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Chapel Hill, NC (27516)

Orange County · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC · Population 44,697

Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026

Chapel Hill, NC (ZIP 27516) sits in Orange County within the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area. The page draws on 2 federal data feeds retrieved Apr 27. Top health signal: Health Insurance comes in below the national average at 7.2%. NCES lists 14 schools serving the area, 14 non-charter. 10 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $8,994. IRS data shows average household income (AGI) of $143,796, well above the ~$45K national average per return. FEMA has issued 27 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1977 — a high-frequency exposure profile. New residents arriving here predominantly come from Durham County, NC (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Healthcare access and school options both run strong here, giving residents a wide menu of providers and enrollment choices nearby. Notable: median household income $94,354, fair market rent of $1,710 for a two-bedroom, and a typical home value of $604,896, down 1.7% over the past year. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.

Demographics

Population & age

Total population
44,697
Median age
36.1

Race & ethnicity

White
73.9%
Black
9.0%
Asian
8.4%
Hispanic / Latino
6.9%
Other / multi-racial
8.1%

Income & housing

Median household income
$94,354
Median home value
$468,600

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
65.1%

Employment

Unemployment rate
6.9%

Housing

Owner-occupied
11,921(71.3%)
Renter-occupied
4,799(28.7%)
Vacant units
1,425
Built (median)
1996

Commute

Public transit
807(3.9%)
Work from home
5,104(24.6%)
Avg commute
18.3 min

Economic wellbeing

Below poverty line
6,349(14.7%)
Uninsured
203(0.5%)

Digital access

Broadband access
15,769(94.3%)
No broadband
951(5.7%)

Language & nativity

Foreign-born
5,059(11.3%)
Non-English at home
6,059(14.1%)

Fair Market Rent

Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026

Studio

$1,420

/month

1 Bed

$1,510

/month

2 Bed

$1,710

/month

3 Bed

$2,120

/month

4 Bed

$2,530

/month

HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.

Home values

Typical home value

$604,896

Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) · as of March 2026

Year-over-year change

-1.7%

vs. March 2025

5-year change

+39.9%

vs. March 2021

Metro area

Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

Metropolitan statistical area

Source: Zillow Research, ZHVI All Homes (SFR, Condo/Co-op) Time Series (zillow.com/research/data). Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) is copyrighted by Zillow, Inc.

New housing construction

New housing units permitted

840

Across 799 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $415.1M.

Single-family

790

94% of total units

Multifamily (2+ unit)

50

6% of total units

Single-family value

$407.3M

construction value

Multifamily value

$7.8M

construction value

Aggregated from 2 counties touching this ZIP (2024).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (census.gov/construction/bps). Public domain. BPS reports annual residential building permits from local permit-issuing jurisdictions, aggregated to county. A permit reflects intent to build, not a completed unit — actual construction lags by 6-24 months for multifamily projects.

Income & tax statistics

Tax returns filed

19,170

Average AGI

$143,796

Avg property tax

$963

EITC participation

7.7%

Income distribution

  • $1 – $25,00023.1% · 4,430
  • $25,000 – $50,00015.4% · 2,950
  • $50,000 – $75,00010.6% · 2,040
  • $75,000 – $100,0008.0% · 1,540
  • $100,000 – $200,00021.7% · 4,160
  • $200,000 or more21.1% · 4,050

Avg mortgage interest

$1,436

Avg charitable contribution

$1,408

Avg capital gains

$9,836

Avg total income tax

—

Source: IRS Statistics of Income — Individual Income Tax Statistics by ZIP Code (irs.gov). Public domain. Dollar columns reported in thousands by the IRS; figures here display real dollars. Total ZCTA AGI for the area was $2756.6M across all reported brackets.

Business & employment

Business establishments

773

Total employment

5,241

Annual payroll

$251.1M

Average annual pay

$47,904

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Business Patterns (census.gov). Public domain. ZBP covers establishments with paid employees; Census suppresses employment and payroll values when fewer employers operate in a ZIP than would protect their confidentiality.

