Residential delivery area · North Carolina
ZIP Code 27516: Chapel Hill, NC
ZIP code 27516 uses the postal name Chapel Hill, North Carolina and lies mostly in Orange County (83% of its land) with the rest in Chatham County (Census 2020 ZIP-county file). About 47,000 people live there (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024), the most populous of Chapel Hill's 4 residential ZIP codes. Median household income is $106,353 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). By Census place, its land lies in Chapel Hill (6%), Carrboro (4%) and Briar Chapel (2%); 89% is outside any Census place.
- ACS2020-24
- Census2020
- FHFA2025
- ZBP2023
- IRS2022
- Town
- Chapel Hill · 4 residential ZIPs
- County
- Orange County (83%); Chatham County (17%)
- Census places
- Chapel Hill (6%); Carrboro (4%); Briar Chapel (2%) census-designated place
- Neighborhoods
- Barrington Hills, Carlton Acres, Colonial Heights, Elkins Hills, Fox Meadows, Glen Heights and 12 more GeoNames
- Metro area
- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- House district
- NC-4 119th Congress
- State
- North Carolina
- Time zone
- Eastern
- Land area
- 93.5 sq mi · 507 people per sq mi
- PO Box ZIPs
- 27515 also use the name Chapel Hill
Where is ZIP code 27516?
27516 centers on 35.906°, -79.155° and covers 93.5 square miles of land plus 0.8 of water. It borders 9 ZIP codes: 27510, 27599, 27514, 27517, 27312, 27243, 27253, 27278, 27302.
The map draws ZIP code areas only. For the streets inside 27516, open its center on OpenStreetMap.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA cartographic boundaries and the 2023 Gazetteer (2020 ZCTAs); ZIP-to-county shares, Census places and House districts (119th Congress) from the Census 2020 relationship files (shares of land); metro area from the OMB delineation (July 2023); town name and time zone from simplemaps US ZIP Codes (CC BY 4.0); neighborhoods from the GeoNames gazetteer (CC BY 4.0), placed in this ZIP code by PlainZIP.
How does 27516 compare with the rest of Chapel Hill?
| Measure | 27516 | In Chapel Hill | In Orange County | In NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People (ACS 2020-2024) | 47,358 | 1st of 4 | 3rd of 15 | 45th of 853 |
| Median household income | $106k | 2nd of 3 | 2nd of 12 | 45th of 528 |
| Median home value | $567k | 3rd of 3 | 3rd of 13 | 29th of 572 |
Its median household income is higher than in 85% of U.S. residential ZIP codes, and it is denser than 72% of all U.S. residential ZIP codes. ZIP codes at the ACS caps ($250,000 or more for household income, $2,000,000 or more for home value) share the top rank.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B19013, B25077); ranks by PlainZIP over residential ZIP codes (ZCTAs).
How many people live in 27516?
The 2020 Census counted 45,841 people in 27516; the ACS, which samples households over 2020-2024, estimates 47,358. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew 26.8% (its boundary stayed at least 90% the same).
- People, ACS 2020-2024
- 47,358
- 2020 Census count
- 45,841+26.8% since 2010 (36,139)
- Households
- 17,503
- Median age
- 36.9
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01003, B01002, B11001); 2020 Census (DHC P1); 2010 Census (SF1 P1).
Who lives in 27516?
Of the 47,358 people the ACS estimates in 27516, 21.7% are under 18 and 14.9% are 65 or older. The largest group by race and Hispanic origin is White (not Hispanic) (67.7%).
- Under 1821.7%
- 18 to 6463.3%
- 65 and older14.9%
- White, not Hispanic67.7%
- Asian, not Hispanic9.6%
- Black, not Hispanic8.4%
- Hispanic or Latino8.1%
- Other or two or more6.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B01001 age by sex, B03002 Hispanic or Latino origin by race); shares of the estimated population, small ZIP codes carry wide margins.
What do households in 27516 earn?
Median household income is $106,353 (ACS 2020-2024), the 2nd highest of the 12 ranked ZIP codes in Orange County. It is not measurably different from 2015-2019 ($104,028 in 2024 dollars): the change is within the surveys' margins of error.
- Median household income
- $106,353
- Income per person
- $58,731
- Below the poverty line
- 15.8%
- Unemployed (of the labor force)
- 6.8%
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree
- 72.8%
- Adjusted gross income per tax return, 2022
- $143,79619,170 returns; wages 65% of AGI (IRS)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 and 2015-2019 5-year estimates (B19013, B19301, B17001, B23025, B15003; 2015-2019 dollars converted with the BLS CPI-U, 1.22699); IRS Statistics of Income, ZIP code data, tax year 2022 (adjusted gross income per return, filed under the address on the return).
What are homes worth in 27516?
FHFA's house price index for 27516, built from repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, rose 94% from 2015 to 2025 and rose 62% from 2020 to 2025, and moved +1.1% in 2025.
- Median home value (owners' estimate)
- $567,200
- Median gross rent
- $1,564
- Homes owned by their occupants
- 70.7%
- Housing units
- 18,951
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B25077, B25064, B25003, B25001); FHFA House Price Index, annual five-digit ZIP, updated 2026-03-31.
What businesses are in 27516?
790 business establishments had a location in this ZIP code in 2023, 58 more than in 2018; the most are in professional, scientific, and technical services (ZIP Code Business Patterns).
- Professional, scientific, and technical services176
- Health care and social assistance89
- Construction83
- Accommodation and food services69
- Other services (except public administration)67
- Real estate and rental and leasing57
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023 and 2018 (establishments with paid employees, by the business's ZIP code).
Which ZIP codes are next to 27516?
| ZIP | Town | People | Household income | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27510 | Carrboro | 13,868 | $62k | 4.1 mi |
| 27599 | Chapel Hill | 0 | – | 5.8 mi |
| 27514 | Chapel Hill | 32,951 | $93k | 7.1 mi |
| 27517 | Chapel Hill | 29,564 | $129k | 8.2 mi |
| 27312 | Pittsboro | 23,341 | $103k | 10.8 mi |
| 27243 | Efland | 5,677 | $84k | 11.0 mi |
| 27253 | Graham | 33,114 | $63k | 11.5 mi |
| 27278 | Hillsborough | 27,925 | $106k | 13.3 mi |
| 27302 | Mebane | 35,418 | $80k | 17.0 mi |
| 27340 | Saxapahaw | 48 | – | 9.1 mi (near) |
Source: PlainZIP from the Census 2020 ZCTA boundaries (shared edges) and internal points; figures ACS 2020-2024.