27517 ZIP Code — Chapel Hill, NC

Orange County, North Carolina

ZIP code 27517 is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, within Orange County. It covers approximately 46.01 square miles and serves a population of 27,761 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 919/984.

About ZIP code 27517

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $539,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 67%.

The gap between median ($117,757) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 5% is below the national average. 32% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 25% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 75% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 27517 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

27,761

population

46.01

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

27517 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 27517

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 27517. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Chapel Hill	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

27599 Chapel Hill (5.2 mi) 27510 Carrboro (5.6 mi) 27713 Durham (6.4 mi) 27523 Apex (7 mi) 27519 Cary (8.5 mi) 27707 Durham (8.5 mi) 27514 Chapel Hill (8.7 mi) 27516 Chapel Hill (9.2 mi) 27502 Apex (10.9 mi) 27312 Pittsboro (11.5 mi) 27706 Durham (11.6 mi) 27560 Morrisville (11.9 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	27,761
Population density	603 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	135

Geography
Land area	46.01 sq mi
Water area	4.19 sq mi
Latitude	35.8410
Longitude	-79.0298
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	27.2%	32.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	25.0%	26.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	25.6%	24.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	22.2%	17.4%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

27,761

Population

603

People per sq mi

43.6

Median age

$117,757

Median household income

$75,373

Per capita income

$539,500

Median home value

$1,415

Median monthly rent

66.9%

Home ownership

4.9%

Poverty rate

2.8%

Unemployment

8,660

Housing units

74.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

657

Under 5

645

741

5–9

728

888

10–14

872

695

15–19

683

757

20–24

744

1,792

25–34

1,761

1,730

35–44

1,699

1,458

45–54

1,433

983

55–59

966

879

60–64

864

1,901

65–74

1,867

1,006

75–84

989

516

85+

507

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	5,383	19.4%
18 and over	22,378	80.6%
65 and over	6,786	24.4%
Median age	43.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 67.1%

Hispanic or Latino 8%

Black or African American 7.9%

Other race 6.1%

Two or more races 5.5%

Asian 5.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	20,260	67.1%
Hispanic or Latino	2,427	8%
Black or African American	2,388	7.9%
Other race	1,856	6.1%
Two or more races	1,655	5.5%
Asian	1,574	5.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	28	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	27.2%	32.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	25.0%	26.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	25.6%	24.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	22.2%	17.4%	6.0%

Under $10k 3.5%

$10k–$15k 1.8%

$15k–$25k 3.5%

$25k–$35k 4.4%

$35k–$50k 6.7%

$50k–$75k 13.1%

$75k–$100k 10.5%

$100k–$150k 17.6%

$150k–$200k 11.0%

$200k+ 27.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.5%
$10k–$15k	1.8%
$15k–$25k	3.5%
$25k–$35k	4.4%
$35k–$50k	6.7%
$50k–$75k	13.1%
$75k–$100k	10.5%
$100k–$150k	17.6%
$150k–$200k	11.0%
$200k+	27.8%
Median income	$117,757

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 0.4%

$50k–$100k 2.7%

$100k–$150k 1.6%

$150k–$200k 4.1%

$200k–$300k 8.6%

$300k–$500k 27.6%

$500k–$1M 44.5%

$1M+ 10.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$539,500
Median rent / month	$1,415
Owner occupied	66.9%
Renter occupied	33.1%
Vacant	6.4%
Single-family detached	58.3%
Large apartment buildings	6.4%
Mobile homes	2.6%
Median rooms	6.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.46

