Residential delivery area · North Carolina
ZIP Code 27517: Chapel Hill, NC
ZIP code 27517 uses the postal name Chapel Hill, North Carolina and lies mostly in Chatham County (58% of its land), reaching into Orange County and Durham County (Census 2020 ZIP-county file). About 30,000 people live there (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024), the 3rd most populous of Chapel Hill's 4 residential ZIP codes. Median household income is $128,683 (Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). By Census place, its land lies in Chapel Hill (13%), Durham (5%), Governors Club (5%), Governors Village (1%) and Carolina Meadows (under 1%); 75% is outside any Census place.
- ACS2020-24
- Census2020
- FHFA2025
- ZBP2023
- IRS2022
- Town
- Chapel Hill · 4 residential ZIPs
- County
- Chatham County (58%); Orange County (23%); Durham County (19%)
- Census places
- Chapel Hill (13%); Durham (5%); Governors Club (5%) census-designated place; Governors Village (1%) census-designated place
- Neighborhoods
- Colony Park, Eastwood Park, Falconbridge, Farrington Hills, Morgan Creek Hills, Ridgefield and 5 more GeoNames
- Metro area
- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
- House district
- NC-4 119th Congress
- State
- North Carolina
- Time zone
- Eastern
- Land area
- 46.0 sq mi · 643 people per sq mi
- PO Box ZIPs
- 27515 also use the name Chapel Hill
Where is ZIP code 27517?
27517 centers on 35.843°, -79.032° and covers 46.0 square miles of land plus 4.2 of water. It borders 6 ZIP codes: 27713, 27523, 27516, 27514, 27707, 27312.
The map draws ZIP code areas only. For the streets inside 27517, 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 27517 compare with the rest of Chapel Hill?
| Measure | 27517 | In Chapel Hill | In Chatham County | In NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People (ACS 2020-2024) | 29,564 | 3rd of 4 | 7th of 20 | 128th of 853 |
| Median household income | $129k | 1st of 3 | 6th of 15 | 19th of 528 |
| Median home value | $608k | 2nd of 3 | 4th of 15 | 21st of 572 |
Its median household income is higher than in 93% of U.S. residential ZIP codes, and it is denser than 74% 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 27517?
The 2020 Census counted 28,837 people in 27517; the ACS, which samples households over 2020-2024, estimates 29,564. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew 23.5% (its boundary stayed at least 90% the same).
- People, ACS 2020-2024
- 29,564
- 2020 Census count
- 28,837+23.5% since 2010 (23,346)
- Households
- 12,608
- Median age
- 43.4
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 27517?
Of the 29,564 people the ACS estimates in 27517, 19.0% are under 18 and 24.7% are 65 or older. The largest group by race and Hispanic origin is White (not Hispanic) (68.1%), then Hispanic or Latino (11.6%).
- Under 1819.0%
- 18 to 6456.3%
- 65 and older24.7%
- White, not Hispanic68.1%
- Hispanic or Latino11.6%
- Black, not Hispanic9.2%
- Asian, not Hispanic6.0%
- Other or two or more5.1%
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 27517 earn?
Median household income is $128,683 (ACS 2020-2024), the 6th highest of the 15 ranked ZIP codes in Chatham County. It rose from $112,865 in 2015-2019 (in 2024 dollars), a change larger than the surveys' margins of error.
- Median household income
- $128,683
- Income per person
- $78,220
- Below the poverty line
- 5.6%
- Unemployed (of the labor force)
- 2.5%
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree
- 74.1%
- Adjusted gross income per tax return, 2022
- $192,09514,480 returns; wages 52% 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 27517?
FHFA's house price index for 27517, built from repeat sales and appraisals of the same homes, rose 97% from 2015 to 2025 and rose 63% from 2020 to 2025, and moved +6.1% in 2025.
- Median home value (owners' estimate)
- $608,100
- Median gross rent
- $1,638
- Homes owned by their occupants
- 67.4%
- Housing units
- 13,437
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 27517?
793 business establishments had a location in this ZIP code in 2023, 107 more than in 2018; the most are in professional, scientific, and technical services (ZIP Code Business Patterns).
- Professional, scientific, and technical services171
- Health care and social assistance120
- Finance and insurance84
- Real estate and rental and leasing66
- Retail trade55
- Construction52
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 27517?
| ZIP | Town | People | Household income | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27713 | Durham | 59,197 | $101k | 6.1 mi |
| 27523 | Apex | 20,269 | $136k | 6.4 mi |
| 27516 | Chapel Hill | 47,358 | $106k | 8.2 mi |
| 27514 | Chapel Hill | 32,951 | $93k | 8.6 mi |
| 27707 | Durham | 51,274 | $74k | 8.9 mi |
| 27312 | Pittsboro | 23,341 | $103k | 11.6 mi |
| 27599 | Chapel Hill | 0 | – | 4.4 mi (near) |
| 27510 | Carrboro | 13,868 | $62k | 5.4 mi (near) |
| 27519 | Cary | 69,836 | $166k | 8.5 mi (near) |
Source: PlainZIP from the Census 2020 ZCTA boundaries (shared edges) and internal points; figures ACS 2020-2024.