City profile · North Carolina · Census ACS 2023

Chapel Hill, NC

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Chapel Hill - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

59,889
Residents
$85,825
Median income
$576,500
Median home
$1,711
Median rent (state)

Chapel Hill - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Chapel Hill lands in the 67th percentile for household income and the 20th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

67th
percentile, household income
88th
percentile, home value
69th
percentile, median rent
20th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Chapel Hill, NC

59,889 people live in Chapel Hill, North Carolina - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Chapel Hill households earn a median of $85,825 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.6%. Typical homes in Chapel Hill are valued around $576,500, and the median resident age is 25.8 years. About 77.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 54.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 159 residential building permits were authorized in Chapel Hill (Building Boom), up 145% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 2686.7 crimes per 100,000 residents, near the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Chapel Hill's yearly average temperature at 59.7°F with 48.9 inches of precipitation per year and 2.8 inches of snowfall.

Living costs in North Carolina run below the national norm: the state registers 94.3 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,711 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $215 across North Carolina, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 79.1 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (High).

Population

59,889 residents

Census ACS 2023 - North Carolina

Median Household Income

$85,825 /yr

Poverty 6.6%

Cost of Living Index (state)

94.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, North Carolina average

How does Chapel Hill compare to other US cities?

Here's how Chapel Hill stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 67% higher than other cities
Home value 88% pricier than other cities
Median rent 69% pricier than other cities
Safety 20% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to North Carolina alone, Chapel Hill ranks #99 of 195 North Carolina cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Chapel Hill's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in North Carolina, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

67thIncome percentile
20thSafety percentile

67th percentile nationally for median household income · 20th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Chapel Hill's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Chapel Hill's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 36 Avg. percentile National median
Chapel Hill's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Chapel Hill's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$576,500 12th percentile more affordable than 12% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Chapel Hill $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Chapel Hill, NC Chapel Hill, NC's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Chapel Hill, NC-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Chapel Hill, NC median $85,825/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Chapel Hill, NC's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Chapel Hill, NC. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 77.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.6%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 54.9%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
59,889
Median Income
$85,825
Median Home Value
$576,500
Median Age
25.8
Poverty Rate
6.6%
Labor force participation
54.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
77.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2686.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
172.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2514.6
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
59.7°F
Annual Precipitation
48.9"
Annual Snowfall
2.8"

Schools

Total Schools
22
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
56,000 residents58,000 residents60,000 residents62,000 residents64,000 residents66,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 57,043 residents 63,565 residents ▲ +11.4%
Chapel Hill's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
159
housing units authorized
Single-Family
111
detached homes
Multifamily
48
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.7
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 65
2020 151
2021 450
2022 200
2023 739
2024 159

Permit volume increased 145% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
48.1%
Carpool
6.8%
Public Transit
6.6%
Walk
7.7%
Work from Home
27.1%
Other
3.7%

Based on 27,633 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for North Carolina - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$215
estimated/month

Estimates reflect North Carolina state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a North Carolina state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Chapel Hill sits in

Cost of Living Index
94.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,711/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
79.1 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in North Carolina

Burlington
58,599 people
Huntersville
62,458 people
Kannapolis
56,470 people
Rocky Mount
54,175 people
Apex
67,765 people
Mooresville
51,447 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Chapel Hill's 59,889 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Stonecrest, GA
59,917 people
Revere, MA
59,933 people
White Plains, NY
59,818 people
Gardena, CA
59,765 people
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
59,751 people
Taunton, MA
59,719 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Chapel Hill's $85,825 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Gold Canyon, AZ
$85,833 median income
Fieldbrook, CA
$85,833 median income
Riverview, DE
$85,833 median income
Philpot, KY
$85,833 median income
Cherry Valley, NY
$85,833 median income
Glenford, OH
$85,833 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Chapel Hill, NC Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Chapel Hill, NC - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 66.7% 10.9% 13.2% 6.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 7.4% White 66.7% Black or African American 10.9% Asian 13.2% American Indian 0.6% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 2.6% Two or more races 6.1% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Chapel Hill compares to nearby North Carolina cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Chapel Hill (this city) 59,889 $85,825
Burlington 58,599 $54,941
Huntersville 62,458 $119,951
Kannapolis 56,470 $70,691
Census ACS 5-year FIPS NC FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Chapel Hill, NC?

What is the population of Chapel Hill, NC? +

Chapel Hill, NC has a population of 59,889 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Chapel Hill, NC? +

The median household income in Chapel Hill is $85,825 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Chapel Hill? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Chapel Hill; the closest available measure is the North Carolina state average, a cost of living index of 94.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within North Carolina vary by metro area.

Is Chapel Hill, NC safe? +

Chapel Hill has a total crime rate of 2686.7 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Chapel Hill, NC? +

The median home value in Chapel Hill is $576,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Chapel Hill? +

Climate normals put Chapel Hill's yearly average temperature at 59.7°F, 48.9 inches of precipitation, and 2.8 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.