ZIP Code 27517

ZIP code 27517 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 119.1 square miles in Chapel Hill, Orange County, North Carolina. The area is home to 23,346 residents, producing a population density of 196 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 27517 against North Carolina and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 27517 sits at $128,683 (86% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $78,220. The poverty rate stands at 5.6% and the unemployment rate at 2.5%. On housing, the median home value is $608,100 (134% above the state average) with median rent at $1,638 per month, and 67.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 27517 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 74.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.4, and the average commute is 21 minutes. We also surface 9 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Orange County, so you can benchmark 27517 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 →