Orange County, NC

County

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2024 Population

149,678

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

36.1

0.276% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

12.5%

0.391% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$90,089

1.73% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$459,500

7.23% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

74,684

1.93% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Orange 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.

93.3% of the residents in Orange County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Orange County, 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 Orange County, NC was $459,500, and the homeownership rate was 63.8%.

Most people in Orange County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Orange County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Orange County, NC borders Alamance County, NC, Caswell County, NC, Chatham County, NC, Durham County, NC, and Person County, NC.

United States North Carolina Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

Population & Diversity

Orange County, NC is home to a population of 150k people, from which 93.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 12.9% of Orange County, NC residents were born outside of the country (19.3k people).

In 2024, there were 6.55 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (99.1k people) in Orange County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 15.1k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 11.7k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

93.3%

2024 Citizenship

93.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 93.3% of Orange County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Orange County, NC was 93.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Orange County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
99.1k ± 397
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
15.1k ± 561
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
11.7k ± 315

10.6%

Hispanic Population

15.9k people

10.6% of the people in Orange County, NC are hispanic (15.9k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Orange 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

12.9%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

19.3k people

12.6%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

18.5k people

As of 2024, 12.9% of Orange County, NC residents (19.3k 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 Orange County, NC was 12.6%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,124 ± 276
Gulf War (2001-)
1,296 ± 234
Gulf War (1990s)
1,006 ± 241

Orange County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.64 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Orange County, NC.

Economy

The economy of Orange County, NC employs 74.7k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Orange County, NC were Educational Services (16,417 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (11,290 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (9,444 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($166,250), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($107,750), and Utilities ($85,061).

Employment

Occupations

74.7k

2024 Value

± 2,153

1.93%

1 Year growth

± 3.99%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Orange County, NC grew at a rate of 1.93%, from 73.3k employees to 74.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Orange County, NC, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (9,542 people), Management Occupations (8,954 people), and Health Diagnosing & Treating Practitioners & Other Technical Occupations (6,179 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Orange 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

74.7k

2024 Value

± 2,153

1.93%

1 Year growth

± 3.99%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Orange County, NC grew at a rate of 1.93%, from 73.3k employees to 74.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Orange County, NC, are Educational Services (16,417 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (11,290 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (9,444 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Orange County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Orange County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$54,751

Median earning men ± $4,231

$44,616

Median earning women ± $2,106

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($115,601), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($94,167), and Manufacturing ($86,452).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($110,347), Wholesale Trade ($92,647), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($73,000).

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

479
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
240
Construction
238
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

$1.22M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$253k
Manufacturing
$214k
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

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

Education

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

Most students graduating from Universities in Orange County, 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 Orange County, 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 Orange County, 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 Orange County, 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 Orange County, 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 Orange County, 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 Orange County, NC was Behavioral Sciences with 503 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Orange County, 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 Orange County, 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 Orange County, NC was $459,500 in 2024, which is 1.38 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $428,500 to $459,500, a 7.23% increase. The homeownership rate in Orange County, NC is 63.8%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Orange County, NC have an average commute time of 23.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Orange County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 17.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Orange County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.33%.

Housing

Property

$459,500

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,735

$36,606

Median Property Taxes

±$1,253

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

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

Rent vs Own

63.8%

Homeownership

2024

67.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 63.8% of the housing units in Orange County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 64.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Orange County, 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.

$90,089

Median Household Income

± $2,394

57.3k

Number of Households

± 1,710

In 2024, the median household income of the 57.3k households in Orange County, NC grew to $90,089 from the previous year's value of $88,553.

The following chart displays the households in Orange 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 Orange 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 2024

Drove Alone (55.3%)
Worked At Home (26.8%)
Carpooled (6.18%)

In 2024, 55.3% of workers in Orange County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (26.8%) and those who carpooled to work (6.18%).

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

23.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Orange County, NC have a shorter commute time (23.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.37% of the workforce in Orange County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Orange 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 Orange County, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Orange County, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 17.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Orange County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.33%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

12.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Orange County, NC (17.2k out of 138k 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 Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Orange 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 2025, 8.2% of the children was living in poverty in Orange County, NC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 7.1%.

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 160 in Orange County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 20.8 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

93.5% of the population of Orange County, NC has health coverage, with 58% on employee plans, 7.44% on Medicaid, 12% on Medicare, 15.2% on non-group plans, and 0.931% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Orange County, NC see 549 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (549 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 429 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 121 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.8% were men and 52.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

549 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Orange County, NC

Primary care physicians in Orange County, NC see an average of 549 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (549 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.5% under 18 years, 27.3% between 18 and 34 years, 35.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 15.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.8% were men and 52.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.54%

Uninsured

58%

Employer Coverage

7.44%

Medicaid

12%

Medicare

15.2%

Non-Group

0.931%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Orange County, NC declined by 0.961% from 6.6% to 6.54%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 49.6 in Orange County, NC.

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

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, 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 26.3% in Orange County, NC.

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