Employment & wages

Average annual pay

$79,229

Average weekly wage

$1,524

Total employment

78,431

Total establishments

5,494

That is roughly 21% above the US national average of $65,470 per worker.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (bls.gov/cew). Public domain. QCEW is derived from state unemployment-insurance filings and covers ~95% of US jobs. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches; small-employer cells are suppressed by BLS to protect employer confidentiality.

Unemployment

Unemployment rate

3.2%

That is 0.8 percentage points below the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.

Labor force

78,168

Employed

75,680

Unemployed

2,488

Based on Orange County, NC data (2024).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (bls.gov/lau). Public domain. LAUS publishes monthly and annual labor-force estimates for every US county. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches.

Banking access

FDIC-insured bank branches

3

Typical banking access

A standard suburban / mid-density branch count for this area.

Total deposits

$335.0M

across all branches in this ZIP

Distinct institutions

3

different banks operating here

Top banks by deposits in this ZIP

  • 1.Fifth Third Bank, National Association$164.4M · 1 branch
  • 2.JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association$138.0M · 1 branch
  • 3.First Horizon Bank$32.6M · 1 branch

Based on FDIC-insured branch offices as of June 30, 2024.

Source: FDIC Summary of Deposits (fdic.gov). Annual June-30 snapshot of every FDIC-insured branch and the deposits booked there. Figures cover all institutions reporting a branch address in this ZIP.

Alternative-fuel stations

Public EV charging stations

13

Strong EV charging coverage

A robust public-charging footprint, including multiple networks. EV ownership is straightforward even without a home charger.

Level 2 ports

37

AC charging — workplace, retail, home

DC Fast ports

0

Highway-class fast charging

Charging networks

  • ChargePoint Network
  • Non-Networked
  • Tesla
  • + 1 more network

Active public stations only. Snapshot taken 2026; AFDC's underlying registry refreshes continuously as stations open and close.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy via NREL (afdc.energy.gov). Per-ZIP counts of active public alternative-fuel stations (electric, hydrogen, propane, CNG, biodiesel, E85, LNG, renewable diesel) and EV charging-port totals.

Social Vulnerability Index

Overall SVI

33rd percentile

Moderate Vulnerability

Based on 18 census tracts, population 43,724

Vulnerability Themes

  • Socioeconomic Status38th percentile
  • Household Characteristics32nd percentile
  • Racial & Ethnic Minority Status43rd percentile
  • Housing Type & Transportation39th percentile

Households Without Vehicle

628

Limited English Speakers

596

Persons with Disability

3,613

Without HS Diploma

1,118

Without Health Insurance

1,953

Adults Age 65+

6,642

The Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to identify communities most at risk during public health emergencies and natural disasters. Higher percentiles indicate greater vulnerability. Tract-level scores are aggregated to this ZCTA via Census 2020 ZCTA→Tract crosswalk, weighted by land-area share. Source: atsdr.cdc.gov. Public domain.

Federal Disaster Declarations

Federally Declared Disasters

27

Date Range

1977–2026

Most Recent Declaration

SEVERE WINTER STORM

Winter Storm — declared January 24, 2026 (DR-3637)

Incident period: January 21, 2026 – January 27, 2026

Top Incident Types

  • Hurricane13 (48%)
  • Severe Ice Storm3 (11%)
  • Snowstorm3 (11%)
  • Tropical Storm2 (7%)
  • Biological2 (7%)
  • Other4 (15%)

Individual Assistance

2

Direct help to disaster survivors

Households Program

3

Housing & temporary lodging support

Public Assistance

27

Repair of public facilities & roads

Hazard Mitigation

9

Funding to reduce future disaster risk

FEMA declares disasters at the county level; counts here include every federally declared disaster touching any county that overlaps this ZIP. Statewide declarations and pre-1964 records without county granularity are excluded. Program flags reflect which FEMA assistance categories were activated (Individual Assistance, Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation). Source: fema.gov/openfema. Public domain.

Community health profile

Years of potential life lost (per 100K)

5,802

That is roughly 2,398 years per 100,000 below the national county median (~8,200).

Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.

