Population 3,789 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Downtown Chapel Hill
Household size in Downtown Chapel Hill
| Period | Downtown Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.46 | 2.40 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.03 | 2.44 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.43 | 2.43 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.49 | 2.40 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.97 | +0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Downtown Chapel Hill has 2.49 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Still, the typical household here is bigger than in the Chapel Hill area overall, where it has 2.40 people. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 3.46, 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 Downtown Chapel Hill
| Period | Downtown Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.6 | 36.9 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 20.3 | 37.7 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 21.4 | 39.2 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 20.9 | 39.9 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.7 | +2.9 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Downtown Chapel Hill is young: half of its residents are under 20.9, compared with a national median of 40.1. The population tilts toward young adults in their twenties.
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 Downtown Chapel Hill
| Period | Downtown Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.2% | 12.0% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 12.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 11.0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.2% | 10.2% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | −1.8 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Downtown Chapel Hill: 3.2% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Downtown Chapel Hill
Renters in Downtown Chapel Hill
| Period | Downtown Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.3% | 38.7% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 89.3% | 39.8% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 64.5% | 39.3% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 73.8% | 37.8% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.4 pts | −0.9 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Downtown Chapel Hill: 73.8% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 61.5% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Downtown Chapel Hill
| Period | Downtown Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.1% | 11.2% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.1% | 9.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.0% | 9.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.1% | 9.2% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +8.1 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Downtown Chapel Hill: 13.1% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
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 Downtown Chapel Hill
| Period | Downtown Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1953 | 1983 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1958 | 1984 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 2005 | 1986 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 2010 | 1991 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +57 | +8 | +7 | +6 |
Downtown Chapel Hill has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 2010, versus 1980 nationally.
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 Downtown Chapel Hill
| Period | Downtown Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,335 | $889 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,435 | $951 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,732 | $1,102 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,632 | $1,501 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$297 | +$612 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Downtown Chapel Hill pays $1,632 a month for rent and utilities, close to the national median of $1,571. Rents here are higher than in the wider Chapel Hill area ($1,501). The typical renter here spends 50.9% 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 Downtown Chapel Hill
Bachelor's degrees in Downtown Chapel Hill
| Period | Downtown Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 55.2% | 43.7% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 77.0% | 45.7% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 88.3% | 48.5% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 61.3% | 53.9% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | +10.2 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Downtown Chapel Hill: 61.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby.
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 Downtown Chapel Hill
| Period | Downtown Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.5% | 86.9% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.5% | 88.4% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 99.5% | 89.4% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.5% | 91.5% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +4.7 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Downtown Chapel Hill: 95.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Downtown Chapel Hill
| Period | Downtown Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 7.8% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 23.2% | 8.6% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.6% | 4.5% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.7% | 4.0% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | −3.8 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Downtown Chapel Hill: 14.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Downtown Chapel Hill compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Chapel Hill | 2.49 | 20.9 | 3.2% | 73.8% | 13.1% | 2010 | $1,632 | 61.3% | 95.5% | 14.7% |
| University of NC at Chapel Hill | 2.27 | 19.7 | 3.7% | 95.9% | 29.1% | 1993 | $1,414 | 85.7% | 100.0% | 3.9% |
| North Garrett Road | 2.23 | 39.5 | 7.3% | 55.4% | 9.2% | 1998 | $1,836 | 77.8% | 99.1% | 1.7% |
| Old West Durham | 1.86 | 28.5 | 10.7% | 85.5% | 24.9% | 1983 | $1,499 | 66.3% | 88.2% | 4.7% |
| Downtown Durham | 1.74 | 33.4 | 11.6% | 79.3% | 13.3% | 2002 | $1,434 | 58.7% | 88.4% | 4.5% |
| Trinity Park | 2.10 | 34.8 | 13.5% | 54.7% | 5.9% | 1952 | $1,385 | 72.9% | 97.0% | 1.4% |
| East Durham | 2.42 | 37.9 | 18.9% | 57.0% | 21.7% | 1964 | $1,120 | 23.0% | 74.7% | 8.7% |
| Northeast Durham | 2.84 | 40.7 | 17.6% | 29.8% | 7.7% | 1988 | $1,470 | 32.6% | 75.1% | 10.8% |
| Northwest Raleigh | 2.15 | 38.3 | 7.3% | 47.7% | 9.6% | 1998 | $1,765 | 65.0% | 96.8% | 2.4% |
| West | 2.09 | 29.6 | 8.5% | 73.1% | 13.9% | 1994 | $1,519 | 58.8% | 92.7% | 5.5% |
| Glenwood | 2.42 | 41.7 | 3.6% | 34.6% | 7.8% | 1979 | $2,204 | 83.3% | 98.2% | 3.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Blanco Gardens, San Marcos, TX · Embrey Mill, Stafford, VA · Denver International Airport, Denver, CO · Providence Estates East, Matthews, NC · Downtown Frederick, Frederick, MD · West Lincoln, Lincoln, NE · West Cloverdale, Boise, ID · The Gardens, Ocean City, NJ · Spring Glen, Hamden, CT · South Ruffner, Charleston, WV
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 Downtown 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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