Hillsborough, NC · standard
ZIP Code 27278
Orange County, North Carolina - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 24,286
- 93/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $105,887
- Median income Above-median income area
- $414,100
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 55.7%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 27278 (Hillsborough, NC) rose +5.5% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 245.3 in 2023 to 258.8 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 27278 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina, with 24,286 residents across 262.6 square miles, a density of 93 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 27278 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $105,887 (53% above the average North Carolina ZIP), while per-capita income is $55,724. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 7.0% and unemployment is 2.9%. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $414,100 (60% above the average North Carolina ZIP), while 77.6% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,297.
This is a highly-educated ZIP: 55.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.3, and the average commute is 27 minutes. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Orange County, so 27278 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 27278
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Hillsborough, NC
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27278.
- Construction
Construction
121 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
89 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
75 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
71 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
57 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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 27278, Hillsborough, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
24,286
Population
262.6
Area (sq mi)
93
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 27278?
44.3
Median Age
48.9%
Male
51.1%
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?
$105,887
Median Household Income
+53% vs state ZIP avg
$55,724
Per Capita Income
7.0%
Poverty Rate
2.9%
Unemployment Rate
26.8 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 27278 ranks among North Carolina ZIPs
Hillsborough, NC household income vs. every North Carolina ZIP code
Median household income among 749 reporting North Carolina ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$105,887 Top 8% higher than 92% of 749 North Carolina ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more North Carolina 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
12,362housing units
12,362
Total Housing Units
11,533
Occupied Units
829
Vacant Units
2.39
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$414,100
Median Home Value
+60% vs state ZIP avg
$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
16
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 →
ZIP 27278 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27705
Durham (27705)
46,282 residents
- 27707
Durham (27707)
45,023 residents
- 27514
Chapel Hill (27514)
32,110 residents
- 27278
Hillsborough (27278)
24,286 residents
- 27243 4,337
Efland (27243)
4,337 residents
- 27231 2,148
Cedar Grove (27231)
2,148 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27278 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 27278 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 27278
Hillsborough (27278)
$105,887 median income
- 27514
Chapel Hill (27514)
$92,875 median income
- 27243
Efland (27243)
$84,348 median income
- 27707
Durham (27707)
$74,406 median income
- 27705
Durham (27705)
$73,066 median income
- 27231
Cedar Grove (27231)
$64,471 median income
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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 27278, both outside NC so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (24,286 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Orange County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 27278's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 27278 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Hillsborough, NC ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.