Fair or poor health

12%

of adults self-report

Poor physical health days

3.3

avg per adult per month

Poor mental health days

4.7

avg per adult per month

Uninsured

8.1%

of residents under 65

Primary care MDs

182

per 100,000 residents

Preventable hospital stays

1,330

per 100K Medicare enrollees

Food environment (0-10)

8.6

10 = best access & security

Exercise access

83%

residents near a facility

Flu vaccinated

64%

of Medicare enrollees

Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 8.3% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.

Based on Orange data (2025 CHR release).

Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (countyhealthrankings.org). Annual release. Underlying source datasets vary by measure (CDC BRFSS, NCHS Vital Statistics, AHA, USDA Food Environment Atlas, and others). Figures are county-level and assigned to every ZIP whose primary county matches.

Food access

Food access status

Good food access — most residents near a store

8.7% of Orange County, NC residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.

Grocery stores

0.17

per 1,000 residents

Supercenters & clubs

—

per 1,000 residents

SNAP-authorized stores

0.58

accepting food benefits

Fast-food restaurants

0.65

per 1,000 residents

Among low-income residents, 2.2% are low-access — those without a supermarket within 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural).

Per-1,000 figures show how many of each store type exist in Orange County, NC for every 1,000 residents. Higher grocery and supercenter density usually means easier access to fresh food; higher convenience-store-only density (with low grocery rate) often signals a food swamp.

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Environment Atlas (ers.usda.gov). County-level metrics fanned to ZIP via the primary county in the Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Variable years differ per family (stores ~2020, low-access ~2019).

Who’s moving in and out

Net migration (2022-2023)

▼−783 people

−636 households • −$25.0M net AGI flow

Moved in

7,666households

11,951 people • $706.7M AGI

Moved out

8,302households

12,734 people • $731.6M AGI

Where new residents came from

  1. Durham County, NC — 1,135 households
  2. Wake County, NC — 583 households
  3. Alamance County, NC — 395 households
  4. Chatham County, NC — 179 households
  5. Mecklenburg County, NC — 130 households

Where departing residents went

  1. Durham County, NC — 1,356 households
  2. Wake County, NC — 758 households
  3. Alamance County, NC — 607 households
  4. Chatham County, NC — 313 households
  5. Mecklenburg County, NC — 174 households

Incoming households reported an average AGI of $92,182 versus departing households' $88,128.

Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Migration Data (irs.gov). Public domain. Migration is measured by year-over-year changes in the address on individual tax returns; figures are county-level totals attributed to ZIPs whose primary county matches. Foreign migration contributes to inflow/outflow totals but does not appear in the top-county lists. Small flows are suppressed by IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality.

Data sources used on this page

SourcesFresh.CDC PLACES · Apr 24, 2026Fresh.NCES CCD via Urban Institute EDP · Apr 27, 2026Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026

Health profile

Crude prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES, derived from BRFSS small-area modeling. Population-level figures only.

Schools in this ZIP

14 schools serve this ZIP, including 14 non-charter.

Top 5 schools by enrollment
SchoolTypeGradesEnrollment
Chapel Hill HighPublic9–121,526
Margaret B. Pollard MiddlePublic6–8770
McDougle MiddlePublic6–8746
Culbreth MiddlePublic6–8745
Smith MiddlePublic6–8736

Showing top 5 by enrollment. 9 more schools serve this ZIP.

Schools listed from NCES Common Core of Data via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal.

Fresh.NCES CCD via Urban Institute EDP · Apr 27, 2026

Colleges & universities nearby

Colleges in this area

10

Median in-state tuition

$8,994

Median earnings (10 yr)

$34,561

  • 4-Year
    In-state tuition
    $8,994
    Out-of-state tuition
    $41,203
    Acceptance rate
    15.3%
    Graduation rate
    91.6%
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    $72,200
    Median student debt
    $14,000

  • Johnston Community College

    Smithfield, NC · 27577

    2-Year
    In-state tuition
    $2,756
    Out-of-state tuition
    $8,900
    Acceptance rate
    —
    Graduation rate
    32.1%
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    $37,310
    Median student debt
    —

