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Chapel Hill town, NC

ZIP 27516 — Housing & Real Estate

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023 5-Year Estimates. Page data updated 2026-08-02.

Upper Middle ClassLow Snow AreaRemote Work Hub

Home values, rent, tenure, and housing stock

Housing & Real Estate in ZIP Code 27516

Median Home Value
$508,400
Median Rent
$1,282
Affordability Snapshot
$140,000
Est. income to buy

Household income needed for a median home under a 20% down / 6.8% illustrative mortgage model (~$3,266/mo PITI).

15%
Rent-to-Income Ratio

Below the 30% threshold — generally affordable for median earners.

5.0x
Home Price-to-Income Ratio

Well above the 3-5x guideline — challenging for first-time buyers.

33.0 yrs
Price-to-Rent Ratio

Years to break even buying vs renting at median home value and rent.

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 27516 in Chapel Hill town, NC, a household would need roughly $140,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $3,266. That is about 39% above the local median household income ($100,788), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

Housing Tenure

Owner-occupied majority; balanced tenure mix.

Heating Fuel
Housing Metrics
Owner Occupied
72.0%+10% vs US avg
x
Vacancy Rate
7.9%-23% vs US avg
x
Broadband Access
95.9%+10% vs US avg
x
4+ Bedrooms
8.3%-44% vs US avg
x
Built Pre-1939
1.3%-90% vs US avg
x
Built Post-2014
2.0%-71% vs US avg
x
Rent Burden >30%
36.3%-27% vs US avg
x
Mortgage-Free
33.3%-13% vs US avg
x
$508,400
Home Value
$1,282
Rent
1996
Year Built
2015
Moved In

Residents have lived here since ~2015 on average

Housing Structure

Census ACS structure types (single-family, multi-unit, etc.).

  • 1-unit detached70.0%
  • 1-unit attached8.2%
  • 2-9 units7.7%
  • 10+ units10.9%
  • Mobile home & other3.2%

Housing & Real Estate key statistics

Housing statistics
Housing
Median home value$508,400
Median rent$1,282
Owner-occupied72.0%
Vacant7.9%
Price-to-income5.0x
Est. income to buy$140,000