Census tract · Orange County
Census Tract 117, Orange County, North Carolina
Census Tract 117, GEOID 37135011700, in Orange County, North Carolina, entirely within Chapel Hill. 5,804 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±598); the 2020 Census counted 5,791.
Residents, 2020-2024
5,804
±598 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 5,791
Median household income
$47,955
±$17,223 (90% margin)
Orange County: $90,089
Median home value
$874,000
±$168,661 (90% margin)
Orange County: $459,500
Median gross rent
$1,481
±$102 (90% margin)
Orange County: $1,496
Where is Census Tract 117?
Census Tract 117 is one of 42 census tracts in Orange County, North Carolina. It covers 0.95 square miles of land, 6,077 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 37135011700, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Chapel Hill | 100% |
8 census tracts border Census Tract 117: Tract 107.05 ($73,320), Tract 107.08 ($63,643), Tract 113 ($35,707), Tract 114 ($58,882), Tract 116.01, Tract 116.02 ($29,226), Tract 122.01 ($168,250) and Tract 122.02 ($127,143). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 117?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 117's population at 5,804 (±598) in 1,742 households; the 2020 Census counted 5,791 residents and 1,946 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 117 | Chapel Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,804 ±598 | 61,607 |
| Households | 1,742 ±259 | 21,189 |
| Average household size | 2.48 ±0.36 | 2.38 |
| Housing units | 2,002 ±255 | 23,581 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 117?
The median resident of Census Tract 117 is 21.3 years old; 6.7% are under 18 and 7.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 71.8%, then non-Hispanic Asian residents at 9.6%. 8.1% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 117 | Chapel Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 21.3 ±0.5 | 25.8 |
| Under 18 years | 6.7% ±3.3 pts | 14.9% |
| 65 years and over | 7.6% ±3.5 pts | 12.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.9% ±2.4 pts | 7.6% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 71.8% ±6.0 pts | 62.8% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 9.1% ±4.0 pts | 11.3% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 9.6% ±4.3 pts | 13.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.4% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.0% ±1.6 pts | 4.0% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.5% ±1.5 pts | 0.6% |
| Born outside the United States | 8.1% ±3.2 pts | 15.3% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 12.4% ±3.9 pts | 20.0% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 2.2% ±1.3 pts | 2.8% |
| With a disability | 6.8% ±3.1 pts | 7.5% |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.3% ±2.3 pts | 5.1% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 96.2% ±4.4 pts | 96.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 76.5% ±10.7 pts | 76.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 39.0% ±9.2 pts | 45.2% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 52.1% ±7.4 pts | 73.7% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Census Tract 117 earn?
Half of the 1,742 households in Census Tract 117 earn less than $47,955 a year (±$17,223), against $90,089 across Orange County: 38th highest of the county's 41 tracts with a reliable estimate. 45.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 117 | Chapel Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,955 ±$17,223 | $85,989 |
| Mean household income | $95,434 ±$22,818 | $145,081 |
| Per capita income | $30,855 ±$7,686 | $51,406 |
| People below the poverty line | 45.6% ±9.5 pts | 18.6% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 23.6% ±31.6 pts | 6.9% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 4.7% ±3.5 pts | 5.0% |
| Households with a computer | 100.0% ±2.4 pts | 98.6% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 94.7% ±5.9 pts | 93.3% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Census Tract 117?
Owners occupy 25.9% of Census Tract 117's occupied homes and renters 74.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $874,000 by its owner (±$168,661). The median renter pays $1,481 a month including utilities, and 71.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 117 | Chapel Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $874,000 ±$168,661 | $613,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,481 ±$102 | $1,613 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 71.4% ±9.3 pts | 51.6% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $4,000 or more | $2,912 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 25.9% ±7.4 pts | 47.4% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 74.1% ±7.4 pts | 52.6% |
| Housing units | 2,002 ±255 | 23,581 |
| Single-family detached homes | 25.9% ±7.3 pts | 41.2% |
| Mobile homes | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 0.6% |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.4% ±2.2 pts | 2.0% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 36.9% ±8.4 pts | 12.8% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 9.4% ±4.9 pts | 3.2% |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.7% ±4.0 pts | 5.8% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Census Tract 117 get to work?
32.6% of Census Tract 117's workers drive alone and 28.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 17.9 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 11.0%.
| Measure | Tract 117 | Chapel Hill |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 48.2% ±5.6 pts | 58.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 11.0% ±5.1 pts | 4.5% |
| Drove alone to work | 32.6% ±7.7 pts | 47.1% |
| Carpooled | 1.5% ±1.6 pts | 5.9% |
| Public transportation | 6.4% ±4.1 pts | 7.0% |
| Walked | 21.3% ±8.3 pts | 8.0% |
| Worked from home | 28.6% ±9.5 pts | 28.1% |
| Mean travel time to work | 17.9 min ±2.8 | 19.5 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
How does Census Tract 117 compare with the other tracts in Orange County?
Among Orange County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 117 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Orange County | In Chapel Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 4th of 42 | 2nd of 17 |
| Residents per square mile | 5th of 42 | 4th of 17 |
| Median household income | 38th of 41 | 14th of 16 |
| Per capita income | 38th of 42 | 14th of 17 |
| Median home value | 2nd of 40 | 2nd of 15 |
| Median gross rent | 18th of 38 | 11th of 16 |
| Poverty rate | 3rd of 29 | 3rd of 14 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13th of 42 | 11th of 17 |
| Median age | 40th of 42 | 15th of 17 |
| Owner-occupied share | 36th of 40 | 14th of 15 |
The tracts next to it on Orange County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 114 | 35th | $58,882±$17,061 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 111.05 | 36th | $58,382±$26,660 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 107.09 | 37th | $52,346±$26,034 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 117 | 38th | $47,955±$17,223 |
| Tract 107.07 | 39th | $46,250±$7,990 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 113 | 40th | $35,707±$9,841 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 116.02 | 41st | $29,226±$6,108 |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 117?
Every figure for Census Tract 117 on this page has a coefficient of variation under 40%, the Census Bureau's threshold for a usable estimate.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections