Actually, those figures are a bit deceiving because they do not include Northportwhich is really just West Tuscaloosa (separated by the river), and it has 25k residents. According the the Census Bureau the 2013 population estimate is 58,582 for Auburn and 95,334 for Tuscaloosa and 24,497 for Northport. That’s 120k residents in a 3 mile radius versus ~59k. So, really, about twice the size.
Then add Opelika to Auburn as they meld into one medium size town? The point is?
Yep Tuscaloosa is a bigger city with all the good and bad that goes with that.
Northport and T’town really are the same town and are next to each other. Opelika is not next to Auburn. That was my point and was why I didn’t include them. Size matters when it comes to choices and having more things to do.
I would also argue that being bigger almost always means that a location has more choices and therefore more “good that goes with that”, but that being bigger does not always mean a place has more “bad that goes with that”. Crime of course is going to be the biggest concern and that is much more dependent on social programs, the economy, etc than just size.
In this case, though, when you combine Northport and T’town you do get slightly higher crime rates versus those in Auburn.
Way more crime in Tuscaloosa proper than Auburn proper and other than increased number of bars (drinking establishments) I don’t believe you have much more to do in Tuscaloosa.
Auburn and Opelika ;roughly 85k+ pop total) share city limits - how do you get any closer?
Regardless of that aspect I was simply pointing out Auburn is not at all in the middle of no where with a variety of entertainment options with shopping malls and restaurants and the towns are low crime with higher education and nice housing communities.
From downtown Auburn to downtown Opelika is almost exactly 7 miles. Requires turning one corner and you will never feel as though you have left town. As @threeofthree says, they also border on one another. Pretty darn close.
I attend Auburn, and frequently went to dinner in Opelika.
I doubt anyone walks to Opelika. Being able to walk somewhere is darn close. 7 miles might as well be 70 miles for many students. I’ve never been to Auburn and think it’s a great school. I just know that one of my son’s best friends just transferred from there and says it is in the middle of nowhere.
I went to Penn State, and PSU and State College are roughly the same size as Auburn. We had a few little towns about 7 miles away, and while I ate in a couple of their restaurants once I got a car as a senior, the town of State College is in the middle of nowhere.
I have nothing against Auburn, and don’t care one way or the other about Tuscaloosa. I was simply pointing out that for students that don’t want to travel (or don’t have the means) that there is nearly twice the population within walking distance of UA vs AU. Does that equal more to do and more choices? I don’t know. My guess would be yes, but, as my kids say, IDK.
I wouldn’t worry about crime rates. Not only does Alabama have its own good-sized police force (which Auburn doesn’t have at ALL), the Tuscaloosa police are also very present in the area.
Last thing I heard, about 70% of students at Auburn have cars. Obviously, those who don’t will have plenty of friends who do. Getting to Opelika from Auburn is not a burden. I didn’t have a car at all at Auburn, but never had any problem getting to Opelika when I wished to.
Not that anybody wants to escape the “loveliest village on the plains.” After all, Auburn is nicer than Opelika.
Ignoring the entire location discussion 
I would focus on meeting with the different depts and determining how you see yourself fitting in the different ones. After a dept meeting at Auburn, our son left saying, “no way.” I concurred. he wouldn’t have known without the meeting.
I met a mom from California at Bama Bound last summer who had twins, one entering Bama, the other Auburn. There are so many times I wish I had asked her for her contact info so I could get her take on the differences between the two schools, both of which in my opinion are FANTASTIC.
OP, if you can afford either school without a lot of strain, go with the one you love. It sounds like you prefer Auburn.
^^
There are two different posters on this thread asking for comparisons. The OP seems equally split, but said finances are a concern.
He is perhaps uninformed about Auburn’s much lesser scholarships because at the time he posted, he thought that his costs would be about the same. They won’t be because for his ACT 29, he’ll only get $6k towards a higher OOS tuition cost.
However, by now, he probably has received his merit offer from AU, and since that would only reduce his tuition to about $21k (and his merit would NOT increase as tuition rises, he and his family may have realized that a half tuition award (which WILL increase in value as tuition increases) will give him a tuition bill of about $12,500.
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Auburn has offered about 60% OOS tuition,
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The other poster wrote the above which isn’t really accurate. The award isn’t a percentage…it is a set amount…about $15k merit award per year, which will NOT go up as tuition rises…so the “60%” is based on the current school year’s OOS rate…and will become 50% or worse soon enough. If the student does get the instate rate junior year because of ACM, his merit will go away…and they will suddenly be paying the total instate COA…roughly $30k per year. (of course, if he changes his major or E discipline to something that LA has, then no ACM would be available.)
Contrast that to the Bama offer of free tuition (no matter how high it goes) and $2500 per year, the remaining costs would be about $13k per year.
Unless there is something the student just loves about AU, spending that much more money wouldn’t be wise because it wouldn’t net anymore $ in the job market. Employers do NOT pay an AU grad more than a UA grad.