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Town
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Chapel Hill

#1 in Best Places to Live in Orange County
  • A+
    Overall Grade
  • Town in North Carolina
  • 151 reviews
A+
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Public Schools
    A+
  2. Crime & Safety
    B-
  3. Housing
    B-
  4. Nightlife
    A
  5. Good for Families
    A+
  6. Diversity
    A
  7. Jobs
    B+
  8. Weather
    B
  9. Cost of Living
    C
  10. Health & Fitness
    A
  11. Outdoor Activities
    A-
  12. Commute
    A
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Chapel Hill is a town in North Carolina with a population of 59,234. Chapel Hill is in Orange County and is one of the best places to live in North Carolina. Living in Chapel Hill offers residents a suburban feel and most residents rent their homes. In Chapel Hill there are a lot of restaurants and parks. Many young professionals live in Chapel Hill and residents tend to have moderate political views. The public schools in Chapel Hill are highly rated.
About Chapel Hill...
Population
59,234

Real Estate

Median Home Value
$397,700
National
$184,700
Median Rent
$1,130
National
$949
Area Feel
Suburban
Rent vs. Own
  • Rent
    52%
  • Own
    48%
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Chapel Hill Rankings

Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and and expert insights.

Crime & Safety

Crime & Safety
B-
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Assault
    64
    283
  • Murder
    2
    6
  • Rape
    22
    41
  • Robbery
    67
    136
Property Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Burglary
    421
    500
  • Theft
    1,646
    2,043
  • Motor Vehicle Theft
    89
    284
Home Security Options for Chapel Hill
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  • 24/7 Whole home protection with no contract
  • CNET Editor’s choice winner 2018

Residents

Diversity
A
Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
Age
  • <10 years
    8%
  • 10-17 years
    8%
  • 18-24 years
    31%
  • 25-34 years
    13%
  • 35-44 years
    10%
  • 45-54 years
    10%
  • 55-64 years
    9%
  • 65+ years
    11%
Education Levels
National
  • Master's degree or higher
    45%
    12%
  • Bachelor's degree
    30%
    19%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    14%
    29%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    8%
    28%
  • Less than high school diploma
    4%
    13%

Working in Chapel Hill

Jobs
B+
Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
Median Household Income
$67,426
National
$55,322
Search for Jobs in Chapel Hill
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  • Private Schools
  • Colleges
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Chapel Hill Reviews

151 reviews
All Categories
It's a great college town that still has plenty of professional residents. I found an area that was mostly grad students (Finley Forest) and it is quiet, safe, and well-kept. Franklin Street is full of good food and places to drink. It's close to Raleigh and Durham, so there's always something to do. Being in the middle of the state allows for fairly easy access to the beach and the mountains. I loved living there and will miss it immensely!
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Chapel Hill is one of the best places to live in North Carolina. Being between the mountains and the beach your just a few hour drive from two completely different environments. Chapel Hill is home of the Tar Heel, making the town revolve around the competitive University that always has a fun activity going on. The school systems are incredible and will prepare all children for a higher education. Diversity is one of the most important things within Chapel Hill. Everyone has different backgrounds, making learning about new cultures and experience readily available.
This town is very well put together. The traffic is minimal. The schools are very good and challenging. There are so many doctors who live here. The climate is quite different than San Francisco, where we moved from. The summers are sweltering, and the winters can have snow even in March! The cost of living here is reasonable. The variety of home prices is refreshing, especially coming from the SF Bay Area.