popular Kiesel Park, which locals like for its dog park area and playground.

Auburn has several notable golf courses, like the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National and the Indian Pines Golf Course.

To get further from Auburn, try Chewacla State Park, a scenic park with a lake, hiking trails, camping areas, and a beach. In the 26-acre lake are bream, bass, and catfish. Two creeks provide options for fly fishing. The Central Alabama Mountain Pedalers (CAMP) built mountain biking trails in the park with routes for beginners up to experts.

Lake Martin is a popular place to cool off on those muggy summer days. The lake covers 44,000 acres and has over 700 miles of shoreline, providing ample room for boating and fishing. Head to its beaches for swimming or to participate in water sports.

Supportive arts and culture community

College towns are usually pretty active in the arts, and Auburn is no exception. To see some fine works, visit the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, which focuses on American and European creations. It does have pieces by Georgia O’Keeffe, Dali, Renoir, and Picasso.

Auburn has its own orchestra, separate from the University’s orchestra, which also puts on concerts at indoor and outdoor venues. The Peet Theatre and Dempsey Community Arts Center host theater and dance performances.

Exceptional education in Alabama

Good news if you have little ones in your household. Auburn City School District ranks among the state’s best for public education.

With 14 campuses, Auburn City has a student-to-teacher ratio of 15:1. The ten elementary schools are divided into K-2 and 3-5, which feed into the middle and high schools. The middle school is for sixth graders, and the junior high is for grades 7-9. The high school focuses on grades 10-12 and offers a 1:1 iPad initiative program.

The district is proud to have achieved an “A” status in 2018; in 2022, it ranked third in the state on Niche.com.

Limited healthcare in Auburn

As the region’s population center and home to a thriving college, you have decent healthcare access in Auburn. The East Alabama Medical Center is next-door in Opelika and has general and surgical medical services.

Auburn University does have a medical program and runs a clinic accessible to its students. Services are overseen by the East Alabama Medical Center.

But regarding specialty medical access, you’ll have more choices about an hour away in Montgomery.

Getting around Auburn, AL

Interstate-85 makes heading into Montgomery convenient, but it’s on the south side of town. College St is a major north-south artery; as you guessed, it runs through campus. Samford and the Shug Jordan Parkways are two other major roads for traveling around the University.

Beyond that, the major roads are Bragg Avenue for heading east-west and US Hwy 280, which skirts northeast of Auburn.

Students can use the Tiger Transit system to get around campus and to some off-campus student housing complexes.

Congestion can be cyclical. Home game days? Expect back-ups and big delays thanks to road closures and some two-way roads turning into one-way roads. School just starting? Slowdowns are back.

Having a bike can make getting around a little easier, as Auburn is rather bike friendly, especially around the campus. But that isn’t pervasive; there are fewer bike lanes as you move outward into the suburbs.

Living in Auburn

Look, there’s no doubt Auburn is a college town. But as you settle in, you’ll discover the city’s unique charm and the opportunities it offers for a high quality of life. It’s a small city with a lot of energy, even if you’re not a student at Auburn University. The market’s affordability and growing job market make Auburn an appealing place to live.