Burlington vs Chapel Hill
Burlington, North Carolina versus Chapel Hill, North Carolina: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Burlington and Chapel Hill score about the same overall (47 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Burlington | Chapel Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $53k | $86k |
| Cost of Living | $46k | $64k |
| Home Value | $167k | $537k |
| Monthly Rent | $947 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.84% | 1.30% |
| Income Tax | 4.50% | 4.50% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.46% | 14.93% |
| Unemployment | 5.7% | 4.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 41°F | 41°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 80°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 43.3 in | 43.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 1.8 in | 2.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 211 days | 194 days |
| Summer Humidity | 67°F | 69°F |
| Comfortable Days | 71 days | 77 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 56.5 | 36.1 |
| Air Quality | 46 AQI | 46 AQI |
| School Quality | 53.5 | 62.8 |
| Violent Crime | 2953/100k | 984/100k |
| Property Crime | 3789/100k | 1994/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 56,951 | 58,919 |
| Median Age | 39.9 | 25.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.62 | 0.51 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.93 | 0.89 |
| Political Leaning | Even | D+52 |
| White (%) | 48.0% | 64.7% |
| Black (%) | 28.4% | 10.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | 17.5% | 6.8% |
| Asian (%) | 2.4% | 13.4% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.7% | 4.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 20 min |
| Walkability | 8.3/20 | 15.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 42 mi | 14 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 85.0% | 92.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 20.90 | 58.05 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Burlington or Chapel Hill more affordable?
- Burlington has the lower cost of living: its index is $46k, compared with Burlington's $46k and Chapel Hill's $64k. Median rent is $947 in Burlington versus $1k in Chapel Hill.
- Is Burlington or Chapel Hill safer?
- Chapel Hill has the lower violent crime rate. Burlington reports 2953/100k and Chapel Hill reports 984/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Burlington or Chapel Hill?
- The median home value is $167k in Burlington and $537k in Chapel Hill, so homes are more affordable in Burlington.