| ZIP Codes: | 9 ZIP Codes (7 Standard, 1 PO Box, 1 Unique) [See All] |
| Area Codes: | 919 / 984 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (GMT -05:00) |
| Local Time: | 2:12:59 PM |
| Population: | 159,674 [See All] |
| FIPS: | 37135 |
| CBSA: | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC |
| Land Area: | 346 sq mi |
| Water Area: | 7 sq mi |
| Coordinates: | 35.9775, -79.0983 |
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159,674 residents live across 9 ZIPs covering 346 sq mi, served by 5 distinct USPS-recognized cities.
Population moved from 140,012 to 159,674 from 2014 to 2024 — a +14.0% change. 6 ZIPs gained residents, 1 lost.
The county's wealthiest ZIP 27517 (Chapel Hill, $128,683 median) and poorest ZIP 27510 (Carrboro, $61,837) are 5.2 miles apart — a 2.1× income gap across local geography.
Median home values vary 2.7× across this county — from $248,900 in 27231 (Cedar Grove) to $663,900 in 27514 (Chapel Hill).
Density varies 61× across the county — from 68 people/sq mi in 27231 (Cedar Grove) to 4,173 in 27510 (Carrboro).
Educational attainment ranges from 31.9% bachelor's+ in 27231 (Cedar Grove) to 79.5% in 27514 (Chapel Hill) — the breadth of educational profiles across the area.
Within North Carolina, this is the #18 most populous of 100 counties and ranks #5 for median household income with the #15 fastest decade growth .
Hosts 1 single-entity Unique ZIP: 27599Unc Chapel Hill Admin .
Weighted by population, the typical household earns about $102,365 across the county — reflecting what a typical resident sees, not a simple ZIP average.
67.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher (69,186 of 102,419 reporting). The most-educated ZIPs cluster around Chapel Hill.
7 Standard delivery, 1 PO Box only, 1 single-entity Unique ZIPs serve this county.
4 ZIPs in this county where more than 60% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree — typically college campuses, research enclaves, or tech corridors.
| ZIP | City | Type | Population | Median Income | Area (sq mi) | 10-yr Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27516 | Chapel Hill | Standard | 47,358 | $106,353 | 90.1 | 21.5% |
| 27514 | Chapel Hill | Standard | 32,951 | $92,875 | 20.0 | 2.0% |
| 27517 | Chapel Hill | Standard | 29,564 | $128,683 | 50.9 | 25.9% |
| 27278 | Hillsborough | Standard | 27,925 | $105,887 | 106.2 | 16.7% |
| 27510 | Carrboro | Standard | 13,868 | $61,837 | 3.3 | -9.9% |
| 27243 | Efland | Standard | 5,677 | $84,348 | 41.5 | 33.9% |
| 27231 | Cedar Grove | Standard | 2,331 | $64,471 | 34.1 | 36.4% |
| 27599 | Chapel Hill | Unique | 0 | — | 0.1 | — |
| 27515 | Chapel Hill | PO Box | — | — | 0.0 | — |