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.1%
2010–2019	17.3%
2000–2009	26.2%
1990–1999	19.8%
1980–1989	11.8%
1970–1979	6.6%
1960–1969	9.2%
1950–1959	4.9%
1940–1949	1.9%
1939 or earlier	1.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.7%
1 bedroom	9.4%
2 bedrooms	28.6%
3 bedrooms	26.8%
4 bedrooms	22.1%
5+ bedrooms	11.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.6%
1 vehicle	34.7%
2 vehicles	45.4%
3 or more	16.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	49.4%
Electricity	46.9%
Propane / LP gas	2.8%
Fuel oil	0.1%
Wood	0.3%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	6,539	55.7%
Cohabiting couple	421	3.6%
Male householder, no spouse	1,944	16.6%
Female householder, no spouse	2,836	24.2%
Households with children under 18	2,918	24.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,266	36.3%
Average household size	2.34

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	29.2%	25.1%
Married	60.1%	57.0%
Separated	1.7%	0.8%
Widowed	2.9%	7.0%
Divorced	6.0%	10.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.6%

Some HS, no diploma 3.1%

HS graduate 7.2%

Some college, no degree 8.0%

Associate's degree 4.5%

Bachelor's degree 34.0%

Graduate / professional 40.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.2%
Bachelor's or higher	74.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	340	5.4%
Kindergarten	373	5.9%
Elementary school	2,584	40.8%
High school	1,084	17.1%
College / grad school	1,957	30.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 37.9%

Professional & management 20.4%

Finance & real estate 8.0%

Manufacturing 7.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.3%

Retail trade 5.1%

Construction 4.9%

Other services 3.9%

Information 2.3%

Transportation & utilities 2.1%

Wholesale trade 1.5%

Public administration 1.0%

Agriculture & mining 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	67.1%
Service	14.8%
Sales & office	11.2%
Natural resources & construction	4.6%
Production & transportation	2.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	74.3%
Government	19.8%
Self-employed	5.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	59.3%
Carpool	10.7%
Public transit	2.1%
Walk	1.1%
Work from home	25.2%
Other means	1.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.3

Poverty

All people 4.9%

Under 18 years 2.9%

18 and over 5.3%

Married-couple families 2.1%

Female-led households 7.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	32.1%
Retirement income	31.0%
Supplemental Security	2.4%
Cash public assistance	1.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	3.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	26.5%
High blood pressure	29.9%
High cholesterol	32.1%
Diabetes	8.3%
Heart disease	5.7%
Stroke	2.5%
Asthma	7.9%
Arthritis	22.4%
Kidney disease	2.6%
Pulmonary disease	4.4%
Cancer	7.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	9.8%
Binge drinking	14.9%
No physical activity	14.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	26.1%
Depression	19.6%
Fair or poor health	8.6%
Poor mental health	11.0%
Poor physical health	7.2%
No health insurance	11.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.4%
Visited dentist	76.1%
Cholesterol screening	92.6%
Teeth loss	7.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,358	6.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	9.7%
Under 18	1.3%
18–64 years	4.6%
65 and over	28.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	78.0%
Public insurance	31.3%
No insurance	8.5%
Uninsured under 19	4.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	26,459	95.3%
Spanish	2,085	7.9%
Other Indo-European	1,399	5.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	236	0.9%
Other languages	450	1.7%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	23,463	84.5%
Born in same state	23,060	83.1%
Born in different state	9,017	32.5%
Foreign born	403	1.5%
Naturalized citizen	4,298	15.5%
Not a US citizen	2,066	48.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	4,860	17.5%
Italian	3,304	11.9%
Arab	1,585	5.7%
English	244	0.9%
German	226	0.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	176	0.6%
Irish	127	0.5%
Polish	107	0.4%
Dutch	30	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.3%
Internet access	98.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 27517

What city is ZIP code 27517 in?

ZIP code 27517 is primarily assigned to Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 27517 in?

ZIP code 27517 falls within Chatham County, North Carolina.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 27517?

75% 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 27517?

The median home value in ZIP code 27517 is $539,500.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 27517?

The median household income in ZIP code 27517 is $117,757, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 27517?

ZIP code 27517 has an estimated population of 27,761 residents, with a density of 603 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 27517 in?

ZIP code 27517 observes the EST timezone.