Population 491 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Merry Oaks
Household size in Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.51 | 2.40 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.57 | 2.44 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.45 | 2.43 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.44 | 2.40 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | +0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Merry Oaks run small, averaging 2.44 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. The picture is much the same across the Chapel Hill area.
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 Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.7 | 36.9 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 48.2 | 37.7 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 50.0 | 39.2 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 52.1 | 39.9 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +9.4 | +2.9 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 52.1, Merry Oaks is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 42.7 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 12.0% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 12.0% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.4% | 11.0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.7% | 10.2% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | −1.8 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in twelve households in Merry Oaks (8.7%), below the national share of 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 Merry Oaks
Renters in Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.4% | 38.7% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.3% | 39.8% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.0% | 39.3% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 7.7% | 37.8% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −7.6 pts | −0.9 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Merry Oaks is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 7.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Just over three in ten owners (30.9%) have paid off their mortgages, below 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 Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 11.2% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.8% | 9.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 9.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.2% | 9.2% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | −2.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Merry Oaks: 11.2% 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 Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1989 | 1983 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1984 | 1984 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1993 | 1986 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1991 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +0 | +8 | +7 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Merry Oaks is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1989, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The Chapel Hill area as a whole looks much the same.
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 Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $842 | $889 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $810 | $951 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $866 | $1,102 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $942 | $1,501 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$100 | +$612 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Merry Oaks pays $942 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 15.6% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Merry Oaks
Bachelor's degrees in Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.2% | 43.7% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.7% | 45.7% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.7% | 48.5% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 37.7% | 53.9% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +13.5 pts | +10.2 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly four in ten adults 25 and older in Merry Oaks (37.7%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. The share is lower than in the Chapel Hill area as a whole (53.9%).
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 Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.5% | 86.9% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.9% | 88.4% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.1% | 89.4% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.5% | 91.5% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.1 pts | +4.7 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Merry Oaks: 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 Merry Oaks
| Period | Merry Oaks | Chapel Hill area | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 7.8% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 8.6% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 0.7% | 4.5% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 4.0% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −3.8 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Merry Oaks runs below the national rate: 3.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. The picture is much the same across the Chapel Hill area. 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).
Merry Oaks 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merry Oaks | 2.44 | 52.1 | 8.7% | 7.7% | 11.2% | 1989 | $942 | 37.7% | 95.5% | 3.9% |
| Moncure | 2.57 | 46.0 | 14.3% | 16.5% | 11.3% | 1994 | $1,120 | 32.0% | 89.7% | 0.9% |
| Osgood | 2.20 | 47.7 | 4.8% | 14.1% | 10.1% | 1992 | $1,053 | 24.9% | 89.1% | 0.6% |
| Fearrington | 2.52 | 45.0 | 10.5% | 15.5% | 5.5% | 2001 | $2,052 | 65.8% | 99.6% | 1.2% |
| Haywood | 2.66 | 41.4 | 10.7% | 9.6% | 35.6% | 1998 | $1,123 | 47.2% | 94.5% | 0.7% |
| Pittsboro | 2.30 | 50.4 | 5.5% | 19.5% | 8.1% | 1999 | $1,398 | 54.4% | 96.5% | 3.7% |
| Hollemans Crossroads | 2.81 | 49.9 | 9.8% | 2.3% | 14.9% | 1994 | $1,123 | 50.3% | 88.2% | 1.8% |
| Bynum | 2.35 | 44.0 | 8.6% | 17.5% | 9.3% | 2001 | $1,262 | 64.0% | 98.7% | 2.9% |
| Colon | 2.79 | 31.8 | 9.9% | 69.7% | 15.8% | 2001 | $1,159 | 18.8% | 89.7% | 21.9% |
| Gulf | 2.31 | 43.3 | 7.7% | 7.0% | 17.8% | 1983 | $871 | 28.5% | 93.9% | 0.2% |
| Corinth | 2.86 | 34.8 | 22.2% | 29.6% | 18.8% | 1997 | $1,081 | 23.9% | 90.4% | 0.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: North Victory, NY · Mount Pleasant, WV · Mount Zion, WV · Mountain Park, OK · Mutual, OK · New Albany, KS · Ninemile Corner, CO · Niota, IL · Norah, LA · North Fork, ID
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 Merry Oaks. 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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