PlainZIP

Chapel Hill, NC · standard

ZIP Code 27516

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

36,139
150/sq mi
$106,353
Median income
$567,200
Median home value
72.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Chapel Hill pairs an upper-quartile household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 15%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 10%
home value, US ZIPs
150
people per sq mi
71%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 27516 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 27516 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Chapel Hill, Orange County, North Carolina, with 36,139 residents across 240.8 square miles, a density of 150 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 27516 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $106,353 (54% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $58,731. 15.8% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 6.8%. The typical home here is valued at $567,200 (119% above the state average); renters pay a median of $1,564 monthly, and 70.7% of units are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 72.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36.9, and the average commute is 24 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 3 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 27516, plus 6 more within Orange County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

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 27516

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Chapel Hill, NC

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 27516.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 27516, Chapel Hill, 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

36,139

Population

240.8

Area (sq mi)

150

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 27516?

36.9

Median Age

47.5%

Male

52.5%

Female

12.9%

Foreign-Born

White 68.9%
African American 8.8%
Asian 9.6%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 8.6%
Hispanic or Latino 8.1%

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?

$106,353

Median Household Income

+54% vs state

$58,731

Per Capita Income

15.8%

Poverty Rate

6.8%

Unemployment Rate

24.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 27516 ranks nationally

Chapel Hill, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$106,353 Top 15% higher than 85% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). This entry sits in this band. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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 80.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 72.8%

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

What does housing look like?

18,951

Total Housing Units

17,503

Occupied Units

1,448

Vacant Units

2.61

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 70.7%
Renter 29.3%

$567,200

Median Home Value

+119% vs state

$1,564

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

+7.0%

YoY Change (2024)

273

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+173%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 27516 have increased 7.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +173% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +3.3% 170
2021 +10.2% 187
2022 +22.4% 229
2023 +11.4% 255
2024 +7.0% 273

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 790 business establishments in ZIP 27516, employing approximately 5,239 people with a combined annual payroll of $276,883,000.

790

Businesses

5,239

Employees

$276.9M

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Professional, scientific, and technical services 176 22.3%
Health care and social assistance 89 11.3%
Construction 83 10.5%
Accommodation and food services 69 8.7%
Other services (except public administration) 67 8.5%
Real estate and rental and leasing 57 7.2%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 50 6.3%
Retail trade 45 5.7%
Educational services 41 5.2%
Information 25 3.2%
Finance and insurance 22 2.8%
Wholesale trade 18 2.3%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 18 2.3%
Manufacturing 12 1.5%
Transportation and warehousing 12 1.5%
Management of companies and enterprises 3 0.4%

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 27516 vs 27510 →

ZIP 27516 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 27516 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 27516 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 27516 ranks #2 of 4 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
27510 Carrboro, NC 14,644 3.9 mi
27514 Chapel Hill, NC 32,110 7.1 mi
27517 Chapel Hill, NC 23,346 8.3 mi

More ZIP Codes in Orange County

27514 standard
Chapel Hill, NC
Pop: 32,110
27278 standard
Hillsborough, NC
Pop: 24,286
27517 standard
Chapel Hill, NC
Pop: 23,346
27510 standard
Carrboro, NC
Pop: 14,644
27243 standard
Efland, NC
Pop: 4,337
27231 standard
Cedar Grove, NC
Pop: 2,148

Related Areas

Orange County Chapel Hill, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 27516 in? ▼
ZIP code 27516 (Chapel Hill) 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 27516? ▼
ZIP code 27516 in Chapel Hill, NC has a population of 36,139 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 27516? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 27516 is $106,353, which is 39% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 27516? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 27516 is $567,200, which is 104% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 27516? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 27516 is White at 68.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 8.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 27516? ▼
ZIP code 27516 has 790 business establishments employing approximately 5,239 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 27516? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 27516 are: Professional, scientific, and technical services (176), Health care and social assistance (89), Construction (83). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 27516? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 27516 increased by 7.0% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 173%. 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 27516? ▼
In ZIP code 27516, 80.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 72.8% 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 27516? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 27516 is 24.1 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 27516? ▼
In ZIP code 27516, approximately 70.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 29.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 27516? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 27516 is 15.8% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.