Graham, NC · standard
ZIP Code 27253
Alamance County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 29,827
- 131/sq mi
- $62,774
- Median income
- $235,800
- Median home value
- 26.7%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Graham pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 34th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 46%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 131
- people per sq mi
- 67%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27253 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 27253 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 228.2 square miles in Graham, Alamance County, North Carolina. The area is home to 29,827 residents, producing a population density of 131 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 27253 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 27253 sits at $62,774 (9% below the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $34,137. The poverty rate stands at 12.6% and the unemployment rate at 5.8%. On housing, the median home value is $235,800 (9% below the state average) with median rent at $1,041 per month, and 66.5% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 27253 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 26.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.6, and the average commute is 27 minutes. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Alamance County, so you can benchmark 27253 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Top industries in ZIP 27253
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27253.
- Construction
Construction
103 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
81 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
75 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
51 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
48 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 27253, Graham, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
29,827
Population
228.2
Area (sq mi)
131
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 27253?
39.6
Median Age
49.2%
Male
50.8%
Female
8.6%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$62,774
Median Household Income
-9% vs state
$34,137
Per Capita Income
12.6%
Poverty Rate
5.8%
Unemployment Rate
27.2 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 27253 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$62,774 34th percentile higher than 34% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. 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 · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
15,339
Total Housing Units
14,136
Occupied Units
1,203
Vacant Units
2.32
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$235,800
Median Home Value
-9% vs state
$1,041
Median Rent
1989
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+3.3%
YoY Change (2024)
223
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+123%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 27253 have increased 3.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +123% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +5.1% | 137 |
| 2021 | +16.5% | 160 |
| 2022 | +21.5% | 194 |
| 2023 | +11.0% | 216 |
| 2024 | +3.3% | 223 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 577 business establishments in ZIP 27253, employing approximately 6,313 people with a combined annual payroll of $295,008,000.
577
Businesses
6,313
Employees
$295.0M
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 103 | 17.9% |
| Retail trade | 81 | 14.0% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 75 | 13.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 51 | 8.8% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 48 | 8.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 40 | 6.9% |
| Manufacturing | 35 | 6.1% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 32 | 5.5% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 25 | 4.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 23 | 4.0% |
| Finance and insurance | 22 | 3.8% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 13 | 2.3% |
| Educational services | 9 | 1.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 8 | 1.4% |
| Information | 6 | 1.0% |
| Industries not classified | 3 | 0.5% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 27253 vs 27340 →
ZIP 27253 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27215
Burlington (27215)
38,807 residents
- 27253
Graham (27253)
29,827 residents
- 27258 6,006
Haw River (27258)
6,006 residents
- 27349 5,511
Snow Camp (27349)
5,511 residents
- 27340 120
Saxapahaw (27340)
120 residents
- 27201 63
Alamance (27201)
63 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27253 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 27253 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27258
Haw River (27258)
$78,079 median income
- 27215
Burlington (27215)
$68,825 median income
- 27349
Snow Camp (27349)
$68,807 median income
- 27253
Graham (27253)
$62,774 median income
- 27201
Alamance (27201)
$55,250 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 27253 ranks #4 of 5 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Alamance County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 27253 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 27253? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 27253? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 27253? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27253? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27253? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27253? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27253? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 27253? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 27253? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27253? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27253? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Graham, NC
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.