27278 ZIP Code — Hillsborough, NC

Orange County, North Carolina

ZIP code 27278 is located in Hillsborough, North Carolina, within Orange County. It covers approximately 103.70 square miles and serves a population of 28,048 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 919/984.

About ZIP code 27278

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $355,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 79%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($94,525) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. The poverty rate of 7% is below the national average. 33% 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 26 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 20% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is high — 54% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 27278 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

28,048

population

103.70

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

27278 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 27278

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 27278. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Hillsborough	Acceptable
Hillsborough	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

27705 Durham (5.2 mi) 27514 Chapel Hill (7.2 mi) 27243 Efland (7.6 mi) 27706 Durham (8.7 mi) 27708 Durham (9.1 mi) 27712 Durham (9.3 mi) 27707 Durham (10.4 mi) 27701 Durham (10.4 mi) 27231 Cedar Grove (10.5 mi) 27710 Durham (10.6 mi) 27711 Durham (10.6 mi) 27599 Chapel Hill (10.8 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	28,048
Population density	270 / sq mi
State FIPS	37
County FIPS	135

Geography
Land area	103.70 sq mi
Water area	1.02 sq mi
Latitude	36.0696
Longitude	-79.0644
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	30.4%	32.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	29.1%	26.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	26.5%	24.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	14.0%	17.4%	6.0%

Demographics & statistics

28,048

Population

270

People per sq mi

47.0

Median age

$94,525

Median household income

$55,414

Per capita income

$355,700

Median home value

$1,198

Median monthly rent

78.5%

Home ownership

6.8%

Poverty rate

4.0%

Unemployment

10,045

Housing units

54.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

766

Under 5

811

701

5–9

742

758

10–14

803

671

15–19

711

604

20–24

640

1,248

25–34

1,322

1,853

35–44

1,963

1,786

45–54

1,891

1,240

55–59

1,314

1,364

60–64

1,445

1,846

65–74

1,955

592

75–84

628

191

85+

203

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	5,596	20.0%
18 and over	22,452	80.0%
65 and over	5,415	19.3%
Median age	47.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 71.4%

Black or African American 11%

Hispanic or Latino 5.6%

Two or more races 5%

Other race 2.9%

American Indian / Alaska Native 2.1%

Asian 2%

Group	Count	%
White	21,197	71.4%
Black or African American	3,276	11%
Hispanic or Latino	1,651	5.6%
Two or more races	1,496	5%
Other race	860	2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	632	2.1%
Asian	587	2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	30.4%	32.4%	44.4%
$50k – $100k	29.1%	26.2%	30.6%
$100k – $200k	26.5%	24.0%	19.1%
Over $200k	14.0%	17.4%	6.0%

Under $10k 2.1%

$10k–$15k 3.3%

$15k–$25k 4.0%

$25k–$35k 5.9%

$35k–$50k 10.3%

$50k–$75k 16.1%

$75k–$100k 10.6%

$100k–$150k 19.4%

$150k–$200k 10.0%

$200k+ 18.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.1%
$10k–$15k	3.3%
$15k–$25k	4.0%
$25k–$35k	5.9%
$35k–$50k	10.3%
$50k–$75k	16.1%
$75k–$100k	10.6%
$100k–$150k	19.4%
$150k–$200k	10.0%
$200k+	18.3%
Median income	$94,525

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.0%

$50k–$100k 2.7%

$100k–$150k 6.7%

$150k–$200k 7.5%

$200k–$300k 17.0%

$300k–$500k 37.3%

$500k–$1M 21.0%

$1M+ 2.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$355,700
Median rent / month	$1,198
Owner occupied	78.5%
Renter occupied	21.5%
Vacant	8.3%
Single-family detached	74.2%
Large apartment buildings	4.6%
Mobile homes	9.1%
Median rooms	6.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.51