  • Wayne Community College

    Goldsboro, NC · 27534

    2-Year
    In-state tuition
    $2,566
    Out-of-state tuition
    $8,710
    Acceptance rate
    —
    Graduation rate
    53.0%
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    $34,148
    Median student debt
    $6,500

  • Campbell University

    Buies Creek, NC · 27506

    4-Year
    In-state tuition
    $41,600
    Out-of-state tuition
    $41,600
    Acceptance rate
    87.2%
    Graduation rate
    58.5%
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    $54,886
    Median student debt
    $22,500

  • Vance-Granville Community College

    Henderson, NC · 27537

    2-Year
    In-state tuition
    $1,944
    Out-of-state tuition
    $6,552
    Acceptance rate
    —
    Graduation rate
    50.0%
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    $34,304
    Median student debt
    —
  • 4-Year
    In-state tuition
    $11,318
    Out-of-state tuition
    $11,318
    Acceptance rate
    74.6%
    Graduation rate
    53.7%
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    —
    Median student debt
    —

  • Piedmont Community College

    Roxboro, NC · 27573

    2-Year
    In-state tuition
    $2,556
    Out-of-state tuition
    $8,700
    Acceptance rate
    —
    Graduation rate
    38.6%
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    $33,274
    Median student debt
    —

  • Louisburg College

    Louisburg, NC · 27549

    2-Year
    In-state tuition
    $24,120
    Out-of-state tuition
    $24,120
    Acceptance rate
    55.8%
    Graduation rate
    29.3%
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    $34,818
    Median student debt
    $12,000

  • Aveda Institute-Chapel Hill

    Chapel Hill, NC · 27514

    Certificate
    In-state tuition
    —
    Out-of-state tuition
    —
    Acceptance rate
    —
    Graduation rate
    78.4%
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    $26,873
    Median student debt
    $6,333
  • In-state tuition
    $11,739
    Out-of-state tuition
    $11,739
    Acceptance rate
    —
    Graduation rate
    50.0%
    Median earnings (10 yr)
    —
    Median student debt
    —

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov). Public domain data. Earnings figures reflect median earnings 10 years after entry for federally-aided students.

What these numbers say together

Chapel Hill, NC (ZIP 27516) sits in Orange County within the Durham-Chapel Hill metro area. The page draws on 2 federal data feeds retrieved Apr 27. Top health signal: Health Insurance comes in below the national average at 7.2%. NCES lists 14 schools serving the area, 14 non-charter. 10 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $8,994. IRS data shows average household income (AGI) of $143,796, well above the ~$45K national average per return. FEMA has issued 27 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1977 — a high-frequency exposure profile. New residents arriving here predominantly come from Durham County, NC (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Healthcare access and school options both run strong here, giving residents a wide menu of providers and enrollment choices nearby. Notable: median household income $94,354, fair market rent of $1,710 for a two-bedroom, and a typical home value of $604,896, down 1.7% over the past year. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.

These two readings tell a consistent story. Strong access numbers usually correlate with denser provider networks, and a high school count signals the population base that supports them. Reading them together: a household weighing this ZIP for a multi-year stay can expect both healthcare and education infrastructure to keep pace.

One concrete reading worth keeping: Depression prevalence sits higher the national rate at 24.9%. Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.

Frequently Asked Questions — ZIP 27516

What is the obesity rate in ZIP 27516?

27.8%, which is 5.2 percentage points below the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).

What is the depression rate in ZIP 27516?

24.9%, which is 2.9 percentage points above the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).

What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 27516?

28.9%, which is 3.1 percentage points below the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).

How many schools are in ZIP 27516?

14 schools serve this ZIP, including 14 public schools (NCES CCD, retrieved Apr 27, 2026). No charter schools are listed in this ZIP by NCES CCD.

Does ZIP 27516 have charter schools?

No charter schools are listed in ZIP 27516 by NCES CCD (retrieved Apr 27, 2026).

Are there high schools in ZIP 27516?

