Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Among the top 1% of US places for getting around.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 14% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade D, better than 12% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 47% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A+, better than 99% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 54% of US places
- top 1% for walkability
- top 7% for airport distance
- bottom 8% for monthly owner costs
Chapel Hill is a mid-size city in North Carolina with about 59,000 residents. It grades A+ for getting around and D for weather. Standout strengths include walkability, airport distance, and commute time. It rates lower on cost of living and monthly owner costs.
Official websitetownofchapelhill.org (opens in new tab)
Climate
Hot, humid summers · Cool winters · Moderate rain · Light snow
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62%51%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.1 in3.2 in
muggy 97%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$86k77th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$64kbetter than 8% of US places
Home Value$537k92nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 18% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$3kbetter than 8% of US places
Property Tax Rate1.30%better than 34% of US places
Income Tax4.50%better than 61% of US places
Sales Tax7.00%better than 60% of US places
Estimated total tax burden14.93%better than 17% of US places
Unemployment4.7%better than 42% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)41°F73rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)79°F69th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation43.6 in56th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall2.8 inbetter than 72% of US places
Sunny Days194 daysbetter than 17% of US places
Summer Humidity69°Fbetter than 20% of US places
Comfortable Days77 daysbetter than 37% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk36.1better than 85% of US places
Air Quality46 AQIbetter than 48% of US places
School Quality62.8better than 57% of US places
Violent Crime984/100kbetter than 36% of US places
Property Crime1994/100kbetter than 19% of US places
Community
Population58,91998th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age25.64th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5184th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.8930th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+523rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)64.7%26th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)10.3%84th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)6.8%64th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)13.4%97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)4.9%70th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time20 minbetter than 87% of US places
Walkability15.4/20better than 99% of US places
Airport Distance14 mibetter than 93% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access92.5%better than 74% of US places
Amenities Nearby58.05better than 43% of US places
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 43% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Chapel Hill an affordable place to live?
- Chapel Hill is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $64k, better than 8% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Chapel Hill?
- The median home value in Chapel Hill is $537k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Chapel Hill?
- Median household income in Chapel Hill is $86k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Chapel Hill?
- Median gross rent in Chapel Hill is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Chapel Hill safe?
- Chapel Hill is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 984/100k (better than 36%). Property crime is 1994/100k.
- What is the weather like in Chapel Hill?
- Chapel Hill averages 79°F in July and 41°F in January, with 43.6 in of annual precipitation and about 194 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Chapel Hill?
- Public-school quality in Chapel Hill is about average, scoring better than 57% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Chapel Hill?
- The average one-way commute in Chapel Hill is 20 min.
Places near Chapel Hill
Compare Chapel Hill
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Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)