Census tract · Orange County
Census Tract 121.03, Orange County, North Carolina
Census Tract 121.03, GEOID 37135012103, in Orange County, North Carolina, entirely within Chapel Hill. 2,767 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±421); the 2020 Census counted 2,764.
Residents, 2020-2024
2,767
±421 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 2,764
Median household income
$69,628
±$31,058 (90% margin)
Orange County: $90,089
Median home value
$679,800
±$191,539 (90% margin)
Orange County: $459,500
Median gross rent
$1,533
±$293 (90% margin)
Orange County: $1,496
Where is Census Tract 121.03?
Census Tract 121.03 is one of 42 census tracts in Orange County, North Carolina. It covers 1.05 square miles of land, 2,637 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 37135012103, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Chapel Hill | 100% |
6 census tracts border Census Tract 121.03: Tract 20.19 in Durham County ($74,310), Tract 20.33 in Durham County ($135,660), Tract 115 ($136,667), Tract 121.01 ($62,386), Tract 121.02 ($182,321) and Tract 122.01 ($168,250). 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 121.03?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 121.03's population at 2,767 (±421) in 1,253 households; the 2020 Census counted 2,764 residents and 1,275 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 121.03 | Chapel Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,767 ±421 | 61,607 |
| Households | 1,253 ±184 | 21,189 |
| Average household size | 2.19 ±0.26 | 2.38 |
| Housing units | 1,444 ±215 | 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 121.03?
The median resident of Census Tract 121.03 is 39.2 years old; 18.5% are under 18 and 17.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 66.4%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 12.6%. 14.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 121.03 | Chapel Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.2 ±4.2 | 25.8 |
| Under 18 years | 18.5% ±4.9 pts | 14.9% |
| 65 years and over | 17.7% ±5.8 pts | 12.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6.8% ±4.8 pts | 7.6% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 66.4% ±11.3 pts | 62.8% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 12.6% ±5.9 pts | 11.3% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 11.5% ±8.3 pts | 13.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.4% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.5 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.5% ±1.7 pts | 4.0% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.0% ±1.4 pts | 0.6% |
| Born outside the United States | 14.5% ±6.9 pts | 15.3% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 14.4% ±7.1 pts | 20.0% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.5% ±2.0 pts | 2.8% |
| With a disability | 17.9% ±6.5 pts | 7.5% |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.8% ±7.0 pts | 5.1% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.8% ±8.2 pts | 96.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 73.5% ±10.2 pts | 76.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 41.4% ±11.3 pts | 45.2% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 70.4% ±11.3 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 121.03 earn?
Half of the 1,253 households in Census Tract 121.03 earn less than $69,628 a year (±$31,058), against $90,089 across Orange County: 29th highest of the county's 41 tracts with a reliable estimate. 5.4% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 121.03 | Chapel Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,628 ±$31,058 | $85,989 |
| Mean household income | $134,941 ±$34,673 | $145,081 |
| Per capita income | $65,722 ±$14,567 | $51,406 |
| People below the poverty line | 5.4% ±3.1 pts | 18.6% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±8.0 pts | 6.9% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 6.7% ±5.1 pts | 5.0% |
| Households with a computer | 98.3% ±1.4 pts | 98.6% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 95.6% ±4.9 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 121.03?
Owners occupy 57.3% of Census Tract 121.03's occupied homes and renters 42.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $679,800 by its owner (±$191,539). The median renter pays $1,533 a month including utilities, and 65.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 121.03 | Chapel Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $679,800 ±$191,539 | $613,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,533 ±$293 | $1,613 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 65.5% ±16.0 pts | 51.6% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $3,466 ±$813 | $2,912 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 57.3% ±12.2 pts | 47.4% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 42.7% ±12.2 pts | 52.6% |
| Housing units | 1,444 ±215 | 23,581 |
| Single-family detached homes | 38.6% ±11.2 pts | 41.2% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 0.6% |
| Built 2020 or later | 3.4% ±3.2 pts | 2.0% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 7.5% ±4.3 pts | 12.8% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 3.2% |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.8% ±2.1 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 121.03 get to work?
59.1% of Census Tract 121.03's workers drive alone and 35.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 17.1 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 121.03 | Chapel Hill |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 64.2% ±9.1 pts | 58.1% |
| Unemployment rate | 0.0% ±2.8 pts | 4.5% |
| Drove alone to work | 59.1% ±12.7 pts | 47.1% |
| Carpooled | 1.5% ±1.8 pts | 5.9% |
| Public transportation | 0.7% ±1.2 pts | 7.0% |
| Walked | 1.7% ±2.0 pts | 8.0% |
| Worked from home | 35.3% ±13.4 pts | 28.1% |
| Mean travel time to work | 17.1 min ±3.2 | 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 121.03 compare with the other tracts in Orange County?
Among Orange County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 121.03 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Orange County | In Chapel Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 30th of 42 | 12th of 17 |
| Residents per square mile | 13th of 42 | 10th of 17 |
| Median household income | 29th of 41 | 11th of 16 |
| Per capita income | 16th of 42 | 9th of 17 |
| Median home value | 6th of 40 | 5th of 15 |
| Median gross rent | 14th of 38 | 9th of 16 |
| Poverty rate | 27th of 29 | 12th of 14 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19th of 42 | 15th of 17 |
| Median age | 24th of 42 | 7th of 17 |
| Owner-occupied share | 26th of 40 | 6th of 15 |
The tracts next to it on Orange County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 111.06 | 26th | $79,042±$7,241 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 118 | 27th | $76,083±$12,060 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 107.05 | 28th | $73,320±$13,241 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 121.03 | 29th | $69,628±$31,058 |
| Tract 111.03 | 30th | $64,107±$5,981 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 107.08 | 31st | $63,643±$19,287 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 108.04 | 32nd | $62,656±$23,610 · within the margin of this tract |
"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 121.03?
2 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 121.03 on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
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