Housing Value★★★★★★★★★★2.4 / 5Home values compared with local household income.
Living in Chapel Hill, NC
Explore Chapel Hill and see how it fits the life you want to build.
Overall Match7.2 / 10
Baseline match from currently available location scores. Choose priorities to personalize it.
Chapel Hill at a Glance
Key facts and current data
Population61,607
Median Household Income$85,989
Median Home Value$613,700
Median Gross Rent$1,613
Median Age25.8
Average Household Size2.4
Unemployment4.5%
Work From Home28.1%
Homeownership47.4%
Housing Vacancy10.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year.
Chapel Hill is a mid-sized community where local neighborhoods, nearby job centers and regional access can matter as much as citywide averages. Housing costs are high relative to local household income, making affordability one of the more important factors to examine before relocating here.
Experience the Area
Experience Life in Chapel Hill Before You Move
Explore Short-Term Stays in Chapel Hill →Stay options powered by Stay22 · affiliate
NarrowTheList highly recommends you spend a week or two in Chapel Hill and experience everyday life before deciding whether it is the right place to call home. Use that time to explore neighborhoods, drive your normal routes, shop where residents shop, and get a feel for the area at different times of day.
NarrowTheList Ratings
Data-driven starter ratings. More categories appear automatically as new datasets are added.
Housing & Cost of Living in Chapel Hill
Current housing indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau
Median Home Value$613,700
Median Gross Rent$1,613
Homeownership47.4%
Housing Vacancy10.1%
Home values are relatively high compared with local household income, so purchase affordability deserves close attention. Renters make up a substantial share of the local housing market.
Jobs, Income & Remote Work
Employment and household-income context for Chapel Hill, NC
Median Household Income$85,989
Unemployment4.5%
Work From Home28.1%
The reported unemployment rate is in a middle range. Working from home is relatively common among employed residents.
Population & Household Profile
Who lives in Chapel Hill and how households are structured
Population61,607
Median Age25.8
Average Household Size2.4
Chapel Hill is a mid-sized community where neighborhood and nearby-employment patterns can materially affect a relocation decision.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year. NarrowTheList presents these values as relocation context; conditions can vary within a community.
Climate & Weather in Chapel Hill
Long-term NOAA climate normals and practical seasonal context
NOAA climate normals for Chapel Hill point to hot summers, winters with regular freezing conditions, a wetter annual rainfall pattern and occasional snowfall.
Average Summer High89.6°F
Average Winter Low31.7°F
Annual Rainfall43.6 in.
Annual Snowfall2.8 in.
Seasonal Life in Chapel Hill
What the long-term climate pattern may mean for everyday living.
Spring
Spring is a good time to see how wetter conditions affect drainage, yards, commuting and the usability of outdoor spaces.
Summer
Summer is warm enough that shade and cooling still matter, but the typical high is below the extreme-heat range seen in many hotter U.S. markets.
Fall
Fall marks a substantial seasonal transition here. It is a useful time to judge how quickly temperatures change and whether that seasonal swing fits the lifestyle you want.
Winter
Freezing winter lows make heating, icy conditions and cold-weather routines worth evaluating even if annual snowfall is limited.
Source: NOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Seasonal descriptions are relocation context derived from the available long-term normals, not a forecast.
County Intelligence
Chapel Hill & Its Counties
Data Pending
Foreclosure Activity
Chapel Hill spans Durham and Orange counties.
Living in a community that crosses county lines can make location within Chapel Hill especially important. Property taxes, housing characteristics, public services and other county-level factors may vary depending on which part of the community you call home.
Current NarrowTheList data for Chapel Hill shows a population of about 61,607. These local figures become more useful when read together with county-level tax, housing, foreclosure and demographic conditions rather than treated as isolated city statistics.
Foreclosure Activity: Data Pending. A county-specific foreclosure signal is not available yet.
For someone comparing homes, county boundaries can matter because taxes, public services, court and recording systems, assessment practices and housing-market conditions are often administered or reported at the county level. NarrowTheList keeps that county relationship attached to the community so future tax, foreclosure, housing and demographic data can be interpreted in the correct geographic context.
County relationship
Durham County and Orange County
How NarrowTheList uses it
NarrowTheList connects Chapel Hill with all 2 of its counties rather than assigning the community to only one. As additional county data becomes available, those differences can be compared alongside city-level information to help identify which parts of the area may better fit your priorities.
For someone considering a move to Chapel Hill, the available data currently points to housing affordability that deserves careful budgeting. These signals are most useful when considered alongside the specific neighborhood, commute and housing type that fit the household making the move.
Nearby Cities & Communities
Nearby incorporated cities, towns, villages and other municipalities shown by straight-line distance.