27516 ZIP Code — Chapel Hill, NC

Orange County, North Carolina

ZIP code 27516 is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, within Orange County. It covers approximately 93.47 square miles and serves a population of 44,697 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 919/984.

About ZIP code 27516

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Much of the housing stock is relatively new, reflecting recent development activity. Median home value is $468,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 71%.

The gap between median ($94,354) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 24 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 25% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 73% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 27516 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population and a high rate of remote workers.

44,697

population

93.47

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

27516 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 27516

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 27516. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Chapel Hill	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

27510 Carrboro (4.5 mi) 27599 Chapel Hill (5.9 mi) 27514 Chapel Hill (7.4 mi) 27517 Chapel Hill (9.2 mi) 27243 Efland (10.2 mi) 27253 Graham (10.3 mi) 27278 Hillsborough (11.5 mi) 27707 Durham (11.6 mi) 27312 Pittsboro (11.9 mi) 27258 Haw River (12.4 mi) 27705 Durham (12.6 mi) 27713 Durham (13.2 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	44,697
Population density	478 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	135

Geography
Land area	93.47 sq mi
Water area	0.78 sq mi
Latitude	35.9222
Longitude	-79.1607
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	919/984

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	30.5%	32.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	22.6%	26.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	26.6%	24.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	20.3%	17.4%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

44,697

Population

478

People per sq mi

36.1

Median age

$94,354

Median household income

$52,296

Per capita income

$468,600

Median home value

$1,425

Median monthly rent

71.3%

Home ownership

14.7%

Poverty rate

6.9%

Unemployment

13,346

Housing units

72.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

863

Under 5

925

1,308

5–9

1,400

1,530

10–14

1,639

1,739

15–19

1,861

2,989

20–24

3,201

2,102

25–34

2,250

2,486

35–44

2,662

3,103

45–54

3,323

1,197

55–59

1,282

1,124

60–64

1,203

2,063

65–74

2,208

891

75–84

954

190

85+

204

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	9,616	21.5%
18 and over	35,081	78.5%
65 and over	6,510	14.6%
Median age	36.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 70.8%

Black or African American 8.6%

Asian 8.1%

Two or more races 6.3%

Hispanic or Latino 4.2%

Other race 1.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%

Group	Count	%
White	33,042	70.8%
Black or African American	4,034	8.6%
Asian	3,771	8.1%
Two or more races	2,944	6.3%
Hispanic or Latino	1,979	4.2%
Other race	680	1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	225	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	30.5%	32.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	22.6%	26.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	26.6%	24.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	20.3%	17.4%	6.0%

Under $10k 6.4%

$10k–$15k 3.6%

$15k–$25k 7.2%

$25k–$35k 4.1%

$35k–$50k 7.0%

$50k–$75k 14.1%

$75k–$100k 10.3%

$100k–$150k 12.7%

$150k–$200k 10.9%

$200k+ 23.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.4%
$10k–$15k	3.6%
$15k–$25k	7.2%
$25k–$35k	4.1%
$35k–$50k	7.0%
$50k–$75k	14.1%
$75k–$100k	10.3%
$100k–$150k	12.7%
$150k–$200k	10.9%
$200k+	23.7%
Median income	$94,354

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.2%

$50k–$100k 1.0%

$100k–$150k 1.9%

$150k–$200k 4.1%

$200k–$300k 12.4%

$300k–$500k 35.4%

$500k–$1M 39.8%

$1M+ 4.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$468,600
Median rent / month	$1,425
Owner occupied	71.3%
Renter occupied	28.7%
Vacant	7.9%
Single-family detached	69.3%
Large apartment buildings	6.4%
Mobile homes	3.5%
Median rooms	6.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.69