Yes, 3 high schools serve this ZIP: Chapel Hill High, Woods Charter, Phoenix Academy High. (NCES CCD, retrieved Apr 27, 2026).

What is the population of ZIP 27516?

44,697 people live in ZIP 27516, with a median age of 36.1 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).

What is the median household income in ZIP 27516?

$94,354 per year (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).

Is ZIP 27516 mostly renters or homeowners?

In ZIP 27516, 71.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 28.7% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).

How do people commute in ZIP 27516?

In ZIP 27516, 24.6% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 3.9% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).

What is the poverty rate in ZIP 27516?

14.7% of the population in ZIP 27516 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).

What percentage of households in ZIP 27516 have broadband internet?

94.3% of households in ZIP 27516 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).

What is the typical home value in ZIP 27516?

The typical home value in ZIP 27516 is $604,896, down 1.7% from a year ago (Zillow Home Value Index, retrieved May 1, 2026).

Are home values rising or falling in ZIP 27516?

Home values are down 1.7% over the past year and up 39.9% over the past five years (Zillow Home Value Index, retrieved May 1, 2026).

What is the average household income in ZIP 27516?

The average Adjusted Gross Income reported on tax returns from ZIP 27516 (Chapel Hill, NC) is $143,796 per return (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).

How much do homeowners pay in property tax in ZIP 27516?

Tax returns from ZIP 27516 report an average of $963 per return in real-estate tax deductions (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).

What percentage of residents in ZIP 27516 earn over $200,000?

21.1% of tax returns from ZIP 27516 (Chapel Hill, NC) report Adjusted Gross Income of $200,000 or more (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).

How many businesses are in ZIP 27516?

As of 2022, 773 business establishments operated in ZIP 27516 employing 5,241 workers (Census ZIP Business Patterns, retrieved May 3, 2026).

What is the average salary in ZIP 27516?

The average annual pay across all local establishments in ZIP 27516 is $47,904, based on Census ZIP Business Patterns 2022 data (retrieved May 3, 2026).

How vulnerable is ZIP 27516 to disasters and public health emergencies?

According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 27516 ranks in the 33th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a moderate vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).

What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 27516?

Racial & Ethnic Minority Status is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 27516, ranking in the 43th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).

How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 27516 experienced?

FEMA has recorded 27 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 27516 between 1977–2026 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).

What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 27516?

Hurricane is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 27516, accounting for 13 of 27 declarations (48%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).

What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 27516?

The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 27516 was "SEVERE WINTER STORM" — a winter storm declared in 2026 (DR-3637) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).

What colleges are near ZIP 27516?

10 colleges and universities are listed near ZIP 27516 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Johnston Community College, and Wayne Community College (retrieved May 2, 2026).

What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 27516?

Median in-state tuition across 10 nearby institutions is $8,994 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).

What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 27516?

Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $34,561 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).

What data is available for ZIP 27516?

This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (40 metrics), school information from NCES CCD (14 schools), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), home values from the Zillow Home Value Index, colleges from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (10 institutions), income & tax statistics from the IRS SOI (Tax Year 2022), local business & employment from Census ZIP Business Patterns (2022), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), and federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (27 on record). Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.

How current is this data?

Health data retrieved Apr 24, 2026 from CDC PLACES. School data retrieved Apr 27, 2026 from NCES CCD. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). Home values retrieved May 1, 2026 from Zillow Research. College data retrieved May 2, 2026 from U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard. Income & tax statistics retrieved May 2, 2026 from IRS SOI (Tax Year 2022). Business & employment retrieved May 3, 2026 from Census ZBP (2022). Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (27 on record).

More Info topics

Nearby ZIPs: more ZIP code profiles launching Q3 2026.

Have a specific question about ZIP 27516?

Ask Mubboo — launching Q4 2026.

By Mubboo Editorial Team

Last reviewed Apr 24, 2026

Data sources

This page observes HIPAA and FERPA by surfacing only aggregate, de-identified federal datasets. Individual records are never displayed.

Mubboo may earn commissions from partner links. This does not affect our editorial independence.

Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 24, 2026.