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.4%
2010–2019	17.2%
2000–2009	18.5%
1990–1999	16.2%
1980–1989	13.5%
1970–1979	12.6%
1960–1969	5.9%
1950–1959	7.3%
1940–1949	2.1%
1939 or earlier	6.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.2%
1 bedroom	3.7%
2 bedrooms	18.6%
3 bedrooms	50.5%
4 bedrooms	20.2%
5+ bedrooms	5.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.9%
1 vehicle	27.3%
2 vehicles	38.0%
3 or more	30.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	31.5%
Electricity	55.8%
Propane / LP gas	9.3%
Fuel oil	1.0%
Wood	1.7%
Solar	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	6,469	56.4%
Cohabiting couple	583	5.1%
Male householder, no spouse	1,427	12.4%
Female householder, no spouse	2,989	26.1%
Households with children under 18	3,017	26.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,881	33.8%
Average household size	2.41

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.1%	21.8%
Married	59.3%	55.9%
Separated	0.4%	1.4%
Widowed	2.6%	7.3%
Divorced	10.5%	13.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.7%

Some HS, no diploma 3.5%

HS graduate 16.7%

Some college, no degree 12.4%

Associate's degree 9.5%

Bachelor's degree 29.3%

Graduate / professional 24.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.8%
Bachelor's or higher	54.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	790	12.3%
Kindergarten	247	3.9%
Elementary school	2,560	39.9%
High school	1,085	16.9%
College / grad school	1,728	27.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 35.8%

Professional & management 15.1%

Retail trade 10.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.1%

Manufacturing 5.9%

Finance & real estate 5.4%

Construction 5.2%

Public administration 5.1%

Other services 3.9%

Information 2.8%

Wholesale trade 1.8%

Transportation & utilities 1.5%

Agriculture & mining 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	56.9%
Service	10.0%
Sales & office	18.7%
Natural resources & construction	6.6%
Production & transportation	7.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	70.8%
Government	19.8%
Self-employed	9.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	68.0%
Carpool	5.8%
Public transit	1.0%
Walk	1.9%
Work from home	20.2%
Other means	3.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.0

Poverty

All people 6.8%

Under 18 years 8.6%

18 and over 6.3%

Married-couple families 1.6%

Female-led households 16.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	33.2%
Retirement income	29.0%
Supplemental Security	3.6%
Cash public assistance	1.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	29.7%
High blood pressure	31.8%
High cholesterol	32.3%
Diabetes	9.2%
Heart disease	5.4%
Stroke	2.7%
Asthma	8.8%
Arthritis	23.0%
Kidney disease	2.6%
Pulmonary disease	5.4%
Cancer	6.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	14.8%
Binge drinking	15.8%
No physical activity	17.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.3%
Depression	22.0%
Fair or poor health	11.1%
Poor mental health	12.9%
Poor physical health	8.9%
No health insurance	14.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.8%
Visited dentist	71.1%
Cholesterol screening	92.0%
Teeth loss	10.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,531	6.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.2%
Under 18	2.0%
18–64 years	8.6%
65 and over	23.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	76.7%
Public insurance	31.1%
No insurance	6.2%
Uninsured under 19	3.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	26,471	94.4%
Spanish	1,024	3.9%
Other Indo-European	793	3.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	81	0.3%
Other languages	126	0.5%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	26,222	93.5%
Born in same state	25,609	91.3%
Born in different state	12,942	46.1%
Foreign born	613	2.2%
Naturalized citizen	1,826	6.5%
Not a US citizen	782	42.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	5,001	17.8%
Italian	2,945	10.5%
Arab	1,326	4.7%
English	420	1.5%
Polish	246	0.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	227	0.8%
Norwegian	97	0.3%
German	80	0.3%
Dutch	64	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.9%
Internet access	95.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 27278

What city is ZIP code 27278 in?

ZIP code 27278 is primarily assigned to Hillsborough, North Carolina.

What county is ZIP code 27278 in?

ZIP code 27278 falls within Orange County, North Carolina.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 27278?

54% 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 27278?

The median home value in ZIP code 27278 is $355,700.

What is the population of ZIP code 27278?

ZIP code 27278 has an estimated population of 28,048 residents, with a density of 270 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 27278?

The median household income in ZIP code 27278 is $94,525, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 27278 in?

ZIP code 27278 observes the EST timezone.