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.1%
2010–2019	22.5%
2000–2009	18.3%
1990–1999	18.8%
1980–1989	12.6%
1970–1979	11.7%
1960–1969	5.5%
1950–1959	4.3%
1940–1949	1.3%
1939 or earlier	3.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.7%
1 bedroom	4.9%
2 bedrooms	19.4%
3 bedrooms	37.3%
4 bedrooms	26.8%
5+ bedrooms	8.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.6%
1 vehicle	27.4%
2 vehicles	43.9%
3 or more	25.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	41.5%
Electricity	49.7%
Propane / LP gas	5.9%
Fuel oil	0.4%
Wood	1.7%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	8,777	52.5%
Cohabiting couple	835	5.0%
Male householder, no spouse	2,786	16.7%
Female householder, no spouse	4,322	25.8%
Households with children under 18	5,155	30.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,500	26.9%
Average household size	2.57

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	38.3%	40.5%
Married	52.9%	46.7%
Separated	1.1%	1.0%
Widowed	1.3%	4.0%
Divorced	6.5%	7.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.6%

Some HS, no diploma 2.5%

HS graduate 8.3%

Some college, no degree 9.1%

Associate's degree 6.0%

Bachelor's degree 29.0%

Graduate / professional 43.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.9%
Bachelor's or higher	72.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	424	2.7%
Kindergarten	538	3.4%
Elementary school	4,558	28.9%
High school	2,793	17.7%
College / grad school	7,469	47.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 37.9%

Professional & management 17.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.9%

Retail trade 6.5%

Finance & real estate 6.1%

Manufacturing 5.5%

Other services 3.8%

Public administration 3.7%

Construction 2.4%

Transportation & utilities 2.3%

Information 2.3%

Wholesale trade 0.9%

Agriculture & mining 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	64.8%
Service	13.8%
Sales & office	13.3%
Natural resources & construction	3.5%
Production & transportation	4.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	68.2%
Government	23.5%
Self-employed	8.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	60.0%
Carpool	5.7%
Public transit	3.9%
Walk	3.1%
Work from home	24.6%
Other means	2.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	24.3

Poverty

All people 14.7%

Under 18 years 9.8%

18 and over 16.1%

Married-couple families 3.2%

Female-led households 15.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	25.7%
Retirement income	24.0%
Supplemental Security	3.4%
Cash public assistance	1.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	26.6%
High blood pressure	25.6%
High cholesterol	27.7%
Diabetes	7.2%
Heart disease	4.0%
Stroke	2.0%
Asthma	8.8%
Arthritis	17.7%
Kidney disease	2.1%
Pulmonary disease	4.1%
Cancer	4.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	12.3%
Binge drinking	16.6%
No physical activity	15.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.1%
Depression	22.3%
Fair or poor health	9.4%
Poor mental health	13.8%
Poor physical health	7.5%
No health insurance	12.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.1%
Visited dentist	71.5%
Cholesterol screening	88.2%
Teeth loss	9.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,496	4.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	7.6%
Under 18	3.5%
18–64 years	5.5%
65 and over	23.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	85.3%
Public insurance	22.1%
No insurance	4.5%
Uninsured under 19	2.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	42,909	96.0%
Spanish	1,751	4.1%
Other Indo-European	716	1.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	209	0.5%
Other languages	766	1.8%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	39,638	88.7%
Born in same state	38,816	86.8%
Born in different state	16,095	36.0%
Foreign born	822	1.8%
Naturalized citizen	5,059	11.3%
Not a US citizen	3,213	63.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	7,058	15.8%
Italian	5,782	12.9%
Arab	1,662	3.7%
Polish	513	1.1%
English	450	1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	291	0.7%
German	287	0.6%
Dutch	196	0.4%
Norwegian	23	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.4%
Internet access	97.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 27516

What city is ZIP code 27516 in?

ZIP code 27516 is primarily assigned to Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 27516 in?

ZIP code 27516 falls within Orange County, North Carolina.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 27516?

73% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 27516?

The median home value in ZIP code 27516 is $468,600.

What is the population of ZIP code 27516?

ZIP code 27516 has an estimated population of 44,697 residents, with a density of 478 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 27516?

The median household income in ZIP code 27516 is $94,354, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 27516 in?

ZIP code 27516 observes the EST timezone.