Chapel Hill, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Chapel Hill, NC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
A+
Health Top grade
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C
Income Below average
-
A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Chapel Hill | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,175 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2617.2 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.60% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 25.8 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 19,435 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Chapel Hill grew by 28.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 57,175 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Chapel Hill is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 46.5% of residents. That is 24.7 points above North Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 26,597 46.5% +24.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,479 14.8% -6.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,510 14.9% -5.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,197 10.8% -6.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below North Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 53.6% of the people living in Chapel Hill and men 46.4%.
- Women 53.6% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 46.4% North Carolina 48.9%
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Economy
Chapel Hill has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Chapel Hill | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $84,975 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.98% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Chapel Hill is about 17% higher than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Chapel Hill | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $218,405 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,601 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 46.9% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Chapel Hill is about 11.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,601 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Chapel Hill spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 145 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Chapel Hill | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.4 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.7 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 145 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,482 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 28.7% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 17,125 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,862 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Chapel Hill is 17 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in North Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Chapel Hill has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Chapel Hill | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.4% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.37 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Health
Chapel Hill has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Chapel Hill | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.1 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 8.8% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 11.5% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
How big is Chapel Hill, North Carolina by population?
About 57,175 people live in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in 19,435 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 25.8, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
How densely populated is Chapel Hill, North Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Chapel Hill, North Carolina has 2,617 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 30 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($218,405 against $84,975), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,601 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Chapel Hill, North Carolina have a college degree?
51.4% of adults in Chapel Hill, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 5 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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