Population 63 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Chapel Hill
Household size in Chapel Hill
| Period | Chapel Hill | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.53 | 2.55 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.60 | 2.58 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.17 | 2.56 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.36 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Chapel Hill is a place of small households, averaging 2.17 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.53 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Chapel Hill
| Period | Chapel Hill | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.9 | 38.2 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.9 | 39.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.3 | 40.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 53.9 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +10.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Chapel Hill skews older: half of its residents are older than 53.9, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Chapel Hill
| Period | Chapel Hill | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.1% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.1% | 11.8% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| Change | −12.8 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Chapel Hill than nationally: 10.2%, against 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Chapel Hill
Renters in Chapel Hill
| Period | Chapel Hill | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.1% | 28.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 33.2% | 30.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.5% | 31.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 20.6% | 29.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −13.5 pts | +0.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 20.6% of households in Chapel Hill rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 41.2% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Chapel Hill
| Period | Chapel Hill | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.4% | 14.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.2% | 15.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.3% | 13.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.1 pts | −0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Chapel Hill: 23.3% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Chapel Hill
| Period | Chapel Hill | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1983 | 1980 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1982 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1983 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1986 | 1980 |
| Change | −6 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Chapel Hill was built around 1976, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Alabama as a whole, where the median home dates to 1986.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Chapel Hill
| Period | Chapel Hill | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $767 | $716 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $797 | $785 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $611 | $858 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $807 | $1,091 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$40 | +$375 | +$606 |
The median renter in Chapel Hill pays $807 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 49.7% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Chapel Hill
Bachelor's degrees in Chapel Hill
| Period | Chapel Hill | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 23.3% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 24.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.9% | 26.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.9% | 29.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +5.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Chapel Hill: 10.9% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Chapel Hill
| Period | Chapel Hill | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 58.6% | 82.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.4% | 84.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.3% | 86.4% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 72.9% | 88.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +14.3 pts | +6.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than a quarter of adults in Chapel Hill never finished high school, well above the national share: only 72.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Chapel Hill
| Period | Chapel Hill | Alabama | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.8% | 8.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 19.9% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 0.1% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 4.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.4 pts | −3.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Chapel Hill: 6.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Chapel Hill compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chapel Hill | 2.17 | 53.9 | 10.2% | 20.6% | 23.3% | 1976 | $807 | 10.9% | 72.9% | 6.4% |
| Penton | 2.27 | 49.8 | 6.8% | 19.2% | 17.8% | 1981 | $543 | 28.2% | 87.1% | 6.7% |
| Marcoot | 2.36 | 45.4 | 4.6% | 12.7% | 15.9% | 1982 | $746 | 22.7% | 86.3% | 9.2% |
| Lafayette | 2.26 | 51.3 | 10.2% | 29.5% | 16.4% | 1978 | $722 | 11.1% | 78.6% | 11.3% |
| Stroud | 2.09 | 49.1 | 14.6% | 18.1% | 17.5% | 1985 | $542 | 16.8% | 86.3% | 4.5% |
| Pooles Crossroad | 2.27 | 50.1 | 7.8% | 15.8% | 19.6% | 1982 | $567 | 24.4% | 87.6% | 5.6% |
| Milltown | 2.15 | 44.0 | 6.5% | 25.9% | 18.9% | 1983 | $738 | 15.7% | 79.8% | 8.1% |
| Tiller Crossroads | 2.33 | 46.0 | 6.0% | 16.5% | 17.0% | 1984 | $651 | 25.4% | 86.6% | 5.3% |
| Five Points | 2.23 | 45.9 | 19.3% | 15.5% | 22.7% | 1985 | $538 | 9.7% | 87.2% | 8.6% |
| Fredonia | 2.37 | 48.0 | 21.6% | 14.3% | 21.8% | 1988 | $678 | 9.6% | 86.3% | 5.7% |
| Moorefield | 2.23 | 46.5 | 6.3% | 31.2% | 16.9% | 1987 | $763 | 25.0% | 87.3% | 8.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Woolum, AR · Sunfair, CA · Sun City, KS · Chical, NM · Cinco, WV · Stony River, AK · Cisco, UT · Clarendon, NY · Clarkia, ID · Chapman, MT
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Chapel Hill. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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