Hillsborough, NC · standard

ZIP Code 27278

Orange County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 13, 2026

24,286
93/sq mi: $105,887
Median income: $414,100
Median home value: 55.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Hillsborough pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 15%
household income, US ZIPs: Top 19%
home value, US ZIPs: 93
people per sq mi: 78%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27278 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 27278 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 262.6 square miles in Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina. The area is home to 24,286 residents, producing a population density of 93 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 27278 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 27278 sits at $105,887 (53% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $55,724. The poverty rate stands at 7.0% and the unemployment rate at 2.9%. On housing, the median home value is $414,100 (60% above the state average) with median rent at $1,297 per month, and 77.6% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 27278 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 55.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.3, and the average commute is 27 minutes. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Orange County, so you can benchmark 27278 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 27278

Construction

121
Professional, scientific, and technical services

89
Retail trade

75
Other services (except public administration)

71
Health care and social assistance

57

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 27278, Hillsborough, NC · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-13 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

24,286

Population

262.6

Area (sq mi)

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard

Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.

View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 27278?

44.3

Median Age

48.9%

Male

51.1%

Female

8.6%

Foreign-Born

White 73.4%

African American 9.0%

Asian 3.3%

American Indian or Alaska Native 1.3%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 8.9%

Hispanic or Latino 10.7%

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?

$105,887

Median Household Income

+53% vs state

$55,724

Per Capita Income

7.0%

Poverty Rate

2.9%

Unemployment Rate

26.8 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 27278 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$105,887 Top 15% higher than 85% 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 71.1%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 55.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

12,362

Total Housing Units

11,533

Occupied Units

829

Vacant Units

2.39

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 77.6%

Renter 22.4%

$414,100

Median Home Value

+60% vs state

$1,297

Median Rent

1996

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

+5.5%

YoY Change (2024)

259

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+159%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 27278 have increased 5.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +159% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+4.0%	171
2021	+9.8%	188
2022	+23.6%	232
2023	+5.6%	245
2024	+5.5%	259

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 670 business establishments in ZIP 27278, employing approximately 8,043 people with a combined annual payroll of $435,461,000.

670

Businesses

8,043

Employees

$435.5M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Construction	121	18.1%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	89	13.3%
Retail trade	75	11.2%
Other services (except public administration)	71	10.6%
Health care and social assistance	57	8.5%
Accommodation and food services	51	7.6%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	44	6.6%
Wholesale trade	28	4.2%
Finance and insurance	26	3.9%
Manufacturing	25	3.7%
Real estate and rental and leasing	22	3.3%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	18	2.7%
Educational services	14	2.1%
Information	11	1.6%
Transportation and warehousing	10	1.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	4	0.6%

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 27278 vs 27243 →

27705

46,282
27707

45,023
27514

32,110
27278

24,286
27243

4,337
27231

2,148

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27278 ranks #4 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.

27278

$105,887
27514

$92,875
27243

$84,348
27707

$74,406
27705

$73,066
27231

$64,471

What this shows By household income, ZIP 27278 ranks the highest of 6 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
27243	Efland, NC	4,337	6.1 mi
27514	Chapel Hill, NC	32,110	8.5 mi
27705	Durham, NC	46,282	7.2 mi
27231	Cedar Grove, NC	2,148	9.3 mi
27707	Durham, NC	45,023	11.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Orange County

Orange County Hillsborough, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 27278 in? ▼

ZIP code 27278 (Hillsborough) is located in Orange County, North Carolina. Orange County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/orange-nc.

What is the population of ZIP code 27278? ▼

ZIP code 27278 in Hillsborough, NC has a population of 24,286 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 27278? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 27278 is $105,887, which is 39% above the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 27278? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 27278 is $414,100, which is 49% above the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27278? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 27278 is White at 73.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 10.7% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 27278? ▼

ZIP code 27278 has 670 business establishments employing approximately 8,043 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 27278? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 27278 are: Construction (121), Professional, scientific, and technical services (89), Retail trade (75). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 27278? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 27278 increased by 5.5% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 159%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

What is the education level in ZIP code 27278? ▼

In ZIP code 27278, 71.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 55.7% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).

What is the average commute time in ZIP 27278? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 27278 is 26.8 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.

What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27278? ▼

In ZIP code 27278, approximately 77.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 22.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27278? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 27278 is 7.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.