Chapel Hill, NC

Census Place

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2024 Population

61,607

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Poverty Rate

18.6%

5.17% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$85,989

0.191% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$613,700

6.45% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

29,978

4.81% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Chapel Hill, NC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

91.8% of the residents in Chapel Hill, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Chapel Hill, NC are University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (10,490 degrees awarded in 2023) and Aveda Institute-Chapel Hill (177 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Chapel Hill, NC was $613,700, and the homeownership rate was 47.4%.

Most people in Chapel Hill, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 19.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Chapel Hill, NC was 2 cars per household.

United States North Carolina Durham County, NC Orange County, NC Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Durham County (South)--Durham City (South) PUMA, NC Orange County--Chapel Hill Town PUMA, NC

Population & Diversity

Chapel Hill, NC is home to a population of 61.6k people, from which 91.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 15.3% of Chapel Hill, NC residents were born outside of the country (9.41k people).

In 2024, there were 4.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (38.7k people) in Chapel Hill, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 8.23k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 6.94k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

91.8%

2024 Citizenship

91.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 91.8% of Chapel Hill, NC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Chapel Hill, NC was 91.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Chapel Hill, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Chapel Hill, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
38.7k ± 1.08k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
8.23k ± 508
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
6.94k ± 690

7.56%

Hispanic Population

4.66k people

7.56% of the people in Chapel Hill, NC are hispanic (4.66k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Chapel Hill, NC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
224,963 ± 11,520 people
India
83,219 ± 7,055 people
Honduras
48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

Foreign-Born Population

15.3%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

9.41k people

14.9%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

8.92k people

As of 2024, 15.3% of Chapel Hill, NC residents (9.41k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Chapel Hill, NC was 14.9%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Chapel Hill, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
489 ± 131
Gulf War (2001-)
378 ± 119
Gulf War (1990s)
254 ± 148

Chapel Hill, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.29 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Chapel Hill, NC.

Economy

The economy of Chapel Hill, NC employs 30k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Chapel Hill, NC were Educational Services (7,904 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (4,366 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (4,007 people), and the highest paying industries were Finance & Insurance ($115,466), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($113,750), and Wholesale Trade ($102,540).

Employment

Occupations

30k

2024 Value

± 1,420

4.81%

1 Year growth

± 6.34%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Chapel Hill, NC grew at a rate of 4.81%, from 28.6k employees to 30k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Chapel Hill, NC, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (4,390 people), Management Occupations (3,476 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (2,372 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Chapel Hill, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

30k

2024 Value

± 1,420

4.81%

1 Year growth

± 6.34%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Chapel Hill, NC grew at a rate of 4.81%, from 28.6k employees to 30k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Chapel Hill, NC, are Educational Services (7,904 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (4,366 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (4,007 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Chapel Hill, NC, though some of these residents may live in Chapel Hill, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,974

Median earning men ± $4,161

$38,564

Median earning women ± $4,956

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($123,000), Manufacturing ($92,417), and Information ($81,563).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($125,591), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($103,571), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($80,588).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina.

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in North Carolina.

Education

In 2023, universities in Chapel Hill, NC awarded 10,667 degrees. The student population of Chapel Hill, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 12,723 male students and 19,682 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Chapel Hill, NC are White (6,115 and 61.8%), Asian (1,187 and 12%), Hispanic or Latino (923 and 9.32%), and Black or African American (901 and 9.1%).

The largest universities in Chapel Hill, NC by number of degrees awarded are University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (10,490 and 98.3%) and Aveda Institute-Chapel Hill (177 and 1.66%).

The most popular majors in Chapel Hill, NC are Management Science (824 and 7.72%), General Biological Sciences (553 and 5.18%), and Behavioral Sciences (546 and 5.12%).

The median tuition cost in Chapel Hill, NC for a public four year colleges is $7,019 for in-state students and $37,360 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Chapel Hill, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 18.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 43.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 32,405 (39.3% men and 60.7% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 32,405 students enrolled in Chapel Hill, NC, 39.3% men and 60.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 17,610 records, of which 60.8% were women and 39.2% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Behavioral Sciences
503 degrees awarded
Computer Science
427 degrees awarded
General Biological Sciences
544 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Chapel Hill, NC was Behavioral Sciences with 503 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Chapel Hill, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
10,490 degrees awarded
Aveda Institute-Chapel Hill
177 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with 10,490 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 4,273 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Chapel Hill, NC, which is 0.668 times less than the 6,394 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 6,115 degrees mean that there were 5.15 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 1,187 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($7,019) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,970) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,290) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Chapel Hill, NC was $613,700 in 2024, which is 1.84 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $576,500 to $613,700, a 6.45% increase. The homeownership rate in Chapel Hill, NC is 47.4%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Chapel Hill, NC have an average commute time of 19.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Chapel Hill, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$613,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$21,263

$10,048

Median Property Taxes

±$603

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Chapel Hill, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Chapel Hill, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

47.4%

Homeownership

2024

66.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 47.4% of the housing units in Chapel Hill, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 48.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Chapel Hill, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$85,989

Median Household Income

± $5,527

21.2k

Number of Households

± 1,012

In 2024, the median household income of the 21.2k households in Chapel Hill, NC grew to $85,989 from the previous year's value of $85,825.

The following chart displays the households in Chapel Hill, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Chapel Hill, NC is from North Carolina.

0.467

2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (47.1%)
Worked At Home (28.1%)
Walked (8.02%)

In 2024, 47.1% of workers in Chapel Hill, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (28.1%) and those who walked to work (8.02%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

19.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Chapel Hill, NC have a shorter commute time (19.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.04% of the workforce in Chapel Hill, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Chapel Hill, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Chapel Hill, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Chapel Hill, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

18.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Chapel Hill, NC (9.41k out of 50.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Chapel Hill, NC is White, followed by Black and Asian.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

94.9% of the population of Chapel Hill, NC has health coverage, with 63.8% on employee plans, 5.67% on Medicaid, 9.06% on Medicare, 15.7% on non-group plans, and 0.677% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in North Carolina see 1,413 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,413 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1634 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 299 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47% were men and 53% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.5% under 18 years, 41.5% between 18 and 34 years, 26.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 12.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47% were men and 53% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.08%

Uninsured

63.8%

Employer Coverage

5.67%

Medicaid

9.06%

Medicare

15.7%

Non-Group

0.677%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Chapel Hill, NC grew by 1.59% from 5% to 5.08%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Chapel Hill, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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