Chatham County, NC

County

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2023 Population

78,319

2.04% 1-year growth

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

47.6

0% 1-year change

2023 Poverty Rate

10.5%

0.874% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$88,534

5.12% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$397,800

6.56% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

36,335

2.47% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Chatham County, NC had a population of 78.3k people with a median age of 47.6 and a median household income of $88,534. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Chatham County, NC grew from 76,754 to 78,319, a 2.04% increase and its median household income grew from $84,222 to $88,534, a 5.12% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Chatham County, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (69.8%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (10.3%), Other (Hispanic) (6.84%), Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) (3.54%), and Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (2.88%).

None of the households in Chatham County, 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.

93% of the residents in Chatham County, NC are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Chatham County, NC was $397,800, and the homeownership rate was 80.4%.

Most people in Chatham County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Chatham County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Chatham County, NC borders Alamance County, NC, Durham County, NC, Harnett County, NC, Lee County, NC, Moore County, NC, Orange County, NC, Randolph County, NC, and Wake County, NC.

United States North Carolina Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

Population & Diversity

Chatham County, NC is home to a population of 78.3k people, from which 93% are citizens. As of 2023, 10.6% of Chatham County, NC residents were born outside of the country (8.32k people).

In 2023, there were 6.78 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (54.7k people) in Chatham County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 8.06k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 5.36k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

93%

2023 Citizenship

93.7%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 93% of Chatham County, NC residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Chatham County, NC was 93.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Chatham County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
54.7k ± 478
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
8.06k ± 398
Other (Hispanic)
5.36k ± 935

13.4%

Hispanic Population

10.5k people

13.4% of the people in Chatham County, NC are hispanic (10.5k people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County 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

10.6%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

8.32k people

9.87%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

7.58k people

As of 2023, 10.6% of Chatham County, NC residents (8.32k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Chatham County, NC was 9.87%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,635 ± 245
Gulf War (1990s)
826 ± 243
Gulf War (2001-)
627 ± 243

Chatham County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.98 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Chatham County, NC employs 36.3k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Chatham County, NC were Health Care & Social Assistance (5,257 people), Manufacturing (4,567 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (4,500 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($156,042), Information ($138,077), and Finance & Insurance ($107,955).

Employment

Occupations

36.3k

2023 Value

± 1,692

2.47%

1 Year growth

± 6.4%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Chatham County, NC grew at a rate of 2.47%, from 35.5k employees to 36.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Chatham County, NC, are Management Occupations (5,499 people), Sales & Related Occupations (3,188 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,824 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Chatham County, 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

36.3k

2023 Value

± 1,692

2.47%

1 Year growth

± 6.4%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Chatham County, NC grew at a rate of 2.47%, from 35.5k employees to 36.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Chatham County, NC, are Health Care & Social Assistance (5,257 people), Manufacturing (4,567 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (4,500 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Chatham County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Chatham County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$58,687

Median earning men ± $3,629

$43,432

Median earning women ± $3,547

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($127,479), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($106,115), and Wholesale Trade ($96,193).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Information ($143,177), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($83,347), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($62,875).

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.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

166
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
151
Construction
128
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$150k
Manufacturing
$118k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$73.4k
Construction

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2023, 0.995% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.855% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (2.18M), Some college (1.81M), and Bachelors Degree (1.69M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Chatham County, NC was $397,800 in 2023, which is 1.31 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $373,300 to $397,800, a 6.56% increase. The homeownership rate in Chatham County, NC is 80.4%, which is higher than the national average of 65%.

People in Chatham County, NC have an average commute time of 27.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Chatham County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Chatham County, NC is $88,534. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Chatham County, NC was Census Tract 201.03, Chatham County, NC with a value of $144,392, followed by Census Tract 201.05, Chatham County, NC and Census Tract 201.04, Chatham County, NC, with respective values of $143,393 and $125,954.

In 2024, 14.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Chatham County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 1.22%.

Housing

Property

$397,800

Median Property Value 2023

±$19,652

$25,936

Median Property Taxes

±$1,242

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 Chatham County, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

80.4%

Homeownership

2023

68.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 80.4% of the housing units in Chatham County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 79.8%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 201.03, Chatham County, NC
Census Tract 201.05, Chatham County, NC
Census Tract 201.04, Chatham County, NC

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Chatham County, NC was Census Tract 201.03, Chatham County, NC with a value of $144,392, followed by Census Tract 201.05, Chatham County, NC and Census Tract 201.04, Chatham County, NC, with respective values of $143,393 and $125,954.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Chatham County, NC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$88,534

Median Household Income

± $5,894

32.3k

Number of Households

± 1,523

In 2023, the median household income of the 32.3k households in Chatham County, NC grew to $88,534 from the previous year's value of $84,222.

The following chart displays the households in Chatham County, 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 Chatham County, 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 2023

Drove Alone (71.2%)
Worked At Home (20.1%)
Carpooled (5.41%)

In 2023, 71.2% of workers in Chatham County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (20.1%) and those who carpooled to work (5.41%).

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

27.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Chatham County, NC have a longer commute time (27.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 0.932% of the workforce in Chatham County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2024, 14.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Chatham County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 1.22%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

10.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Chatham County, NC (8.11k out of 77.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Chatham County, NC is White, followed by Hispanic and Black.

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.

Children in Poverty

In 2024, 11% of the children was living in poverty in Chatham County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 9.3%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children 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.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 165 in Chatham County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 13.3 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

91.4% of the population of Chatham County, NC has health coverage, with 45.7% on employee plans, 10.5% on Medicaid, 19.5% on Medicare, 14.8% on non-group plans, and 1.01% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Chatham County, NC see 1,067 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,067 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1997 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 592 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,067 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Chatham County, NC

Primary care physicians in Chatham County, NC see an average of 1,067 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,067 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Chatham County, NC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.3% under 18 years, 14.3% between 18 and 34 years, 39.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 24.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.4% were men and 51.6% were women.

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

Uninsured People

8.56%

Uninsured

45.7%

Employer Coverage

10.5%

Medicaid

19.5%

Medicare

14.8%

Non-Group

1.01%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Chatham County, NC declined by 2.99% from 8.82% to 8.56%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2024, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 58.4 in Chatham County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Chatham County, NC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2024, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 32.7% in Chatham County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Chatham County, NC.